R100K reward to net rhino poachers as private reserves undertake massive dehorning campaign
Local game reserves have undertaken a massive campaign to dehorn their rhinos in a bid to save the animals from being killed by poachers. SIbuya Game Reserve, where two pregnant rhinos were killed last week, is the latest to post pictures of their dehorning this week. Meanwhile, a convicted rhino poacher who escaped from prison last year and was arrested at a private reserve on Monday, has appeared in court. And conservationist Warne Rippon has offered a R100 0000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of poachers currently operating in the Eastern Cape.
“While we are still grieving the loss of our gentle giants, Binky and Noelle, who were brutally killed for their horns, we have decided to take a difficult but necessary step to protect our remaining rhinos,” Sibuya Game Reserve posted on their Facebook page yesterday. “We have made the unavoidable decision to dehorn our rhinos to safeguard them from the senseless and cruel practice of poaching… By dehorning our rhinos, we are taking a step towards protecting their lives and ensuring their safety for generations to come.”
Earlier this week, Kariega Game Reserve wrote on their website blog, “Times of crisis call for decisive action and for our team that meant expediting our annual rhino de-horning programme, that is one of the layers in a multi-faceted rhino protection… a dedicated team of staff, vets and helicopter pilots spent the Easter weekend successfully carrying out the dehorning procedures.”
Kariega anti-poaching unit (APU) Manager, Daniel Haesslich was quoted saying, “The constant threat of poaching in South Africa motivated us to choose to go against our innate instinct and take off the pride of a rhino, which is its horn. We are aware that dehorning is only one layer of safety; having a well-trained and committed team on the ground is another. However, our first line of defence is the communities around us who through various crisis and natural disasters, have pulled together to build a bigger force… together with our communities we can face this rhino crisis and win at the end of the day.
Each rhino is dehorned every three years, the reserve’s blog continued. “Kariega Game Reserve has followed this approach since 2012, when we suffered the triple poaching attack which Thandi survived.”
R100K reward
Poachers have killed more than a dozen rhinos in the Eastern Cape in the past six months and the owner of the 20 000ha Buffalo Kloof conservancy outside Makhanda, Warne RIppon is determined to end the spree.
“Enough is enough!” Rippon told Talk of the Town.
He has offered a reward for information that leads to the poachers’ arrest and conviction.
“Buffalo Kloof has offered a R100 000 reward for information that leads to the successful arrest and conviction of the savages that are playing havoc in our tourism industry and wildlife conservation,” the statement issued by the conservancy said. “The Big Five and especially the critically endangered Black Rhino bring tourists to our shores.
“To eliminate the scourge of poaching, and economic terrorism, we need information and make arrests before the next rhino are slaughtered. If everyone works together we can arrest and convict and clean our province up of these thugs.”
Rippon told Talk of the Town, “These poachers keep coming back and they have got to be caught. Someone in this community must know who is responsible and how to find them. It is a lot of money but we will do everything in our power to protect our rhinos.”
People with information were invited to call Buffalo Kloof’s APU at 072 341 3348.
Poacher in court
Convicted rhino poacher Abraham Moyane, who was arrested at a private reserve in the early hours of Monday April 10, appeared in the Makhanda regional court on a charge of conspiracy to commit poaching. He was remanded in custody for a formal bail application on Tuesday April 18, 2023. He was subsequently charged for escaping from lawful custody. This case was postponed for further investigation to Wednesday May 3, 2023. The fact that Moyane, 34, is in custody on another charge (escaping) means it is unlikely he will be granted bail on the first charge (conspiracy to commit poaching).
The Department of Correctional Correctional Services spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo confirmed to Talk of the Town: “The Department of Correctional Services is able to confirm the rearrest of Abraham Moyane from the group of seven that had escaped from Grahamstown Correctional Centre in October 2022. The remaining four are still at large and search is still on as the mission is to find all of them and be brought back behind bars.”
South African Police Service spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli said Moyane was re-arrested by the SAPS Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit, working alongside the reserve’s Anti-Poaching Unit.
Nkohli said: “It is alleged that on Monday, 10 April 2023 at about 2am, three suspicious people were seen jumping over a fence of a private game reserve near Makhanda. Reaction was immediate and the anti-poaching unit was activated which resulted in the arrest of one of the three suspects. The other two managed to flee. The suspect was found in possession of hunting implements, and was detained for contravening the National Environmental Management and Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 Sec 57 (attempted hunting of a threatened or protected species without a permit).”
