Rhino poacher commits suicide, another arrested

SANPARKS has confirmed that while the country was enjoying the Easter, the fight against rhino poaching was at its peak with 56 incursions and four contacts with rhino poachers in the Kruger National park.

 

 

According to SANPARKS spokesperson Ike Phaahla, the heightened activities were recorded from 21 March until yesterday, 1 April.

 

Phaahla adds that the past two long weekends have been extremely busy for them with all the reported incursions.

 

In the Kruger National Park, a poacher shot and killed himself after realising he was surrounded by ranger cops. "Our rangers heard shots, followed up on the shots and found a suspected poacher lying dead next to a rifle." said Phaahla.

 

on the 30th of March a suspect was fatally wounded while two of his accomplices managed to flee back to Mozambique.

 

In the same incident, a badly mutilated rhino was found with its horn hacked off and had to be euthanized, said Phaahla. A 31 year old poacher was also arrested.

 

Phaahla confirmed that in the two incidents, two rifles were recovered and investigations are still ongoing to locate the accomplices that have managed to escape to Mozambique and surrounding areas.

 

- Sapa