Rhino poacher gets bail

A traffic official arrested last month in connection with rhino poaching was granted R10,000 bail by the Modimolle Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

07 September 2011 | Sapa

JOHANNESBURG - A traffic official arrested last month in connection with rhino poaching was granted R10,000 bail by the Modimolle Magistrate's Court on Wednesday.

A court official said Phillip Mpete's co-accused, Zimbabwean national Malivan Mutanga, was denied bail due to being a flight risk.

Their case would be heard at the Modimolle Magistrate's Court on November 4. Both men face charges which include illegal hunting and illegal possession of firearms.

According to www.savetherhino.org, there are just over 25,000 rhinos left in the world, compared to 70,000 in 1970.

Three of the five rhino species were "critically endangered".

Rhino poaching in South Africa and in other parts of Africa surged over the past three years, driven by increasing demand for the horn from south-east Asian countries, where the powdered horn was used in traditional medicines.