Africa Wild

And the two a day average continues.

Yep, but we are still waiting for the official figures of the DEA.

It will jump again in the next few days.

I don't hope this will happen

A mural painted on a suburban wall in Johannesburg, South Africa calls for the halt to rhino poaching in a bid to save the species from extinction due to killings for the rhinos horn.




Source: AP Photo/Denis Farrell, file

At the current rate, that horrible prospect is not too far away!

Rhino poaching update 30 May 2013

The number of rhino poached in South Africa since the beginning of the year has increased to 367.

The number of people arrested in connection with poaching now stands at 114. The majority of these (109) were alleged poachers, with five being couriers. A total of 50 suspected poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park.

The Kruger National Park continues to be the most seriously affected by rhino poaching, with 247 animals being killed in the Park since the beginning of the year.

In the North West province 35 rhino have been poached, 33 in KwaZulu-Natal province, 28 in Limpopo province, 23 in Mpumalanga province and one in Gauteng province.

A total of 50 poachers have been arrested in the Kruger National Park where Houtboschrand Section Ranger, Andrew Desmet was shot and wounded in the stomach during a joint operation to arrest rhino poachers near Letaba. He remains in stable condition in the intensive care unit of a Nelspruit hospital.

Water and Environmental Affairs Minister, Mrs Edna Molewa, has wished Mr Desmet a speedy recovery.

SANParks Head of Communications, Paul Daphne said while the increasing number of suspected poachers being arrested in the Kruger National reflected the escalating number of people engaging in rhino poaching, it was also an indication that the anti-poaching measures put in place by SANParks were working.

Among the actions taken in the Kruger National Park to combat rhino poaching have been the adoption of a military stance in tackling rhino crimes, the deployment of an unmanned drone provided by Denel, the deployment of two surveillance aircraft and the use of tracker dogs. The department has signed biodiversity management Memoranda of Understanding with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the People’s Republic of China, recently signing an implementation plan with Vietnam putting into action initiatives aimed specifically at curbing rhino poaching. The signing of the MoU with Vietnam is already starting to yield results through increased security measures against alleged rhino horn smugglers.

South Africans are urged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.



For media quiries contact:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871

Issued by: Department of Environmental Affairs
30 May 2013

Madness!

It is going to go faster once rhino become more reliant on water in the dry season.

Notice how KNP is outstripping KZN proportionately...

Another 2 poached in the Eastern Cape.
Still alive though.
Medical attention is on it's way as we speak.

3 more Rhinos down in the KNP.

A bit of a summary of (almost) everything...

Rhino poaching in SA worse than ever, in spite of new technology
30 May 2013 12:35| Sipho Kings

SA's tally of poached rhino looks set to exceed last year's 668 killed, with officials saying 367 have been killed in the first five months of 2013.

With stiff jail sentences being passed by judges, the department said 114 people had been arrested in connection with poaching. Fifty of these had been arrested in the Kruger National Park, where the majority of the country's rhinos live.

Since poaching steeply accelerated in 2009, the park has been the focus of most anti-poaching efforts by the government. But 247 of the rhino killed so far have come from the park. South Africa has 20 000 rhino left, 70% of the world's population.

The increase in the rate of rhino poached comes in spite of the use of new technology in the war against poachers – most of whom are coming over the border from Mozambique. Edna Molewa, minister of environmental affairs, has been pushing for an agreement between the two countries to curb poaching.

But the biggest problem has been the fence between the South African and Mozambique sides of the new transfrontier park, which was taken down when the park was extended. Molewa has said her department is considering putting the fence back up, at a cost of around R400-million.

In her budget vote this week, Molewa said R75-million had been specifically given to SANParks for anti-poaching operations.

Paul Daphne, head of SANParks communications, said the situation in the park had forced them to adopt a "military stance in tackling rhino crimes". The army is already deployed in the park, and rangers were now being supported by an unmanned drone from Denel.

Several private initiatives have also started deploying drones in the park, and in other reserves. The World Wide Fund for Nature has also sponsored Unnamed Aerial Vehicles for anti-poaching operations in Namibia.

Two other specialised spotter planes, along with several helicopters, were also assisting operations. Tracker dogs, which can follow the scent of poachers and disarm them without a gunfight, were also now operating in the park.

In a previous interview with the Mail & Guardian in the park, ranger Rodney Landela said when the vegetation was high it was nearly impossible to spot poachers. The thick bush meant you could only see people when you were facing them, with the only way to find them being track them.

Eyes in the sky meant they could track poachers and then send in a helicopter to suppress them – when it hovers over an area they tend to hide and wait, he said. Dogs and rangers could then go in and arrest the poachers. All of this meant the chances of people being shot was lowered, he said.

Kruger ranger Andrew Desmet, who was shot in the stomach during a joint operation against poachers near Letaba camp is in a "stable condition", the department said.

Molewa has signed agreements with China and Vietnam, the destinations for most of the horn, to cooperate in arresting poachers and finding illegal shipments.

The anonymous tip-off line for people who want to report any incidents of poaching is 0800 205 005.

2 more Rhinos down at Scotia Game Reserve.