Ranger teams from the northern section of the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) apprehended and arrested two suspects stripping bark from trees on 5 October 2021.
Picture: SANParks Table Mountain
The two suspects were arrested in the Newlands Forest part of the TMNP during a night patrol. The suspects were handed over to the Rondebosch Police Station, where a case was opened.
Tree bark has been used in traditional medicines and rituals for centuries in many parts of Africa, widely used by traditional healers in South Africa today.
The problem is that the bark stripping is done unsustainably, and if the bark is removed in large quantities, the internal systems of the tree responsible for the transport of nutrients are exposed and may cause the tree to die.
Picture: Newlands Forest Conservation Group.
TMNP appeals to members of the public to please report bark stripping to their emergency number, 086 110 6417, or send an email to [email protected] with the GPS location or description of where bark stripping was located.
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