Durban - Three suspected rhino poachers were arrested in connection with the killing and the possible wounding of another rhino in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park this weekend.
The men were set to appear in the Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court today after a female white rhino was killed and de-horned on Saturday in Mehlemamba, in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal.
Spokesman for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Musa Mntambo, said rangers heard gunshots and discovered the rhino and several spent .458 cartridges.
The suspects were arrested at their home in Mfekayi near Mtubatuba after a tip-off. A .458 rifle, nine rounds and an axe were recovered.
The Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs said the men confirmed they had shot at and possibly missed another rhino.
“There was no blood trail but they might have shot and wounded the rhino,” Mntambo said.
“A helicopter will be used to search for the rhino but as yet, it hasn’t been found.”
Investigations at the scene revealed footprints left by the poachers which could be linked to other rhino poaching incidents in the area.
Jeffrey Zikhali, spokesman for the KZN agriculture MEC, Dr Bonginkosi Meshak Radebe, said this was an international problem and it was necessary to hit the emotional nerve of those involved.
Zikhali said the MEC was pushing for strict sentences to be handed down in rhino poaching cases.
In total 41 rhinos have been poached in KZN, 13 of them in iSimangaliso, and 30 arrests have been made.
iSimangaliso has 71 black rhinos and 145 white rhinos.
In South Africa the number of rhino poached this year is 448 with about 130 arrests made. Last year the total number of rhinos poached was 668.
Daily News