Two rhino poachers nabbed in Kruger

2010-09-26 23:04

Buks Viljoen, Beeld

Johannesburg - Two more well-known members of the "underworld of rhino poaching" have been arrested in the Kruger National Park.

One of them was wounded in a shoot-out with police after they were cornered near Pretoriuskop in the south of the game park.

A visitor to the Kruger on Friday came across a wounded rhino and informed police, who then lay in wait for the poachers.

Two illegal firearms were also seized.

The men apparently are connected to at least 10 other incidents of rhino poaching in the Stolsnek area near Pretoriuskop over the past two months.

SANParks spokesperson Wanda Mkhutshulwa could not say if the two suspects are linked to the rhino poaching syndicate which was bust in Limpopo earlier this month.

The vice president of the SA Hunters and Game Conservation Association, Gerhard Verdoorn, said suspected poachers should not be freed on bail even if they were first time offenders.

He added that it was high time the authorities came down hard on poachers.