The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) on Tuesday noted a decrease in the number of rhinos killed in the first six months of this year.

In the first half of this year 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa, with the department saying this represents an 11% decrease – or a decline of 28 animals killed for their horn – compared with the same period last year.

Between January 1 and June 30, poaching trends also continued to show a move away from the Kruger National Park to provincial and private reserves, the department added.

It revealed that 42 rhinos were poached in the Kruger National Park and 143 in KwaZulu-Natal from January to June. Forty-six of the rhinos killed were in privately-owned nature reserves and 143 in provincially-owned reserves.

In marking World Ranger Day on July 31, the DFFE honoured the bravery and dedication of the men and women who run the country’s ranger services and who are on the front line of the battle against wildlife poaching.

“The role of rangers in supporting the prosecution and sentencing of those arrested for wildlife crimes committed in the Kruger cannot be underestimated. There is strong collaboration between the South African Police Service (Saps) forensic teams and SANParks Environmental & Corporate Investigations when attending crime scenes to ensure the collection of vital evidence to link suspects to the crime scenes. It is also done to ensure minimum contamination of the crime scene,” the department said.

The DFFE highlighted that as the demand for rhino horn remains a constant threat to rhino populations, collaboration between law enforcement agencies, including the Saps, Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, the Green Scorpions, Customs officials, the Financial Intelligence Centre and the National Prosecuting Authority, remains key.  

These efforts are also supported by private security, the department acknowledged.

CONVICTIONS

In the first six months of this year, 31 poaching offenders were convicted. The majority of sentences were custodial.

In Skukuza one suspect was found guilty of killing three rhinos and possession of unlawful arms and ammunition and was sentenced to an effective 32 years imprisonment.

In another matter, three accused were found driving in Kruger National Park, with five rhino horns hidden in the vehicle. Accused one and two were sentenced to 34 years imprisonment, while accused three was sentenced to 39 years imprisonment.

The department noted that in Limpopo, an accused individual was sentenced on a charge of murder, killing of two rhinos, unlicenced firearm and ammunition to an effective sentence of twenty-four years imprisonment.

In the Eastern Cape, six accused were convicted on charges of conspiracy to commit rhino poaching (notably no rhinos were killed) and the possession of unlicenced firearm and ammunition and effectively sentenced to imprisonment ranging from sixteen to twenty years.