Durban – A forest monitor says she once slept with a green mamba in the old camp of the Coastal Forest Reserve.
A field ranger at Siyadla field ranger camps in the Coastal Forest Reserve, she said she once unwittingly slept with the green mamba because of holes in the huts at the old camp.
Monitor Sthembile Ngubane said they were grateful for the new camps, which were built in 2020, as things were hard before because their old camps had no electricity.
Ngubane spoke to the Daily News at a media briefing held at Kosi Bay Hippo Lodge in Manguzi after iSimangaliso Wetland Park chief executive Sibusiso Bukhosini tabled what he had done for the park since he got there in 2018.
Ngubane said the new camps had electricity, hot water, showers and a kitchen.
“In the old camps I once slept with a green mamba and I only realised it in the morning. At night I could not sleep and it all made sense when I woke up in the morning and saw the green mamba,” she said.
Ngubane said there were holes in those huts which made it easy for animals to get in.
“The old camps had no electricity, no showers or kitchens. With the newly built camps I sleep peacefully,” said Ngubane.
Speaking to the media, Bukhosini said they had come a long way in making sure that they are achieving their goals. He said they had managed to prevent rhino poaching through community engagements and izimbizo.
He said field rangers were crucial to them and they therefore needed to be well treated.
“It has never sat well with me to see the camps that the field rangers occupied. These are the people who look after our forests, so the least we can do is to make sure that they are living comfortably,” he said.
He said the new camps were aligned with the “green” theme as they had solar energy and a borehole for water, while among other things they had been able to create job opportunities for the youth around the parks.
“We have an internship programme which employs 200 graduates. We ensure that the operation of the park is three-legged with resources and prioritisation dedicated to all three pillars equally,” said Bukhosini.
Daily News
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