South Africa: Decline in rhino poaching cases confirmed
Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – Environment Minister Dion George has welcomed the downward trend in rhino poaching numbers in South Africa over the last two months.
During the first six months of the year, 229 rhinos were poached, compared to 231 for the same period in 2023. Of those, 191 were killed on state properties and 38 on privately owned reserves and farms.
“A significant drop was noted during May and June this year with national losses reported at 21 and 22 respectively (May and June of 2023 were recorded at 42 and 34). This reduced loss is thought to be attributable to the dehorning of rhino populations in KwaZulu-Natal province and specifically in Hluhluwe Mfolozi Park where over 1,000 rhinos have been dehorned since April 2024,” said George.
The world famous Kruger National Park (KNP) lost 45 rhinos to poaching from January to June 2024 compared to 42 during the same reporting period in 2023. KNP continues to implement its Rhino Conservation Plan which focuses on guarding and protecting rhinos in the core rhino areas, the use of appropriate technologies, dehorning of rhino and implementing innovative biological management in these areas.
With regard to rhino population numbers, at the end of 2023 South Africa reported 16,056 rhinos comprising 2,065 black and 13,991 white rhinos. These figures compare with figures estimated for the end of 2021 when there were 2,056 black and 12,968 white rhinos in the country.
South Africa had 1,032 more rhinos in 2023 than what there were in 2021 despite the poaching – in 2022 and 2023, 2.9% and 3.2% of South Africa’s rhinos respectively were poached.
These were lower than the threshold of 3.5% beyond which rhino numbers will decline.
During the reporting period, 60 suspects were arrested and 20 heavy calibre firearms recovered. Two rhino horn traffickers were sentenced to 18 years imprisonment of which six years imprisonment was suspended for five years in the Ermelo regional court last month.
On appeal, the conviction and sentence of the three Botswana nationals were confirmed. They entered the country illegally and were convicted on one count of murder, after one of their accomplices was killed during a confrontation on the farm, the illegal possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition, illegally entering the country and hunting a rhino without a permit and sentenced to 36 years imprisonment, effectively to serve 25 years imprisonment.
In the Skukuza Court, an accused was sentenced to 35 years imprisonment on charges of trespassing, hunting of one rhino, possession of a prohibited firearm, possession of an unlicenced firearm and ammunition, possession of a dangerous weapon and conspiracy to commit an offence.
In another case, the accused was sentenced to 26 years imprisonment on similar charges.
In the Free State, three accused were convicted on conspiracy to hunt a rhino and were sentenced to five years direct imprisonment.
-0- PANA CU/RA 3Aug2024
