Eight rhinos killed in 24-hour spree
Poaching spikes across the board as the countdown on the rhino horn online auction website ticks off inexorably towards D-Day.
Up to 40 rhino are believed to have been killed for their horns between June 30 and Saturday in southern Africa.
One allegedly de-horned rhino discovered on Friday was killed in the Tshwane-owned Rietvlei Nature Reserve, while another was wounded and escaped.
The number rises to 33 if it is taken into consideration two of the 31 rhino were pregnant, and comes to 40 if the seven rhino from Namibia which were apparently killed in the same time frame are included.
In the continued absence of figures from the department of environmental affairs (DEA) due to Minister Edna Molewa’s information “blackout”, the aforementioned figures come from the DEA-registered stakeholder group, Save our Rhino’s senior administrator Loraine Liebenberg.
“We also don’t know all the cases because of Molewa’s blackout,” she said.
“As to the cause of the spike, there is a pattern of increased poaching which began with the minister’s notice of intent for the domestic trade in rhino horn and since the publishing of the auction, poaching has gone sky-high.
“It looks like a gearing up of the syndicates, forming new pathways, because why would syndicates be interested in auctions when they can get it for free?” Liebenberg asked.
“I cannot give the source of my numbers in order to protect people, but I know eight rhino were poached over a 24-hour period from Friday to Saturday.”
It is understood one was from Rietvlei, the other in the Pilanesberg area, four from Limpopo, and one in North West.
Meanwhile, the countdown on the rhino horn online auction website ticks off inexorably to its kick-off in 42 days.
The website states rhino breeder John Hume used to be able to breed and protect the ungulate; however, security costs around his 1 500 live rhino and his six-ton stockpile of “blood free” horn “has become difficult”.
“The money will help him breed and protect his rhino, covering costs, such as an on-site vet, patrol vehicles, security, salaries and supplementary food for his rhinos,” said Liebenberg.
“If that auction is legal at some stage, what background checks will be done on permit applicants?
“Will they be checked for previous infringement of regulations or criminal records?
“What verification of citizenship will be done, given the number of false identity books. And what does ‘personal use’ mean?”
The DEA has yet to complete its audit of privately held stocks and did not respond to requests for information. –