Horrific sex assault, then rhino deaths

STAFF at a KwaZulu-Natal rhino orphanage are reeling in shock after a woman was sexually assaulted and two rhino killed in a horrific poaching incident this week.

In a brutal illustration of the severity of poaching‚ a heavily armed gang hit the Findimvelo Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage – at the Thula Thula reserve in northern KZN – on Monday night‚ tying up staff and killing the two rhino in front of them.

In the process one woman was sexually assaulted and other rhino caregivers beaten. They are receiving medical and psychological care.

Over the course of a few hours the two rhino‚ Impi and Gugu‚ were attacked while the staff were held hostage. One was killed outright‚ and the other had to be euthanised the next morning because of the severity of her injuries.

The pair were due to be dehorned and moved out of the orphanage in a week’s time, leading to a belief that inside information played a part.

Karen Trender‚ who runs the orphanage‚ told TMG Digital yesterday security was being beefed up and plans to move staff members and rhino to a new‚ secret location were underway.

“If you work in this game, in a facility like this … it’s a constant concern. It’s something that’s on everybody’s mind at all times.

“We always understood this could happen but if you did not interfere they would leave you alone. They would just get horn and get out. “But this was totally different,” she said. Explaining what happened on Monday night‚ Trender said the gang overpowered the armed guard on duty‚ tied him up and extracted information from him on where the staff were.

She said everyone associated with the facility was deeply hurt. “To see the animal you nurtured from brink of death as a result of poaching, being killed in front of you is beyond brutal. And then there was the assault.”

Police and tracker dogs were at the scene yesterday. There were reports of two arrests‚ but this could not be confirmed. — TMG