‘We are going to be a target’
SHEREE BEGA
THE gruesome sight of a magnificent rhino bull, its horn severely hacked off, remained with Piet Nel and staff at the Pilanesberg National Park for days.
The rhino, which was killed on May 7, was one of three that poachers have slaughtered in the Pilanesberg National Park and Madikwe Game Reserve since the start of the national Covid-19 lockdown.
“It was really terrible – the bull was one of the nicest animals in the Pilanesberg,” says Nel, an ecologist with the North West Parks and Tourism Board.
“If you see a magnificent animal like that in front of you and two weeks later it’s snout is hacked off by poachers, it’s unbelievable. You never can get used to these crime scenes.”
Since January, Madikwe and the
Pilanesberg each lost seven rhinos to poaching. “After lockdown, we only had three incidents in both the Pilanesberg and Madikwe. We reckon this is because of the level 5 restrictions – the roads were fairly clear. The police had all the roadblocks and the ports are closed so they can’t get rid of the merchandise.
“In level 4 we see a slight return of poaching again and we’re very worried about it because obviously now we think people are very desperate for money and we believe it’s going to pick up again. We’re preparing quite significantly for that – intensifying technology, putting thermal cameras in the hotspots and increasing boots on the ground. We are working with the private sector and the SA
Police Service.”
He explains how on March 27, the carcasses of two rhino were discovered in Madikwe but they were “probably shot before the lockdown” while on March 28, two more carcasses were found which were four to five days old.
“Since the lockdown started, we lost one animal in April – it still had its horns, we couldn’t find any bullets on it and it seemed like a fairly healthy animal. We’re not sure if the animal was shot.
“Sometimes the bullet travels right through the body and then it would still stay alive for another two or three days before it eventually succumbs to its wounds. In Pilanesberg on April 29 they found one carcass – a female. Her calf was taken to the rhino orphanage.”
The North West is home to the country’s third-biggest rhino population. “Botswana also lost a lot of animals, which borders the North West so we believe we are definitely going to be a target,” warns Nel.
Last month, the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries stated that rhino poaching has shown a significant decrease in most parts of the country during the lockdown.
The International Rhino Foundation, which has established a reserve fund to provide emergency support for Africa’s rhinos under the lockdown, says the “police and military presence on the roads has made it risky” and difficult for poaching groups to travel.
“There have been incidents, but by far fewer over the lockdown period than normal and definitely far less than expected. However, the longer the lockdown continues, risks will increase as desperation also rises.”