Fire can be beneficial to the veld because it revitalises the vegetation by encouraging new growth, recycling nutrients back into the soil, assisting with seed germination, and reducing parasite loads.
IN THE Kalahari region, the spring and summer of the preceding two years were marked by two years of above-average rainfall, leaving everything lush and beautiful.
In the Kalahari, heavy rains are always appreciated. Still, they also bring about natural processes that, although they appear destructive to us as humans, are really just another organic process. One of the naturally occurring processes that plays a crucial role is fire.
If not brought on by external factors, it is typically initiated by lightning, which at this time of year most frequently causes veld fires.
Fires can be beneficial to the veld because they revitalise the vegetation by encouraging new growth, recycling nutrients back into the soil, assisting with seed germination, and reducing parasite loads. In some regions, it will even encourage animal migration as they migrate to these fire-damaged areas to graze on the new grass shoots that will emerge following the veld fires.
According to Genevieve Maasdorp, the communications manager of Arid Parks SANParks, in accordance with a recognised park management plan, Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park controls fires. Additionally, it is run with as minimal interference from humans as possible, keeping all processes as natural as possible.
“In order to protect property and guarantee the safety of our visitors and employees, fire breaks are kept around the park infrastructure. While fires burning near the park’s boundaries will be suppressed where possible to keep the fires from leaving the park, fires that are not endangering infrastructure or people are often let to run their course,” Maasdorp explained.
Animals can roam freely in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier National Park’s nearly open park system due to its size, and larger animals can avoid and move away from veld fires.
According to Maasdorp, the present veld fires are being watched over by Kagalagadi workers and no guests are in danger.
She did, however, ask visitors to contact the nearest camp if they saw any smoke or fires in the area.
