South African National Parks (SANParks) has refused to place a moratorium on the shooting of Table Mountain’s tahrs, the National Council of SPCAs said on Friday.
In a statement issued after a meeting with SANParks on Friday, the NSPCA said however, it had been agreed that NSPCA representatives would observe the culling.
”Effectively, the NSPCA would be monitoring procedures,” it said.
”SANParks stated that no moratorium will be granted for the culling of the tahrs and that all the tahrs would be eradicated.”
SANParks had assured the NSPCA the method used in culling the tahrs –they are being shot one by one — was humane and that the animals did not suffer.
SANParks communications head Wanda Mkutshulwa confirmed that there had been a meeting, that there would be no moratorium, and that the NSPCA would be monitoring the culling.
A full statement was being prepared in conjunction with the national department of environmental affairs.
Earlier the NSPCA had threatened an interdict against SANParks, which announced two weeks ago it had begun shooting the 100 or so tahrs on the mountain.
SANParks says the elimination of the goatlike creatures, native to the Himalayas, is necessary for the reintroduction of indigenous buck such as the klipspringer.
Earlier in the week the new Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism Marthinus van Schalkwyk said he had no doubt that the decision to cull Table Mountain’s alien tahrs is the right thing to do.
”It’s a difficult decision but I support it,” he said in Cape Town on Monday.
”I think it’s the right thing to do. We have to protect Table Mountain as one of our heritage sites.”
Last week South African National Parks (Sanparks) announced it had restarted a programme to shoot out all the approximately 100 tahrs from the mountain to make way for indigenous buck.
The decision has been welcomed by conservation groups, but is opposed by some animal lovers, who say non-lethal methods should be used to get the tahr off the mountain.
But Van Schalkwyk said ”a process” has been going on for many years.
What has been conveyed to him is that SanParks’ animal ethics committee considered the issue ”very, very carefully” and that the National Council of SPCAs, one of the objectors, was represented on one of its subcommittees.
”The culling was approved through all the processes and the proper structures. [This is] one of those difficult issues where you have to take a decision on balance,” he said.
”We signed the international convention to protect South African indigenous fauna and flora biodiversity. And everybody agrees that tahrs, they are alien.
”After years of a process this is the answer they have arrived at.”
He said he has been given a presentation on what happened in other parts of the world with tahr populations, and how destructive the animals, which are native to the Himalayas, could be.
”It’s fine to debate these issues in theory, but when people see the destruction and the damage that they can do, and what we have to do here, I think it’s the right decision without any doubt.” ‒ Sapa