Kruger visitors urged to slow down after 'hit-and-run' incidents

05 May 2016 - 10:51 By Andre Jurgens
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Kruger National Park (KNP) management has pleaded with visitors not to speed as the mating season gets underway and animals such as impala chase each other in the park‚ posing a danger to motorists.

An elephant in the Kruger National Park.
An elephant in the Kruger National Park.
Image: Villiers Steyn

“There have been ‘hit-and-run’ incidents recently of slow-moving tortoises and fast runners such as impala‚ warthog and cheetah‚ which can only be attributed to speeding on the roads in the park” said the KNP managing executive‚ Glenn Phillips.

“We would like to appeal to the public to always be on the look-out for all kinds of species while driving as these animals have a right of way.”

A cheetah was knocked down and killed in the park last week‚ prompting appeals to any witnesses to come forward and identify the culprit.

"Impala‚ especially fighting rams‚ tend to chase each other around in the bush and over the roads‚ mostly when they are in their rutting season; either to gain dominance over each other or to round-up their female counterparts to join their harems‚" said the park in a statement.

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"As such‚ the park would like to advise tourists to observe the speed limit at all times in order to avoid accidents."

Robbie Turner posted comments on the SANParks - Kruger National Park Facebook page this week about careless drivers killing animals - but the incidents could not be independently verified.

"This beautiful boomslang lay writhing and dying today after some careless person ran over it today and then a beautiful impala doe was hit by an open tour vehicle and left lying semi-conscious in the middle of the road just a couple of kms from Satara this afternoon. Does anybody care about the number of animals that are being killed in Kruger‚ it just seems like there is no respect for the wildlife anymore‚" she said.

"Too many drivers speeding and not enough enforcement of the speed limits. I am passionate about Kruger but today was a sad day for me. My compliments to the ranger who responded quickly to my call about the impala and came out to investigate the situation."

General rules of the road apply in the park‚ where the speed limit on tar is 50 km/h and 40 km/h on gravel roads.

- TMG Digital

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