Tourists Under Fire from Hobby Hunters

Excursion Boat Shot at in South Africa

Eight foreign tourists and four South Africans came under fire on Wednesday, 11 January 2023, aboard a double-decker floating excursion boat in South Africa.

Unwitting spectators in a larger drama involving the slaughter of at least 25 elephants from a roaming herd now trapped on the border between Eswatini and South Africa.

The tourists, who came under fire shortly after 10:30 a.m. on the eastern bank of the Jozini Dam near the southern border, sought cover as several shots were fired at their elephant-watching excursion boat.

The group crouched on the deck of the excursion boat and took cover after being fired upon by a group of approximately 20 armed hobby hunters linked to the recent killing of around 25 elephants and other illegal poaching activities around the Jozini Dam.

Local elephant and rhino monitor Suzette Boshoff, who was on the boat when it was shot at, described the attack as “the most terrifying day of my life.”

In recent months, several elephant carcasses have been discovered along the shores of the Jozini Dam, after a herd of more than 70 elephants disappeared more than seven years ago during a severe drought.

25 Elephants Poached

Some sources suspect that the death of a local resident triggered a family vendetta against the herd, which over recent months has led to the killing of up to 25 elephants in the area. The conflict was further exacerbated by attempts by criminal syndicates to control illegal gill-net fishing in the Jozini reservoir.

According to Boshoff, approximately 25 of the original 74 elephants in the herd have apparently been poached in recent months. In one of the most recent incidents, an elephant carcass with a severed tusk was discovered in the dam on New Year's Day.

Call for national intervention

Heinz de Boer, a member of the Democratic Alliance in the KwaZulu-Natal Legislature, condemned the latest attack on tourists and elephants and called for intervention at the national level. The unbridled lawlessness and decimation of flora and fauna in this community have long been known. Yet to this day, the government has failed to secure this paradise for tourists and wildlife .

Boshoff remains deeply concerned about the future of the displaced elephant herd and fears it will continue to be slaughtered if urgent action is not taken. “I have pleaded with the authorities to move this herd out of the danger zone. These animals are trapped and it breaks my heart. We must find a safe place for them.”