A Promised Update

Progress is being made towards getting some answers.

I have been humbled and amazed at all the comments posted on the weblog by so many of you regarding the Sand River Pride, and I really appreciate the support and solidarity show towards such an unnecessary act. So many people have asked how you can help, well the simple answer is, you already have. We have to now follow the correct path and investigate through the correct channels to arrive at the correct answers.

However, having said that, we have to move forward and I must again reiterate that the reason for posting the original article was twofold.

Firstly I believe that all of you, as our past guest and future, have a right to know what is happening, good or bad, this is the purpose of having a blog.

Secondly, I am not attaching blame for this incident at the feet of the local community, they are as outraged as we are at the events that transpired, nor am I blaming the Sabi Sand Private Game Reserve, quite the contrary, the current conditions with the rivers in flood are excessive, and I am not sure any fence could have withstood the pounding that was inflicted on it. I have been working in this Reserve for fifteen years and proud to be apart of it, this is home and there is nowhere else I would rather be. The Sabi Sands comprises of a passionate group of people who have justifiably in my opinion, made this the premier Private Game Reserve in the world, many of you who have visited will attest to that. This is why we are so intent on finding our why?

The Sabi Sand was quick to respond and have sanctioned a structural engineer to investigate the fence structure with immediate effect and make whatever improvements are necessary, and see if there is a system that can withstand such forces of nature. We must also take in to consideration the factors surrounding the reasons why the Sand River Pride were being pushed right to the western boundary of the Reserve, I sincerely believe the coalition of Big Males had a role to play with the young Sand River males getting bigger by the day. However under normal circumstances nature would have played its role and they would have been driven out into an adjacent territory and bided their time as nomads until big enough to challenge for a territory of their own. What happened here was unnatural and the timing very unfortunate with a break in the fence due to the flood waters. Seeing the gap they took it and ventured into Community land and away from our jurisdiction. It is the chain of events that transpired while out in Community Land that we have to get to the bottom of, and the authorities within the Sabi Sand have requested a meeting with the Local Provincial Authority outside the Reserve to ascertain what happened, why it happened and make provision that something like this never happens again.

I will leave you all with a promise; no stone will remain unturned until we get to the bottom of this, and have a system in place whereby this kind of senseless act never has the opportunity to happen again.