A group of nine politically high profile international delegates, including Mr Dissanayake, secretary to the Ministry of Environment and Conservation in Sri Lanka, are currently on a tour of the lowveld region from April 20 to May 3, 2006. The tour begins at the Southern African Wildlife College, located near Orpen Gate, and will include game drives and bush walks in the Kruger National Park (KNP).
However, a significant portion of the time will be dedicated to talks given by both staff from the wildlife college and Kruger. Over the course of several days, the delegates will learn about some of South Africa's conservation challenges. Dr Ian Whyte, Kruger's large herbivore manager, will be presenting a variety of talks including wildlife damage control, electric fencing, diseases affecting elephants, Kruger's large mammal censuses, and elephant and habitat management.
The group will also hear talks on antipoaching, fire management, bovine tuberculosis and buffalo, conflict between communities and wildlife, water provision and how it affects roan antelope, ecotourism and alien plant control.
During their time here they will also get a practical demonstration on how to track carnivores, visit the Letaba Elephant Museum and Kruger's game capture bomas, and interact with animals at the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre. After a final farewell potjiekos dinner at the Wildlife College, the group will leave the lowveld for Johannesburg.
