Draft Guidelines on Damage-Causing Animals Published for Comment

Posted 02 July 2026 Written by Acts Online
Category Environmental Law

Brought to you by SA Legal Academy: The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has published draft guidelines on the management of damage-causing animals, with public comments invited by 29 July 2026.

In terms of the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act, No. 10 of 2004, the proposed guidelines aim to provide a uniform national approach to managing wild vertebrate animals that cause damage to livestock, crops, or infrastructure. The guidelines specifically exclude domestic animals that have transitioned to a wild or feral state.

The draft guidelines outline the regulatory procedures, intervention methods, and responsibilities of landowners, conservation authorities, and management agencies. Key aspects covered under the draft framework include:

  • The identification and assessment of damage-causing wild vertebrate animals;
  • Permitting requirements and lawful management interventions;
  • The exclusion of feral or domestic animals from the scope of these biodiversity management measures; and
  • The roles of provincial conservation authorities in assisting affected land users.

What this means for you, your business, or your clients

  • For yourself: No direct individual compliance obligations; impact is channelled through professional advisory roles for clients in the agricultural and conservation sectors.
  • For your business: Agricultural operations, private game reserves, and forestry enterprises must review the proposed operational standards for animal control to ensure future compliance with permitting and intervention protocols.
  • For your clients: Landowners and agricultural clients facing livestock or crop losses from wild animals must align their damage-mitigation strategies with these guidelines and submit comments by the 29 July 2026 deadline to influence the final regulatory framework.

Originally published at https://legalacademy.co.za/news/read/environmental-management-damage-causing-animals-guideline-out-for-comment

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