Four SANParks officials arrested for rhino poaching - SANParks

Latest on rhino poaching in South Africa

Pretoria: South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced in a statement today that during the afternoon of Tuesday the 28th February, 2012 four SANParks officials were arrested in connection with rhino poaching activities.

The arrest of the four KNP based officials who are all stationed in the Pretoriuskop section of the park was as a result of an investigation conducted by members of a joint SANParks and SAPS team of officials, which also included the SAPS K9 Unit for Endangered Species, after an earlier discovery of two freshly killed rhino which were found in the Pretoriuskop section of the KNP. 

It has been revealed that one of the suspected employees, a field ranger, is one of the employees who have embarked on a strike against SANParks in the KNP. 

Another one of the suspects is a member of the Protection Services unit, a traffic cop, and is a second traffic cop in the park to be arrested in connection with rhino poaching activities. 

The animals had been shot and their horns removed. 

Further investigations into the killing of the two rhino and possibly other rhino poaching incidents in the area are currently being conducted. 

In this area alone a total of 11 rhino have been killed since January 2012 and so far this year a total of 43 rhino have been lost to poaching in the KNP broadly.

In the whole of South Africa 80 rhinos have been have been lost to poaching since the beginning of 2012, while 50 arrests effected throughout the country. 

"It is a very sad day for South Africa to find out that the unscrupulous and revolting hands of the poaching syndicates have stretched as far as to taint the hands of those trusted with the great responsibility of being guardians of our natural heritage" said Dr. David Mabunda, the Chief Executive Officer of SANParks. "I am personally saddened to discover that some of our own would so callously abuse the confidence and faith that we have entrusted upon them, he said.

SANParks and the South African conservation fraternity continues to request the support and cooperation of all members of society in identifying and reporting suspicious behaviour that could lead to the apprehension and conviction of these criminals.

SANParks has established a crimeline in order to improve the level of cooperation with the public as well as to make access for would be informers much easier. For tip-offs please call 082 908 3053 or send an e-mail to antipoaching@sanparks.org. 

Below are the current statistics for rhino poaching: 

Below are the current statistics for arrests related to rhino poaching:

Statement issued by Wanda Mkutshulwa - Head of Communications, SANParks, February 29 2012

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responses to this article

Drill deeper! Yes, it is so typical that people who must serve and protect end up being the reason for the killing or slaughter. I said this before, now the proof is here. Start at the rangers, law enforcement in the park and the gates - you will be shocked . .more to learn that most of your Rhino horn moves out of the gates and not over the borders into the neighboring countries. Whilst at it, the SANDF did not make a positive contribution as off yet, maybe, just maybe someone should also look into this . . . . . . . . . as well. Sad but true, like the rest of this country, there will be nothing left. This whole project shoud be outsourced to function independently only under orders from SANPARKS. . .less by Johann S on February 29 2012, 12:05 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Typical I flipping knew it! Everyone trying to get one up on everybody else. There is absolutely no honesty left in this shambles of a country. by Jay Didd on February 29 2012, 12:09 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Hang them. Please hang them in a public execution. by Joe Miles on February 29 2012, 13:31 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

@ Joe Miles, Jay, Johann My sentiments exactly, Joe. And this should include everyone who was in on the game from the beginning - including the vets, (I saw pics of them being charged in court - what happened to them?) - and those creatures/state officials who organised 'hunting' . .more visas for the posing oriental callgirls, the whole lot. Public executions are seen as quite barbaric but I'm willing to descend into a state of barbarity just for a day - it will be worth it when I think of those beautiful creatures bleeding in the veld, their horns hacked off. And rhino offspring being killed too or left in a state of pain and distress. . .less by Hard a' Starboard on February 29 2012, 16:54 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

rhino execute them by d on February 29 2012, 17:44 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Made in China We've got the minerals We've got the land And we've got the rhinos too by Realist on February 29 2012, 18:01 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Feed them to the lions! They deserve nothing less!!! by Rhino lover on February 29 2012, 19:21 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Did you really expect anything different? So ANC. So primitive. So destructive of anything that works. So Africa. Savages. by Ben on February 29 2012, 20:52 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

All in a cadre day's work What did you expect of such amoral and base people? by Injala Apera on March 01 2012, 08:49 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

A crazy idea? OK, This is my idea, now hear me out. If Rhino horn is such a lucrative commodity, why not make rhino farming a commercial enterprise. Start breeding Rhinos on a mass scale in commercial lots and sell their horns to those who want. It . .more take it off the black market, ensures the rhino population booms and makes a lucrative enterprise for south african farmers Same goes for dolphins- start breeding them like you would any chicken or cow . .less by Kook on March 01 2012, 12:27 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Rhinos and the blackguards that slaughter them Cut their D**** off just like they did the rhino horns. Confiscate all their assets and 20 yrs plus in the most hostile prison we have. by Franky on March 01 2012, 12:45 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

Rhino poaching I say that if a poachers gets caught he should be fed to the lions for all the peple to see,like a public hanging in the old days,this will be so terrible to look at that the word will reach the poachers and there friends quick,ones they know that this is . .more what awaits them if they get caught you should see the numbers on poaching decline very quick,as a matter of fact this is what shoul be done to all the criminals in this country. . .less by Leon k on November 23 2012, 04:03 Find this comment inappropriate? Report it

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