Rhino calf survives poaching attempt

2011-12-08 14:07

Johannesburg - Two rhino have been shot dead and a third one wounded in two separate poaching incidents in Limpopo, police said on Thursday.

"A rhino cow and her calf were shot at Hoedspruit and a black rhino bull was killed and dehorned at Musina," said Lieutenant Colonel Ronel Otto in a statement.

She said the rhino cow and calf were shot at a private game farm near Hoedspruit in the early hours of Thursday morning.

The rhino cow was found dead with her horn removed, while her calf survived the shooting.

In another incident on a private game farm in Musina, the carcass of a black rhino bull was discovered late on Wednesday night. The rhino's horn had been removed. The black rhino bull had already been dead for a few days before its body was discovered.

Earlier this week, SA National Parks said a total of 405 rhinos had been poached this year, an increase of 21.6% from last year.

Poaching was found to be most problematic in the Kruger National Park and the Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.

On Wednesday, the Kruger National Park said in a bid to curb poaching, it would no longer reveal information about its rhino.

Spokesperson Laura Mukwevho said that it would stop posting information on maps and noticeboards about where rhino had been spotted.


- SAPA