Woman sexually assaulted in rhino poaching attack

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

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

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 rhinos‚ Impi and Gugu‚ were attacked as the staff were held hostage.

One rhino was killed outright‚ and the other had to be put down 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 the belief that it was an inside job.

Karen Trendler‚ who runs the orphanage‚ said yesterday security was being beefed up and plans to move staff members and rhinos to a new‚ secret location were under way.

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

“We always understood they’re coming for the rhinos; if you don’t interfere they’ll leave you alone. “They will just get horn and get out. “But this was totally different. The staff did exactly what they were trained to do, but still they were attacked.”

Police were on the scene yesterday with dogs. There were reports of two arrests‚ but this could not be confirmed. – TMG Digital