Rhino and her two calves killed
An unusually long-horned cow and her two calfs were killed by poachers at the Southern African Wildlife College.
|||Durban - The passing-out parade for 30 iSimangaliso environmental cadets from the Southern African Wildlife College Field Ranger course went ahead amid the discovery of three dead rhinos on Friday.
The rhinos, including an unusually long-horned cow which was a favourite with staff and guests, were killed by poachers on Thursday evening.
Britain’s Prince Harry visited the college last week, as part of his rhino conservation work.
It was the first time a rhino had been poached in the Nkazama area of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park since their introduction 10 years.
The incident brings to 108 the number of rhinos poached in KwaZulu-Natal this year.
An early morning Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife law enforcement patrol found the carcasses north of Catalina Bay on the Eastern Shores section of the park, said iSimangaliso chief executive, Andrew Zaloumis.
“The crime scene was secured and specialist park staff and SAPS units immediately attended to the scene. On closer inspection, it was established that horns from the rhino cow and two sub adult rhinos were forcibly removed. A post-mortem done at the scene found that the rhinos had been shot on the previous evening with a heavy-calibre hunting rifle,” Zaloumis said.
Material evidence from the scene was recovered and booked in by the police.
iSimangaliso and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife were continuously strengthening its rhino protection measures.
The programme is supported by the Department of Environmental Affairs.
The cadets will bolster the khaki line of Ezemvelo Field Rangers, protecting rhinos in iSimangaliso.
“Ten years ago, 23 rhino were successfully ‘rescued’ by iSimangaliso during the height of the 2002-2009 drought and translocated on to the Eastern Shores where they recovered to good health.
“Some of these rhino were in a very poor state and had dropped below class 3 condition when they arrived,” Zaloumis said.
“With her extremely long horn, this rhino cow with her two calves were favourites of park staff, tour guides and local visitors,” he said.
Zaloumis vividly recollected her coming out of the capture crate when she was released because of her long horn and skeletal like condition.
“It is emotionally wrenching to have witnessed the murder and butchering of such a magnificent rhino who fought back and survived the second- worst drought in the last century only to be killed alongside her calves,” Zaloumis said.
Visitors and locals are encouraged to report illegal or suspicious activities to iSimangaliso’s 24-hour emergency line: 082 797 7944.
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