Suspected poachers fired at helicopter in KNP
SANParks rangers were involved in gun battles with suspected poachers in Kruger National Park.
The Department of Environmental Affairs said a SANParks helicopter came under fire from suspected poachers on Wednesday.
Department spokesperson, Albi Modise, said the chopper was shot at five times.
"Fortunately, quick action by all the team members involved averted a catastrophe and the helicopter managed to land with all the crew on board safe," Modise said in a statement.
Modise said in three operations involving SANParks Rangers and the police, contact was made with suspected poachers in three sections of the park including the southern parts of Kruger which had borne the brunt of poaching in general.
"Four poachers have been arrested and three firearms, ammunition and poaching equipment recovered at the three contact scenes," Modise said.
In the first four months of this year 363 rhinos were poached in South Africa, and of these 232 were killed in the KNP, that has the largest population of the species living in the wild. However, as recently announced, we realized a decline by the end of last year, and in the first quarter of this year.
"This downward trend comes despite an increase in the number of incursions by poachers into the KNP - up by 28% in the first four months of this year."