“The Best Place on Earth Is Tarnished”: Conservationist Speaks Out About Kruger Park Murders

• A conservationist and wildlife advocate has spoken out about the murders of a Mossel Bay couple in the Kruger National Park
• Dina Marais (73) and Ernst Marais (71) were found in the Levubu River near Crooks Corner on 22 May 2026, with stab wounds
• South Africans were furious, with many raising serious questions about border control, park management and the safety of visitors

As reported by Briefly News, the bodies of retired Mossel Bay couple Dina and Ernst Marais were found floating in the Levubu River near Crooks Corner on 22 May 2026, after the pair went missing from the Pafuri picnic site on 20 May. Both had stab wounds, their green Ford Ranger was missing, and police opened cases of murder and hijacking. It was the first incident of its kind in the park's 100-year history.

Facebook user Sean de la Harpe-Parker, a conservationist who regularly speaks up for wildlife and the environment, shared his reaction on 24 May 2026 alongside an image of a lion walking along a path. He didn't hold back:

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"What has happened in the Kruger National Park is a big deal. It's a huge deal. Anyone minimising this needs to check themselves. It is beyond a tragedy. It was the last place on earth that something like this should ever happen. What is happening to our sacred place? The best place on earth is tarnished with the ineptitude, crime and corruption that South Africans have been struggling with for far too long. Enough is enough!"

What happened in Kruger Park?

The couple had arrived at the park on 17 May 2026 and were last seen at the Pafuri picnic site in the northern section of the park. When they didn't return to their campsite, rangers launched a search.

Their bodies were eventually spotted by other tourists floating in the Levubu River near Crooks Corner on 22 May.

SANParks has since deployed additional rangers and monitoring equipment to the area and is working with SAPS to investigate.

Tyre tracks believed to belong to the missing vehicle were found near the crime scene, leading through the bush into Mozambique, though this has not been confirmed.

View the Facebook post below:

SA angered by the Kruger Park murders

People were deeply shaken and shared their thoughts on Sean's Facebook page:

@chris_knight said:

"Just last week, German tourists in Mosselbaai asked me if Kruger was safe for self-driving. I immediately said yes. What a fool I made of myself."

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@reagan_luke_smith asked:

"A lot of events are occurring in the park. Does a bigger hidden issue lie before us?"

@mazi_bilal wrote:

"Countless rangers have been killed by poachers in this park. Why are we only now realising that there is a problem?"

@deidre_meurs said:

"I agree that this is a tragic situation that requires immediate attention and action."

More on the Kruger Park and animals

• Briefly News recently reported on the reckless driver whose Kruger Park video went viral, but his latest update revealed a fear about his daily life that nobody saw coming.
• A Mpumalanga man survived a lion attack near the Kruger area and shared what the moment was like.
• New details in the Kruger Park murder case pointed investigators toward Mozambique, and what they found near the crime scene raised even more questions.

Source: Briefly News