WOULD BE RHINO POACHERS NABBED AT KNP AS FESTIVE HOLIDAY MAKERS ANTICIPATE REFRESHING EXPERIENCES

WOULD BE RHINO POACHERS NABBED AT KNP AS FESTIVE HOLIDAY MAKERS ANTICIPATE REFRESHING EXPERIENCES

By Montsho Matlala

Skukuza While the festive mood is starting to permeate, igniting tourism enthusiasts’ desires for refreshing experiences in the wild, three armed foreign nationals, suspected to be rhino poachers this week sneaked into the Kruger National Park (KNP) in Mpumalanga unnoticed but were captured before they could maim any fauna and flora which are major tourist attractions, thanks to the alert SANParks’ patrol unit which was carrying out airborne surveillances.
The three men, Boy Vusi Sifunda 40 from Eswatini, Andrea Lubusi 45 from Mozambique and Bongani Ndlovu also from Eswatini have since appeared in the Skukuza Magistrate’s Court and remanded in custody until November 15.
“ The accused are facing charges including trespassing, possession of firearm, possession of firearm with intend to poach rhinos, possession of ammunition and conspiracy to commit rhino poaching,” said National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson in Mpumalanga, Monica Nyuswa.
The trio was spotted at Stoltznek section by KNP’s dehorning team who were doing early morning air patrols on Tuesday November 8. The flying unit then alerted the park’s section ranger who immediately activated the field rangers to intercept the three suspects.
“The K9 unit was deployed in the area with support from the SANParks Airwing. The suspects were then flushed out of the thick bush and arrested. They were found in possession of a hunting rifle, fitted with a silencer, ammunition and other poaching equipment” said SANParks spokesperson Mr Ike Phaahla.
Police and SANParks Environmental Crime Investigative Unit have obtained ballistics and DNA to investigate if the three men could be linked with other poaching incidents in the country.
The arrests were hailed by KNP’s managing executive Mr Oscar Mthimkhulu, “We applaud all those involved in these arrests and the vigilance of the dehorning team. One group is now behind bars, and we are coming for others with similar intentions.
“We have eyes and ears everywhere with our improved integrated security systems. This is a warning to all criminals, KNP is not a safe place to come and commit crime.”
Phaahla talking to Timeless News said, “Poaching is the main threat to our fauna and flora, we know of rhinos being specifically targeted.”
Asked if some SANPark employees double as poachers or moles for criminal syndicates, he responded, “We do not have figures on staff involved in criminal activities. Those who have been arrested are serving jail time while others are awaiting trial.”
According to figures released by Ms Barbara Creecy, the minister of Forestry, Fishery and Environment during August in Pretoria, 231 rhinos were maimed for their horns countrywide with Kwa-Zulu Natal leading the pack at 143 in the period of January to June 2023.
Rhino horns provide lucrative illegal trade in some Asian countries resulting in syndicates recruiting poachers to infiltrate parks in South Africa to harvest horns from these wild mammals. Buyers believe that this hard keratinised outgrowth is a potent cure for cancer and also an effective libido booster. Poachers often respond ruthlessly, at times fatally wounding rangers and law enforcement officers who try to apprehend them.