By Kotie Geldenhuys;
Photos courtesy of Pexels, Unsplash, Pxhere and Pixabay
South African farmers face a range of challenges: worsening weather patterns; land issues; increasing criminal activities, such as stock theft and farm attacks as well as the illegal hunting with dogs on their farms. Over the past decade, these hunting activities have become more organised and sophisticated which cause escalating tensions between farmers, communities and conservation authorities. It is no longer poor community members who engage in hunting with dogs out of necessity. These days, illegal dog hunting syndicates are wreaking havoc across farming communities nationwide, raiding farms and killing indiscriminately.
Hunting with dogs has a long-standing tradition in South Africa, rooted in both cultural practices and subsistence needs. Although now regulated, it often occurs illegally, leading to conflicts among rural communities, game reserves and private landowners. Illegal hunting on privately owned farms and game farms happens at a rate eight times higher than in game reserves and parks (Manqele, Selier, Hill and Downs, 2018).
*****************************
[This is only an extract of an article that is published in Servamus: September 2024. This article is available for purchase.]