Big Game Under Threat as Animal Apps Cause Road Rage, Speeding
- Mobile apps cause ‘unhealthy eagerness’ in national parks
- S. African parks exploring legal options to curb use of apps
An elephant comes toward a car in Kruger National Park in Malelane, South Africa.
Photographer: Warren Little/Getty ImagesWild animals in South Africa’s national parks are being run over at an increasing rate because growing numbers of tourists are speeding to cluster around big game after learning of the animals’ location on mobile applications.
“The rise in the use of these applications has resulted in an increased rate of lawlessness in the parks including speeding, congestion at sightings as well as road kills caused by guests rushing to, and congregating around, these sightings,” Hapiloe Sello, South African National Parks managing executive for tourism development and marketing, said in a statement on Wednesday. Officials at the organization, known as SANParks, have also received increased reports of road rage incidents at sightings, she said.