No 'protruding' from vehicles, Kruger guests warned

Johannesburg, South Africa - 20 July 2005 01:23

Rules banning visitors to the Kruger National Park from hanging out of their vehicle windows are there to protect them, an official said on Wednesday after a motorist complained about being fined.

Ermelo property valuer Neil Bornman was fined R500 by a park traffic official who caught his teenage daughter "protruding" from the family minibus during a recent visit, Kruger National Park spokesperson Raymond Travers confirmed.

The Skukuza Circuit Court -- a division of the High Court at White River -- imposed an additional R200 fine for contempt of court when Bornman failed to arrive for a court appearance.

Alighting or protruding from a vehicle in the park is an offence in terms of the National Parks Act, said Travers.

It makes up a large proportion of the 40 to 50 fines issued in the park each month by its 300 rangers, eight traffic police officers and 25 security officers -- all of them trained public protectors, he said.

The problem is not people driving around with open windows. There is no fine for that, said Travers. The issue is people leaning out of vehicle windows, he said.

A visitor would be dead before hitting the ground if sneaked up on and grabbed from behind by a leopard while sitting on a window ledge or sunroof, looking out over the roof of a vehicle to something on the other side.

Similarly, a person could be trampled on falling from a vehicle should the driver have to suddenly accelerate to avoid, for example, a charging elephant.

While incidents such as these have taken place in other parks, there has been none at the Kruger National Park "because we have got a rule here", said Travers.

He said officials are unlikely to fine anyone whose arm is protruding from an open window to point to an animal, or whose head and arms are protruding from a vehicle to take a photograph of an animal.

However, visitors are advised to close the windows should they encounter troops of baboons, which could climb into cars and steal, or are close to dangerous predators. This is a recommendation, not a regulation, he emphasised.

As a rule of thumb, a fine will be issued where a person is protruding from a vehicle to such an extent that their belt can be seen, said Travers.

Even then, many officials will try to warn motorists first, fining them only if they offer resistance.

He said fines are payable at the police station at Skukuza -- one of two in the park, the other being at Pafuri. -- Sapa

Happy Vacation / Peter

Sounds just like a money-making scheme to me.

Post a sign at the park entrance notifing that wild animals can be dangerous and you enter at your own risk, and be done with it.

Has that American bugaboo, political correctness, made it's way half way round the world? Do lawyers hand out business cards at the exits just in case you'd like to sue someone over that mosquito bite?

What a damn shame this world is coming to.

I would think some well placed thorn branches would fix this problem if it was really a problem.