Marloth Park residents up in arms over wildlife culling plan

Some residents of Marloth Park near Komatipoort, Mpumalanga, are up in arms over the planned culling of wildlife by the Nkomazi Local Municipality.

The municipality says there is an overpopulation of wildlife and some are dying due to inadequate grazing.

Municipal spokesperson Cyril Ripinga says the NSPCA recently took the matter to court to force the municipality to immediately manage the wildlife population in the park.

Ripinga further says some of the concerned residents obtained an interdict against them a few years ago.

“Every year we do what is called game count to check the numbers of the animals within the park. We found out that animals are now overpopulated and that there is no grazing land sufficient for the animals. This warrants us to have culling as enshrined in pieces of legislation governing wildlife in the country.”

Ripinga also adds that a number of community members have hauled them before court over culling.

“There is no other way to stop this overpopulation of animals in this park,” he says.