Durban - Criminals continue to be a major problem for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife game reserves, according to Ezemvelo communications manager Musa Mntambo, who said poachers were breaking fences to catch bush meat, and criminals in neighbouring areas were stealing fence materials and poles. Conservation was given an added boost by Zulu King Misuzulu, who called on traditional leaders to take decisive action against those who endangered the natural heritage. Mntambo said they had engaged with community leaders to address the problems, but this did not always yield good results. He said smart fencing installed in certain areas of Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park alerted them to those attempting to encroach, but the cost of this type of fencing was too high to extend it around the whole park. Mntambo said the R40 million allocated by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment and R11m from the Department of Economic Development and Tourism had helped, and the rhino dehorning programme had contributed to a decrease in poaching of these animals. The programme began in April, particularly within Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, after the province lost 325 rhinos, 307 of them from the park. Ezemvelo CEO Dr Bandile Mkhize said since the dehorning, the number of monthly rhino poaching incidents dropped from 30 to 40 to about five in May, June and July.