INLSA

FILE PICTURE: Matthew Jordaan

Three more rhinos have been poached for their horns in KwaZulu-Natal over the past three weeks, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said yesterday.

The three animals – including one black rhino – were shot and dehorned in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi, Ndumo and Mkhuze game reserves.

Responding to queries from The Mercury, Ezemvelo rhino security co-ordinator Jabulani Ngubane did not explain why news of the deaths had not been disclosed earlier, but he said investigators were following up several leads to apprehend the culprits.

He denied reports that a fourth rhino had been shot at Ndumo reserve at the weekend, saying it had died from natural causes.

“The horns from this animal have been removed and are now in the safe.”

Nationwide, the death toll for the first few weeks of 2012 has reached almost 30. Most were shot in the Kruger National Park.

A Mossel Bay game farmer, whose rhino was killed by poachers on Monday, issued a R100 000 reward for information about the poachers.

“Someone must have seen something,” said Kobus Crous, owner of the Bergsig game farm. “If someone can point us towards the people who did this terrible thing, they absolutely deserve a reward.”

A former nature conservation ranger has meanwhile expressed concern over the lack of high-level arrests among rhino poaching syndicates.

The man, whose is known to The Mercury but who asked for his identity to be protected, said that while numerous Mozambicans had been arrested over the past two years, these were mainly foot-soldiers rather than the kingpins.

“This raises very serious questions about whether the police and nature conservation officials are being paid off when there is so much money at stake for Chinese and Vietnamese syndicates.

“The truth of the matter is bound to come out eventually – but let’s just hope that it’s not too late for the rhinos by then.”