#RhinoPoachingUpdate: 12 June 2013
The Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa, is to meet Mozambique's Minister of Tourism, Mr Carvalho Muaria, in Maputo on Friday as part of ongoing efforts to improve relations between the two countries. The talks are expected to focus on the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area, established in 2002, with an emphasis on the scourge of rhino poaching presently affecting South Africa. The total number of rhino poached since the beginning of the year has risen to 408. The number of rhino poached in the Kruger National Park, which bears the brunt of rhino poaching, increased to 265. In North West 46 rhino have been poached, while 38 have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal, 30 in Limpopo, 26 in Mpumalanga, 2 in the Eastern Cape and 1 in Gauteng. The number of people arrested for rhino poaching in the Kruger National Park has risen to 56. Three suspected poachers were arrested in the Pretoriuskop region yesterday (Tuesday following an intelligence-driven operation by the SAPS, SANParks rangers and the Park’s Environmental Crimes Investigation Unit. The group were allegedly involved in five poaching incidents in the Pretoriuskop region, as well as several armed robberies in Hazyview, Mpumalanga. The number of people arrested on rhino poaching-related charges countrywide totals 121. A total of 27 alleged poachers have been arrested in KwaZulu-Natal, 21 in Limpopo, 8 in North West, 6 in Mpumalanga and 3 in Gauteng. Of these five are alleged couriers. South Africans are urged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005 , 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.
Those are such saddening statistics but it is very good to know that there is a clear effort being made to reduce and prevent these heinous crimes from happening. Congratulations to the Kruger National Parks and all others involved. Now at least there is hope that my children's children have the chance to see a rhino on their next Kruger park safari
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