Poachers kill four rhino in Zimbabwe
2013-01-04 22:07
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Harare - Poachers killed four white rhino in a raid on a
privately-run game reserve in north-eastern Zimbabwe on New Year's Day, the
parks department said on Friday.
Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority spokesperson
Caroline Washaya-Moyo said the animals' horns had been sawed off the carcasses,
but were yet to be moved when rangers discovered the killings at the Thetford
Estate in the farming town of Mazowe.
The raid raises fears that a rhino poaching epidemic in
South Africa may be spreading to neighbouring countries.
"The animals comprised two adult males, one adult
female and one sub-adult male and are valued at $480 000," Washaya-Moyo
said in a statement.
"A total of eight rhino horns were recovered... as
well as 18 spent cartridges fired from a suspected 308 hunting rifle or an FN
automatic rifle."
She said Zimbabwe, with an estimated population of around
700 rhino, lost 19 to poachers last year, a slight drop from 23 the previous
year.
Poaching is rife in Zimbabwe's game reserves, fuelled by
cross-border syndicates from Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa.
Perpetrators are armed with advanced technology and
aircraft, often outstripping wardens' resources.
The rhino is targeted for its horn which is believed to
be an aphrodisiac, anti-carcinogenic and an amulet in some Asian countries.
There is no scientific evidence to support those claims.
South Africa last year lost a record 633 rhino to
poaching.
