35 rhinos already killed in Kruger this year

NATIONAL NEWS - More than 35 rhinos have already been poached for their horns in the Kruger National Park since the beginning of the year.

A black rhino bull was killed near Paul Kruger Gate on Saturday morning at about 08:00.

The criminals are constantly finding new ways to bypass existing safety interventions.

According to the regional ranger of Special Operations in the Kruger, Bruce Leslie, the sudden increase in rhino poaching can be attributed to various factors, mainly the continuous demand on the international market.

“Transnational syndicates targeting these endangered animals are relentless in their pursuit of rhino horn. We also suspect that the unrest in Mozambique could have an influence,” he said.

“Despite our efforts in dehorning our Kruger rhinos, they are still being poached. There’s clearly still a market for them. We are appealing to local and international communities and conservationists to come on board and assist the park in curbing the killing of rhinos. Bring information about those who want to poach these animals or have already killed them, so that we can deal with them to save the remaining ones.”

The regional ranger of Special Operations in the Kruger, Bruce Leslie.

Leslie said law enforcement is doing its utmost to ensure those caught are brought to book. According to him, the Kruger has built a strong relationship with law enforcement agencies, and they are working together to combat poaching.

However, he said they face challenges in securing additional resources and manpower to cover the park’s more than one million hectares.

Criminals continually use different tactics to enter the parks. “Despite being under-resourced, many measures to curb rhino poaching or the poaching of any other wild animals have been put in place, and in most cases, they have had good successes. We have installed solar-powered cameras in hotspot areas and keep moving them once the problem in a particular area has been resolved.

"The introduction of hound dogs and aerial wing support is also making a huge difference. However, poachers are always willing to risk their lives by bypassing all security measures to kill the rhinos. That is why we need outside communities to also come on board and help us where they can,” he said.

Leslie said the Kruger would continue to fight rhino poaching and is calling on donors to assist the park with additional resources, whether in the form of money or vehicles.

One of the cameras that was installed in the Kruger.