Using sightings groups/apps - good or bad?

[Weltenman]

I don't think the problem is the apps or groups, the problem always has been and always will be people that cannot keep to the rules and misbehaves. The question that needs to be asked, if you stop any of these apps or groups, will the bad behaviour stop in Kruger?

Regarding the chase of sightings, I think it is fair to say that even though we all say it before our trip, "I am just happy to be in Kruger", somehow if we missed out on seeing lions or leopards on a visit we are disappointed. It is actually encouraged to share our sightings with our fellow guests at night, technology has just made it easier and quicker. How many of us have driven out before having heard about a special sighting from a fellow visitor before?

[Stark]

I flag people down on the road to share a good sighting.

Apps don't bother me. It just may instill a life long love of the bush.

[Bushbuddies]

Totally agree!

[ossendryver]

Hey all,

I have managed to get a ranger that I can sms to all the "major" sightings and he will send other rangers or a member of the protection Services to that sighting and hand out fines to people behaving badly.

I hope you all agree that this is a great idea.

[Yoda]

Sounds like a brilliant idea

[DinkyBird]

Dear members

Please note that SANParks do not endorse any apps.

[Jeffrey52]

I bumped into a fellow KNP aficionado this morning who waxed lyrical about the sightings app, *insisting* I download it. My gut reaction was 'No'. Just my take, but for me the magic of Kruger is the unpredictability. Besides, we chase after so many things in the city. Is it about chasing, or sharing? I'd be very interested to see the general consensus re this.

[dsdrake]

The sighting app is becoming a major problem in that any sighting now gets mobbed. The Jeep jockeys advertising sightings by radio and then storming to it was bad enough but now you have the crazed public as well. This problem is worst in the Lower Sabie and Skukuza region.

[flying cheetah]

I'm afraid sooner or later the sighting apps will become a serious reason not to come to Kruger anymore.
But I think it's something that can't be stopped because too many people prefer to find animals by using their laptops instead of using their senses. People who try to understand and learn from the lessons you get during a day in Kruger seem to become the minority. It's more important how many cats you see! So sad

[tent dweller]

Why do we have to be told where everything is?????? In the city (Johannesburg) we live like that, we are bombarded with information, sign boards, people handing out pamphlets at robots, radios blaring while we are driving, must your trip to the Kruger also be like that?????? In my opinion using an app to find animals is like buying a puzzle which has already being put together for you, WHAT IS THE POINT??

[flying cheetah]

tent dweller

[ice]

I've always thought and still think the "impact" that a lot of people say these apps have is totally exaggarated - it's simple math and statistics

let's say you have this app and come across a great sighting (great enough for you to consider sharing it) - however, how much of the park area actually has cell phone coverage? 5%? 10%? that means chances are 90 - 95% that you might be willing to share your great sighting but are not able to...

since it is such a great sighting you will of course stay with it...for how long? 5 min? 10 min? 15 min? again, chances are high that sooner or later your great sighting is gone, long before you have a chance to report it....but ok, it's a big lion pride and they are stationary and you finally move on...unfortunately it will take you another 5...10...15 minutes to reach an area with cell phone coverage....of course now the first thing you do is stop and type type type...too bad your message will only reach 5 - 10% of the other group members because the rest will be...yes, outside cell phone coverage...for them it will be another 5...10...15 minutes until they get the message of your great sighting...

but hey...how many of these group members are actually in your area? 5%? 10%? 20%? and how many of them have the time and the zest to follow your report? 5%? 10%? 20%? and for those who do, how long will it take them to get there? 5min? 10min? 15min?

and when they get there, after 15...30...45 minutes, how high are the chances that the leopard / wild dogs / cheetahs are still visible? 5%? 10%? 20%?

seriously, if you critics see a traffic jam, how can honstestly know this was caused (or enlarged) by an app? do you interview everyone around you? seems to me the park (for you) is not what it used to be like and you are just trying to find an easy target to blame - for it is more than obvious that the positive aspects of OD's app are objectively proven while the alleged negative impact is just a myth blown way out of proportion

[lion queen]

Ice..........

[RobertT]

@Ice, the biggest traffic jams I have encountered have been for Lions stationary, what your calculations do not take into account is that the longer the animals are stationary, the more people are getting the message about them as they get into cell range, the more the traffic increases.
What also comes into play is you are taking 1 app into consideration, there are many groups/apps/sms, JJ radio's. Each one sends the sighting to their group, where your calculations are based on a single person and group.

Lets take the old sightings board example, the person had to get to say lower Sabie and put a pin in, and other visitors of Lower Sabie would see the pin and possibly go to the sighting, now because people receive the message all over, Lower Sabie, Skukuza, Pretoriuskop, Croc bridge in fact anywhere where signal can be received, they all converge on the sighting and not just the ones from Lower Sabie

I use OD's app and decide do I want to chance a traffic jam or not. If animal is said to be on the move, I do not even bother.

When I see car after car coming down an often minimally used sand road and driving with a purpose, I think I can safely assume a sighting has been reported to the groups.

[tent dweller]

ice, I think most of the park has got cellphone coverage, we have been to many, many parts of the Kruger and always have managed to get a signal if need be, the only place we could not get a signal was in Tsendze BUT the people on the other side of the camp had cellphone coverage