14 Rhino killed in 2010
2010-01-23 08:08
Johannesburg - Poachers have killed at least 14 rhino since the start of the year, SA National Parks said on Friday.
Seven were poached in the North West and another seven in the Kruger National Park, Sanparks chief executive officer David Mabunda said in a statement.
The figure brought the total number of rhino killed in the last three years to 93. A total of 48 arrests were made.
Two suspected poachers were arrested in the first two weeks of January this year.
"Investigations are continuing, with a number of leads on some more suspects, and the investigating team predicts that more arrests will be made soon.
“We are not forgetting upstanding members of our communities who have in the past assisted us in foiling the plans of these would-be poachers and even arresting them. We are saying that we cannot finish this task without your invaluable help. We need all the information you can provide on these criminals so that we can put them away for a long time.”
Mabunda said plans to bring the military to patrol the Kruger National Park's border with Mozambique were at an advanced stage.
“South Africans must realise that we are not dealing with your ordinary petty criminal here, these poachers are members of well-resourced syndicates and are also involved in chilling crimes like human trafficking, arms smuggling, prostitution and drug trafficking.
"They are dangerous criminals.”
- SAPA