31 Rhinos Killed in SA !!!! ( ONLY IN AFRICA :-( )

This really makes me sad. The only reason this is still continuing is because there must be some officials getting paid under the table !!! Wow money is the root to all evil !

Maybe i should add welcome to the new South Africa !!! :-( This is what happens under the wrong management.


31 Rhinos Killed in SA

Nelspruit - The slaughtering of rhinos in SA is continuing unabatedly.

According to Juan de Beer, manager of the protected species unit at the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), 31 rhinos have been killed in the country so far this year.

"Two of those rhinos were killed in the Loskop Dam Nature Reserve in Mpumalanga, and 10 in the Kruger National Park," said De Beer.

"The other provinces where poaching is rife are North West, with nine killings, and Limpopo and KwaZulu-Natal, with four killings each. The Free State has reported two rhinos killed for their horns."

De Beer said he suspected that poachers might be using aircraft to track and kill the rhinos in both private game reserves and national parks.

Early days

"I say this because sometimes the carcasses are found with poisoned darts in them, which shows that the animal has been darted from the sky. This can only happen if the poacher is using a helicopter."

White rhinos are being targeted more than their black counterparts, according to De Beer.

"That's because the black rhino is an endangered species, with few of them to be found, while white rhinos are simply protected and still occur in much larger numbers than their black counterparts."

According to the general manager of public relations, media and stakeholder relations at South African National Parks (SANParks), Reynold Thakuli, it was still "early days" for the hi-tech anti-poaching measures that the organisation had announced in October 2009.

These included aircraft, motorbikes and night-vision equipment for section rangers, as well as the appointment of 57 new field rangers.

"It's still too early to say it's been a failure," Thakuli said, adding that the army would patrol the Kruger National Park's eastern boundary with to Mozambique "later this year" to help curb poaching.

African Eye


Source: news24.com

I would say the new president...better pull his head of his you know what...and do something about it!!! That's crazy amount of poaching....as resident I would be outraged!

Rhinos

Damn unfortunate we have killers from the sky taking on this humble giant .

Very sad, need to curb it or else shall have no Rhinos for the posterity

Monish

Unfreakingbelieveable! 31 Rhinos cut down by cowards who don't have the balls to get close to them but from an aircraft? Someone is definitely "looking the other way" ... there cannot be any other explanation for such slaughter! Selfish, arrogant, ignorant bastards ... that's what they are. I hope like hell they are brought to justice and dealt with harshly ... from the top on down! And what does this do to the hunting and darting industries that follow the laws? Makes things harsher and more restrictive. Because of a selfish, self absorbed group of idiots these animals are being systematically wiped out and an entire law abiding group will be made to suffer their arrogance ... and for what ... their horns! This is shameful! SHAMEFUL!!!

John.

Very sad indeed! Seems poaching is on the increase in all countries, why has it escalated in the last couple of years??

Wow this is a real shame hate to hear this! Poaching is a major problem everywhere and is more prevalent than we know. In fact i would not be surprised if the number is higher than that! Awful just awful!!

Rumor has it that a guy was nabbed at Lanseria airport flying a light helicopter and was in possesion of 3 fresh Rhino horn, just a week ago!!

Will get confirmation about this

A dirty shame to say the least!! I don't know how south Africa deals with poachers but if they do like other countries in Africa maybe the hunting party that catches him plays Lawyer, Judge & Jury and eliminates a problem. There seems to be plenty of people around & you should be able to hear an airplane for miles. If There's an airplane circling around the property & nothing is scheduled maybe a bunch of people should jump in a truck & investiagate. Maybe a few shots at the planes may curb this poaching! If the government really cares they will adopt something!

Thats the whole problem Government doesn't care .... As long as they all have their money and food on the table and helping their close family and friends get the same then this is the result... ( just one of many )

This is the horror being inflicted on these magnificent, prehistoric beasts ...
THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!





