More rhino poached in KZN

2010-11-30 17:05

Johannesburg - Three more rhinos have been poached in KwaZulu-Natal in the last four days, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife said on Tuesday.

"Field rangers discovered the de-horned carcass of a young adult male white rhino in the southern area of the Western Shores of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park (on November 26)... A post-mortem examination established that the animal was probably shot about a week earlier," the organisation's CEO Bandile Mkhize said in a statement.

Field rangers in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park found the de-horned carcasses of two more white rhinos in the iMfolozi section of the park on Monday.

Despite these losses, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife remained "optimistic" about the fight against rhino poaching.

Mkhize gave a presentation on rhino poaching to the South African Association for the Conference Industry recently, where members "enthusiastically promised financial support for ongoing rhino anti-poaching work in the KZN park system".

He said 18 more field rangers would be deployed to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park on Wednesday, and additional anti-poaching equipment issued.

Also on Tuesday three suspected rhino poachers were caught in the Tembe Elephant Park near the Mozambique border.

"On being challenged by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife field rangers the (men) opened fire and an exchange of gunfire ensued, during which one suspect was wounded."

The two other men were arrested. The wounded man was taken to hospital in Kwangwanase (Manguzi). Police were investigating.

To date 289 rhinos had been poached countrywide since the start of the year.

- SAPA