University of Aarhus ECOTOURISM AS A WAY TO PROTECT ...

Ecotourism as a sustainable way to protect nature
sight these animals were provided. They then had to move some of the
vegetation, which was essential to some species. For example, an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) was done to prevent problems in Thornybush Game
Reserve. They wanted an open space to view wildlife and for that, they had to
remove scrub. The EIA concluded that this clearance would be good to that kind
of animals which are natural predators or big enough to find refuge in scrub such
as lions, zebras, etc. But other kinds of animals such as kudu survive thanks to
these scrubs, so they would be in danger. However, this has been done for a long
time in national parks.
3.2.8. Social problems
The social problems caused by national parks have been commented
along this project too but it is necessary to name them again. Firstly, for natives
these have been one of the apartheid forms. They have not been allowed to get
in to the national parks for a number of reasons. Firstly, because it was the
natives “fault” that wildlife was disappearing. Secondly, because the natives
couldn't understand a very refined sport due to the barbarian race they belong to.
Thirdly, because they were damaging the ecosystem in general, etc. Natives
realised that the only way to fight against this imposition was by killing wildlife.
Not allowing the natives to enter the national parks will not only
influence their survival possibilities but also their customs. Most tribes in Africa
venerate their dead, by going to the burial sites. Many of these sites are in the
national parks, but because of the national park regulations they cannot follow
this tradition.
Violence is recognised as one of the most important handicaps in national
parks nowadays. And it can threaten the marketing of any national park, such as
commented in the news: On September 15, 2000 a honeymoon couple went to
KNP from New York but they were robbed. “They filed a complaint with the
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