Something has gotta give here ... some action must be taken. This is black eye to the entire Hunting industry, that the leaders of the countries or areas involved turn a blind eye. This carnage can only occur - and in the numbers reported here - when those higher ups allow it to happen! This is wrong on so many levels and those responsible must be held accountable ... somehow! Like I said before ... absolutely SHAMEFUL!

John.

From News24:

Syndicate members' assets seized
2010-05-07 22:28


Johannesburg - The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has confiscated multi-million rand property belonging to members of a syndicate which allegedly hunted and smuggled rhinoceros horns, it said on Friday.

The NPA confiscated farms and aircraft belonging to the alleged members of the syndicate on Thursday and centralised their cases, which were being held in various courts across the country, said NPA spokesperson advocate Mthunzi Mhaga.

He said Nicolaas Barend van Deventer, Gideon Gerhardus van Deventer and Pieter Johannes Swart had already been convicted for their involvement.

Nicolaas van Deventer was sentenced to five years imprisonment, half of which was suspended; Gideon van Deventer received ten years, two of which were suspended for five years; and Swart was fined R50 000 or 12 months imprisonment.

Turned State witness

They had turned State witness against the other six, who would stand trial in the North Gauteng High Court on October 11, said Mhaga.

He said George Fletcher, Gerhardus Bartlomeus Saaiman, Frans Andries van Deventer and three others would face charges of racketeering, money laundering, theft, malicious damage to property and contravening provincial conservation acts and the Aviation Act.

"It is alleged that the accused committed these offences as members of a group consisting of hunters, a pilot, middlemen (agents) and buyers, who illegally hunted rhinos and traded in the horns stolen from the rhino carcasses."

They are accused of killing and cutting off the horns of 17 rhinos in the Kruger National Park, the Mfolozi National Park and game farms in the Bela Bela and Komatipoort districts during December 2005 and August 2006.

Joint unit operation

On Thursday, the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) confiscated an Aerostar small aeroplane allegedly used to transport the poachers to the game reserves, to spot the rhinos and transport their horns to Sandhurst Safaris, in Tosca, in the North West.

Seven farms in Tosca were also seized. They were registered in a trust, of which one of the accused was a trustee.

"There is also a helicopter, which is in Mozambique at present," Mhaga said.

"The criminal trial and asset forfeiture application are the results of an intensive joint operation between the Hawks unit of the (SA Police Service), the NPA's organised crime prosecution division and the AFU and the excellent cooperation between these departments," he said.



- SAPA
_________

Hang the bastards!!! I don't mean maybe, either. Justice the old fashioned African way works. If a few of few of these cowards bodies were found hanging from a short rope in a high tree, then maybe others will think twice about their cowardly pursuit. Does anyone really believe these criminals will stop after a few years in prison? At the very least they should have a hand cut off. Old time justice seldom fails.

"The only thing required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing."

Semper Fi,
Airedale Marine

those pictures are absolutely terrible! i can't believe the way some people think

these guys are sick in the mind!
and it's very sad

:rant:After yesterday another 2 poached/killed the total for this year in SA alone is 150!!!!

Somebody must have info regarding this, let's get these guys. It is our Africa and our animals.

Somehow this must stop.I think there is still too much money involved.Because they must get the people behind everything not just the people that is doing the killing.

I have spoken and had contact with quite a few hunters who are all willing to give their time free and assist with the poaching. I have also contacted the hunting industry and asked whom I can contact to offer our assistance and so far nobody has had answers for me and nobody has contacted me to let me know where we can help.

If anybody knows who to contact or who I can contact that needs our help please let me know.

Thank you
Johann
armour1@live.co.za

The only way to stop this is to sentence those fucking poachers to death!! A death sentence should be passed and anyone convicted of being involved in the Rhino horn trade be it a poacher or a government official should have a bullet put through his brain. (A soft nosed .600 NE!!) I really wish this was possible.