Rhino Poaching 2014

[Toko]

DEA 31 July 2014

I think, now DEA again confuses Marakele and Mapungubwe

How reliable are their stats?

[Richprins]

BY: ALBERT PULE | 30 JUL 2014 10:21

SKUKUZA: Strong partnerships between different role players in and around the Kruger National Park (KNP) remains the key to defeating the scourge of rhino poaching.



South African National Parks (SANParks) has called on communities living close to the KNP to work in collaboration to help eradicate the scourge of rhino poaching ravaging the park. This is very important indeed, and has produced success in KZN.



Acting Head of SANParks Communications, Reynold Thakuli, says the involvement of communities in managing South African parks remains a key element of conserving and preserving the country's biodiversity.

"We have a number of programmes that we have in partnership with different communities, particularly now with the scourge of rhino poaching.

Not really...there have been a number of strange programmes from building school facilities to dog pens, squat-all to do with rhino poaching...rather vote-gathering, IMO...nothing since elections and senior SP staff having disappeared

"We have engaged faith-based organisations, traditional healer associations and tribal authorities to co-opt them into the management of these parks. Some of the guys who are poaching live within these communities," said Thakuli.

This is also a copy of KZN, and indeed an old AW suggestion. It is not a secret that poachers live in these communities.

"We are not managing these parks as islands. We are working together with them and so far, we have received cooperation from them, especially on the South African side of the border."

This makes no sense.

KNP shares a border with Zimbabwe and Mozambique and covers over two million hectares of land with a variety of animals roaming free.

Really?



He said that partnerships between communities in Botswana, Swaziland and Namibia have yielded positive results in dealing with rhino poaching and that South African communities can learn from their neighbours.

BTW, I was labelled a racist for spelling Thakhuli's name incorrectly a few years ago...just saying...

[Flutterby]

Serene Oasis, Rhino Conservation Dubai and Teddy Fowels will give a R20 000 REWARD for information that can lead to the ARREST and CONVICTION of the perpetrators of this hideous Act in the KNP near Serene Oasis Restaurant, in front of Henk van Rooyen Park, Marloth Park. The Mother was shot in the early Hours of 2014/08/08. They didn't get the horns and baby is still alive. Baby has been airlifted by SANPARKS. It has Just come to our attention that the Male was found dead and de-horned a distance away.

[nan]

it's for one... but better one than nothing
maybe some tongues will unbind

and again an orphan

[Richprins]

Ja, also an article today about rhino shot near an undisclosed restcamp in Kruger a couple of days ago...

4 shots fired just after 6 PM alerted tourists in camp, who passed on to rangers etc.

So they are just waiting for gate-closing time?

[PennyinSA]

I am given to understand that the camp that alerted management about the gunshots was Talamati! I stick to my guns - until the all night road and gate abuse is stopped this will continue to proliferate! Methinks those concessions are coming back to haunt Sanparks in more ways than one!

[Duke]

Talamati is a long way from Moz border and even quite a distance from Orpen

What excuse now?

[Richprins]

Residents and holidaygoers in Marloth Park witnessed a heart-wrenching scene on Friday as a white rhino calf wouldn’t leave its dead mother’s side. This was within good sight from Marloth on Kruger National Park’s (KNP) side. The calf had to be darted and was airlifted by KNP officials while they were looking on. What made it even more tragic and infuriating, was that the cow was seemingly shot for no reason as it wasn’t dehorned.

Ms Elmarie Vorster, resident in Henk van Rooyen Park in Marloth and owner of Serene Oasis restaurant, said that they had heard shots at about midnight on Friday. Their fears that rhino might have been poached rang true when they saw the cow’s carcass across the river on Kruger’s side the following morning. White rhino are very territorial and a specific group can always be found in the same area. “The mother and calf were always accompanied by a bull. We didn’t see it on Friday morning and suspect it fled when the shots were fired,” she said.

Ms Sasha Botha, a Mbombela resident who stayed in Marloth Park over the weekend, said it was absolutely heartbreaking to see. “That calf would not leave its mother.” Vorster added that news of the sighting spread very quickly and tourists flocked to Henk Van Rooyen Park to witness the incident first-hand. At about 15:00, the calf was darted from the air and airlifted.

