Into the Wild

Largest game reserve in South Africa implements anti-poaching surveillance system.

On a typical day at Kruger National Park, the largest game reserve in South Africa, visitors on safari will encounter the Big Five—lions, African elephants, Cape buffalo, leopards and black rhinoceros—living in their natural habitat. In addition to the 147 species of mammals—more than any other African game reserve—the park is home to more than 500 bird and almost 2,000 flower and tree species.

The park spans more than 7,000 square miles, has eight main entrances and features six ecosystems. Accommodations vary from rustic camping to modern and luxurious lodgings. The park is best known as a self-drive destination and annually welcomes 2 million day visitors alone.

Security Challenges

In stark contrast to the natural harmony of the reserve, almost 250 animals, including the critically endangered white rhinos, have been poached in the last few years.

"Poaching is our main focus," said Mbongeni M. Tukela, acting regional manager of SANParks, in a press release. "We have communities on the boundaries with low employment so they look to the park for ways to sustain themselves. They go for game to sell—there is a big market for bush meat—anything from warthog to impala or bigger bucks, kudu, even buffalo and giraffe. This is more of a problem than rhino and elephant ivory."

In addition to poaching, another problem plaguing the park is animal fatalities caused by speeding cars. The park has set strict speed limits, but the problem remains.

The Integrated Solution

The income generated from Kruger National Park is used to sustain conservation efforts in more than 20 other parks in South Africa, which means successful management of this expansive park and the continued success of tourism are crucial.

To ensure the park's continued success, officials needed to implement a surveillance system to discourage poachers and speeders.

Milestone Certified Partner Camsecure installed Milestone Systems' XProtect Enterprise IP video management software to manage Axis PTZ network cameras, which are positioned at the main gates and throughout the various camps in the park.

XProtect Enterprise is designed to support large multi-server, multi-site installations with unlimited cameras. The software easily controls the Axis PTZ network cameras' movements via a computer connected to the network.

Park management can centrally access live camera views and play back video of up to 64 cameras from multiple servers simultaneously from Skukuza, the park's administrative headquarters.

Security at the Gates

The park's gates are the first line of security. Axis cameras are positioned to capture license plate numbers and whole-car images. Admission guards register all vehicles and keep count of the number of people in each vehicle.

"We check that the number of people entering and exiting the gates is the same in each vehicle—that no one who entered has left on foot to smuggle poached bush meat," Tukela said. "The boundary with Mozambique alone is more than 150 kilometers and porous with no fences."

Stopping Speeders

Visitors and staff both have roles to play in the safety of the animals. In addition to patrols, park staff relies upon vigilant visitors to report speeding drivers and suspicious activity.

With the integrated system, if an animal is hit by a car, park managers can query video around the time and location of the accident. Once they identify and locate the suspected vehicle, they can track it until park officials can intervene and take necessary action. For further evidence, the Axis cameras deliver clear images of any dents and management can compare videos of the suspected vehicle before and after the accident.

Thwarting Thefts

Due to cases of armed robberies and thefts perpetuated by staff members, cameras now also monitor every cash register and ATM machine to ensure the safety of visitors. Employees are aware that park managers are able to remotely watch over them and can zoom in on transactions.

The cameras also improve customer service. "Sometimes, I pick up the phone and ask, "Why are you not attending to the guests?" Tukela said. "So, they know I am watching."

With the Milestone-Axis infrastructure in place, Kruger National Park now has an effective counterpoaching strategy, and park officials can focus on conservation efforts and providing their guests with a wild experience.

About the Author

Sherleen Mahoney is a Web managing editor at 1105 Media.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.