ABEZEMVELO KZN Wildlife sebeqale umkhankaso wokunquma izimpondo zobhejane ukubavikela kwizigebengu ezibabulalela zona.
Obhejane abanqunywe izimpondo ngabaseHluhluwe iMfolozi Park (HiP) njengoba kubulawa abaningi kulesi siqiwi.
Ngonyaka odlule kubulawe obhejane abawu-325 KwaZulu-Natal, abawu-307 babulawe eHiP.
Obhejane bayabulawa bese kusikwa izimpondo zabo njengoba kunenkolelo emazweni aseMpumalanga ukuthi uma zigayiwe zisetshenziselwa ukwelapha umdlavuza nokwenza amadoda abukeke kahle.
Isikhulu esiphezulu sezeMvelo KZN Wildlife uMnuz Sihle Mkhize uthe basebenzisana neWorld Wildlife Fund (WWF) ukunquma izimpondo zobhejane.
“Kubuhlungu ukuthi obhejane sibanqume izimpondo zabo kodwa lokhu sikwenzela ukuthi baphephe ekubulaweni izigebengu,” kusho uMkhize.
Uthe ukunquma izimpondo zobhejane kudla imali ngoba zisuke sezidinga ukunqunywa futhi emuva kwezinyanga eziwu-18 kuya kweziwu-24.
Izindleko bazokwazi ukubhekana nazo ngosizo lwe-WWF.
Isikhulu se-WWF eNingizimu Afrika, uMnuz Morne du Plessis sithe akulula ukuthatha isinqumo sokusika uphondo lukabhejane kodwa yinto eyenziwa uma sekunzima kakhulu.
“IKwaZulu-Natal yabamba iqhaza elibalulekile ekuhlengweni kobhejane ngesikhathi sebezoshabalala emhlabeni jikelele.
“Namanje yenza ngazo zonke izindlela ukubavikela. Isinqumo sokusika izimpondo sithathwe ukubavikela obhejane yize kungeyona into esithanda ukuyenza,” kusho uDu Plessis.