Media Explore Poaching

By Nicolene Smalman

Media from all over the world were in the Kruger National Park this April to learn more about rhino poaching and the progress that has been made to date in combating this scourge. They were taken to see how post-mortems were conducted on a white rhino cow and her calf (that were poached) to procure evidence.

It was an excruciating walk of 12 kilometres to the scenes and journalists got to experience first-hand the challenges that rangers have to face every day in safeguarding the park.

The process of assessing the scenes for evidence and conducting post-mortems were led by Mr Frik Rossouw, senior investigator of Environmental Crime Services.

It was an adult rhino cow and her calf that had been poached and journalists were first taken to the scene where the carcass of the calf had been found.

By Tuesday, only bones were left as hyenas and vultures had feasted on the carcass.

The scene was carefully assessed for possible tracks and scanned with metal detectors in the hope of finding cartridge casings.

Rossouw, after examing the bones, estimated the calf to have been about one and a half years old. Journalists were then taken to the carcass of the cow about a kilometre away.

Investigators came across the shell of a .458 bullet along the way.

Rossouw carefully looked at tracks on the ground and suspected that the cow as shot near the calf and ran to where she finally collapsed. Both her horns had been removed.

The carcass was scanned with the metal detector which indicated that there were still bullets lodged in it.

Rossouw and his assistant Mr Oupa Mzini, cut open the already badly decomposing flesh and retrieved two bullets – that of a .458 and .375 hunting rifle.

Rossouw said it was rare to find that a rhino had been shot with two different rifles.

A piece of the rhinos toenails were also cut off to use for DNA testing.

Journalists looked at Rossouw and his team in awe as they worked on the badly decomposing carcass of which the stench was almost unbearable. Representatives from media houses abroad asked Rossouw if one ever gets use to it, to which he replied “no”. He has conducted 450 post-mortems on rhino carcasses in the last six years.

Retired Maj Genl Johan Jooste, head of anti-poaching operations in the park said that there are currently approximately 400 rangers who patrol the 20 000 square kilometre park, with a boundary of 952 kilometres. Jooste stressed the fact that a new era in park management was upon them and that it was important to clear the area of criminal elements from outside.

It is a whole new ballgame for rangers who now have to deal with added stress, risk, exposure and career expectations as they combat rhino poaching – a crime of which the park was relatively free before 2008. “This is actually not far removed from guerrilla warfare,” said section ranger Mr Don English.   

SANParks Times newspaper June 2013