African Rhino poaching crisis

It's a dirty shame!! Out of Africa has donated hunts to our local Chapter of SCI for many years. I talked to a hunter who just got back from one of their hunts and he said he couldn't beleve it! they have over 100 Rhinos on their property where he just hunted and can't understand why they would be poaching them also! I hope they are dealt with very sternly!!

10/5/10 Recent news from PHASA: More rhino poacher arrests soon

Pretoria - Many, many more people will soon be arrested due to their involvement in rhino poaching, Ken Maggs, member of the SANParks team investigating the crime, said on Tuesday. "I hate to say it, but these are people who are involved in nature conservation. It's going to turn the game industry upside down and it's going to shock many people. We have already issued warrants for the arrests. It's going to happen soon," he repeated. He predicted that there would be a significant decrease in incidents of rhino poaching after all the arrests have been made. The biggest problem facing the investigating team, which consists of more than nine units, is "to understand the dynamics of the demand for rhinos", he said.

Maggs said that since the start of the year, 112 people have been arrested in connection with rhino poaching.

I was just sent this link and story.

Rhino poaching case thrown out
by JP du Plessis

The case against three suspected rhino poachers has been struck off the roll by the North Gauteng High Court.

The state applied for a postponement in the trial earlier this week but the court ruled that the state did not give sufficient reasons and any more postponements would be unfair to the accused.

Judge Nomonde Mngqibisa said the state’s appeal application is based on an uncooperative convicted criminal, who is also the prosecution’s star witness.

She said while she understands he is making it hard for the state to prepare for trial, the three accused - George Fletcher, Gerhardus Saaiman, Frans van Deventer - as well as their families, are living under the stigma of the charges which were levelled four years ago.

The judge said they are losing their social standing because of delays caused by a man in prison.

Mngqibisa said the court will not fail the accused and she struck the matter from the roll. The accused celebrated by throwing their hands in the air and hugging their loved ones and their lawyers, while state prosecutors sat in silence, shaking their heads.


Source: Eyewitness News

HI,

Heard on the news today that one of the suspected rhino poachers committed suicide.