Concerns are growing in Vhembe over illegal hunting with dogs, with animal welfare officials warning that the practice is causing serious suffering to both wild animals and hunting dogs.
On Tuesday, SPCA Louis Trichardt senior inspector Lawrence Khodobo said the main concern is the distress experienced by animals hunted in such an inhumane manner.
Khodobo said prey animals become highly distressed during the chase, which can escalate into violent encounters between the dogs and the animals being pursued. He said these confrontations often leave both sides injured.
“In some instances, the prey animals fight back. A warthog, for example, can injure dogs during a chase, and both sides end up with serious injuries. Injured animals are frequently left without any veterinary care after hunts and we are worried about the condition of dogs used in these activities,” he said.
He said injured animals are often not treated and that many dogs are kept in poor conditions and not properly fed. Reports of illegal hunting with dogs are also increasing, particularly in the Vhembe area.
“Nowadays it is increasing. We often hear about these cases through police operations when people are arrested with dogs suspected to be used for hunting,” he said.
He warned that some hunts take place outside legal seasons and may target protected or young animals.
“People must do things properly and within the law. Animals should not be subjected to unnecessary suffering,” he said.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo has also raised concerns, calling for stricter enforcement of laws on illegal hunting with dogs. DA provincial spokesperson for Transport and Community Safety Marie Helm said the party continues to receive complaints from areas including Alldays, Gravelotte, Bandelierkop, Vivo, Ellisras and Tom Burke.
“Illegal poaching with dogs is highly organised and well resourced,” she said.
Helm said the modus operandi often involves remote roads such as the R521 and R522, where suspects are dropped off before being collected after the hunt.
She added that SAPS in some cases fails to act on reported incidents.
“The DA continuously receives complaints that SAPS are reluctant or refuse to open cases of illegal poaching with dogs,” she said.
Helm called for better-resourced rural policing units, warning that the practice is harming farmers, communities and wildlife.