“It took about 20 minutes for it to finally succumb to the effects of the dart,” Botha said. “It put up a brave fight and didn’t leave its mother’s side even after it was darted.” Vorster added that both the cow’s horns were then removed. “We heard that the animal had been shot three times,” she said.

The carcas was removed by a truck on Saturday, probably for the purposes of performing a post-mortem, out of the view of tourists. The calf, estimated to be about a year old, was taken to a Care for Wild. Niewoudt also received a black rhino calf of about five months old the same day, of which the mother had also been poached in Kruger.

Lowvelder was told that the mother was hit on her spine and although paralysed, was dehorned while still being alive.
Vorster, other conservation bodies and individuals are offering a reward of R29 000 for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of the people who shot the rhino cow on Friday morning. Vorster can be reached on 076-727-7554.



http://lowvelder.co.za/212960/orphaned- ... afe-haven/

[Richprins]

Serene Oasis, Rhino Conservation Dubai and Teddy Fowels will give a R20 000 REWARD for information that can lead to the ARREST and CONVICTION of the perpetrators of this hideous Act in the KNP near Serene Oasis Restaurant, in front of Henk van Rooyen Park, Marloth Park. The Mother was shot in the early Hours of 2014/08/08. They didn't get the horns and baby is still alive. Baby has been airlifted by SANPARKS. It has Just come to our attention that the Male was found dead and de-horned a distance away.

Since the beginning of the year 37 rhino have been poached in private reserves in Mpumlanga. Poachers have been relentless since last week with incidents taking place across the province. The full-moon period is always a challenging time.

In a separate incident, residents and holidaygoers in Marloth Park witnessed a heart-wrenching scene on Friday as a white rhino calf wouldn’t leave its dead mother’s side. This was within good sight from Marloth on Kruger National Park’s (KNP) side. The calf had to be darted and was airlifted by KNP officials while they were looking on. What made it even more tragic and infuriating, was that the cow was seemingly shot for no reason as it wasn’t dehorned.

Ms Elmarie Vorster, resident in Henk van Rooyen Park in Marloth and owner of Serene Oasis restaurant, said that they had heard shots at about midnight on Friday. Their fears that rhino might have been poached rang true when they saw the cow’s carcass across the river on Kruger’s side the following morning. White rhino are very territorial and a specific group can always be found in the same area. “The mother and calf were always accompanied by a bull. We didn’t see it on Friday morning and suspect it fled when the shots were fired,” she said.

Ms Sasha Botha, a Mbombela resident who stayed in Marloth Park over the weekend, said it was absolutely heartbreaking to see. “That calf would not leave its mother.” Vorster added that news of the sighting spread very quickly and tourists flocked to Henk Van Rooyen Park to witness the incident first-hand. At about 15:00, the calf was darted from the air and airlifted.

“It took about 20 minutes for it to finally succumb to the effects of the dart,” Botha said. “It put up a brave fight and didn’t leave its mother’s side even after it was darted.” Vorster added that both the cow’s horns were then removed. “We heard that the animal had been shot three times,” she said.

The carcas was removed by a truck on Saturday, probably for the purposes of performing a post-mortem, out of the view of tourists. The calf, estimated to be about a year old, was taken to a Care for Wild. Niewoudt also received a black rhino calf of about five months old the same day, of which the mother had also been poached in Kruger.

Lowvelder was told that the mother was hit on her spine and although paralysed, was dehorned while still being alive.
Vorster, other conservation bodies and individuals are offering a reward of R29 000 for anyone with information that could lead to the arrest and successful prosecution of the people who shot the rhino cow on Friday morning. Vorster can be reached on 076-727-7554.

Meanwhile, SANParks and conservation groups are waiting with baited breath as the minister of environmental affairs, Ms Edna Molewa, will announce today if SANParks will move a large number of its rhino to a safer location.
She will address media in Pretoria today on the outcome of the 2013 rhino census conducted in Kruger, as well as interventions employed by the country to curb poaching.

Cabinet was briefed on the outcome of the census on August 6 and recommended strategic interventions to secure the rhino population, were then approved.

http://lowvelder.co.za/212960/orphaned- ... afe-haven/

[H. erectus]

Thank you for the update and re-assurance RP,...

Yah, leaves a lot of food for thought??!!!