As well as being a breeding ground for crocodile, the Massingir Dam in the Limpopo National Park, Mozambique, also unfortunately attracts a lot of poachers. The dam’s location, within the Limpopo National Park allows for relatively easy access for poachers into the park that want to hunt wildlife.
In the past the dam also provided a way for poachers to cross from Mozambique into South Africa and Kruger National Park via the Rio Dos Elefantes (known as Olifants River in South Africa), but these routes have almost completely been closed off now due to the successes of anti-poaching teams.
Poachers are often smuggled into Limpopo National Park on fishing boats, dropped off on the shore where they head off to poach, and are then picked up again later by boats. Despite the fact that the dam is patrolled by rangers on the ground and the air, controlling the movement of poachers in this area remains a big problem. The issue is compounded by the fact that the dam is open to fishers, so it is difficult to spot the legal from illegal boating activity.
Due to the prevalence of this activity, some of the areas in the dam are off limits to fishers. Here, rangers are on a three-day stake-out to prevent illegal activity at night, whether poachers or illegal fishers. These fishers are operating in an area that is off limits. If illegals fishers are identified or caught they are first given a warning, but repeat offenders are fined or arrested.
Limpopo National Park is 1 million ha bounded by both the Limpopo and Olifants rivers. With the Shingwedzi flowing through its heart, Limpopo National Park is populated with a wide range of wildlife, boasts breathtaking scenery and offers a range of exciting wilderness experiences. Anti-poaching operations such as this one on the edges of the Massingir Dam, aim to safeguard the wildlife and help to protect and preserve the natural capital for the future.
