Reward - R100,000 for information about rhino poachers

[Indigogirl]

From the latest newsletter for the iSimangaliso Wetland Park
The carcass of an adult black rhino male was detected within 24 hours of it being poached in the 66 000ha Ozabeni section of iSimangaliso on the 3rd September 2012. Its horns had been removed and stolen. iSimangaliso and Ezemvelo are deeply concerned about this particular incident, which will impact negatively on the rhino recently introduced into Ozabeni and the restoration of game populations as they would have been in the days of King Shaka and before.

The Ozabeni section of iSimangaliso is a vital link between the uMkhuze section of the Park and the coastal planes stretching all the way down to the Eastern Shores, Cape Vidal and St Lucia sections in the south. The game introductions will enable this section of the Park to increase its contribution to the regional economy, local jobs and community-based economic empowerment. The medium-term goal is to develop low impact environmentally-friendly accommodation and activities such as horseback safaris. The region is marked by poverty and tourism is the biggest employer.

"We are outraged" says Andrew Zaloumis the iSimangaliso CEO "and will leave no stone unturned to find the perpetrators of this shameful killing. Destroying endangered species is an ecological and economic crime. Not only are rhino part of our collective national heritage, the presence of wildlife is a vital resource for the country and region. In a region marked by poverty, tourism and conservation are the biggest employers on which families survival and paying school fees depend.”

A reward of a R100 000 is offered to any person who provides information that results in the arrest and successful conviction of the culprits. If members of the public have any information, or see something suspicious please report these to Dave Robertson (Conservation Cluster Manager) on 0716833693 or iSimangaliso's emergency no. 0827977944.

For further information contact Siyabonga Mhlongo Media Officer on 0843820884; email siyabonga@iSimangaliso.com.

 

[cpu.]

Definitely more money than the cut "lower down the food chain" poachers will get.

 

[Indigogirl]

Definitely more money than the cut "lower down the food chain" poachers will get.

Yup! Here's hoping that it prompts the wrigglies to pop out of the woodwork...

 

[froot]

Would they still give me the 100k if I showed them where I hid their bodies?

 

[The_Unbeliever]

Have to wait and see if the lure will work...

 

[Indigogirl]

Would they still give me the 100k if I showed them where I hid their bodies?

Hah hah hah hah - I hope so...

 

[Picard]

The Chinese will always want ... hah - rhino horn ... for their libidos.

And Indigenous Africans will always have themselves and 15 little klonkies to feed.

Rhinos are screwed, six ways sideways.

 

[Indigogirl]

The Chinese will always want ... hah - rhino horn ... for their libidos.

And Indigenous Africans will always have themselves and 15 little klonkies to feed.

Rhinos are screwed, six ways sideways.

Maybe a little background research on the topic might help - have a look at the number of melanin-deficient people who are involved with rhino-poaching - ummmm - most of them. I'd guess most of the poachers are people with 4x4s and/or access to international markets - and probably only have one or two children - they are simply greedy people with resources who want fast money for a night's gory work.

Consider reducing the racist, classist, peanut-gallery comentary - this country is getting screwed 6 ways sideways by flippant, irrelevant and uninformed knee-jerks!

 

[Nicci]

Nice thread, thank you! I hope they get caught and the bait works! It's scary to think that in this day and age, with all the media and technology that people still believe in old wives tales that the horn will work. Someone should invent some type of poison to inject into the horn or something, and when the people take it, they loose their tollie, or something. That would definitely stop the poaching.

 

[azbob]

The Chinese will always want ... hah - rhino horn ... for their libidos.

And Indigenous Africans will always have themselves and 15 little klonkies to feed.

Rhinos are screwed, six ways sideways.

Rhino horn isn't used for libido.

 

[Necuno]

Reward - R100,000 for information about rhino poachers

If only the same intent was spent on bringing crime down on people, just think how awesome RSA could be.

 

[waynegohl]

This is all good and well but how slow do the wheels of justice move in SA and with our bungling idiots of a police department, these guys might not be convicted and someone else will pocket that money. For this to be effective you would need a very good system in place to see this thing through and a successful conviction along with someone actually getting that type of reward in their pocket will or might deter further poaching.

 

[Indigogirl]

The rate of convictions IS very slow and extremely frustrating. The SA government (and southern African governments in general) are cracking down big time though WayneGohl! Just scroll through some of the press articles on News24 and iol.co.za, for example, and you will see that a number of poachers are getting arrested, charged, and to date these have been followed by some successful convictions - although a number of the latest court cases have not yet been concluded (including "those" veterinarians, etc).

Limpopo Province offered a R500,000 reward earlier this year and Kwa-Zulu Natal conservation authorities are offering the R100,000 reward.

Despite the difficulties of pinning charges, a number of convictions have been made recently, these have included 25-year sentences as well as moves to seize many millions in assets - which will be retained if the convictions are successful!

As one might imagine, those offering up the criminals to the authorities are at great risk from violence so it is not likely that their role in the arrests and convictions will be published in the media. The issues are however quite closely monitored by WWF-SA and various organisations such as Save the Rhino. The role of these NGOs is a critical one in the performance of the government. As usual, it DOES require input and pressure from civil society to ensure government performance - but this is a global situation, not limited to this country.

The poachers and horn-traders caught, have included vets, a property agent, game farmers, SANParks (and other conservation authority) officials and staff, as well as various others such as these guys.

The international communities response to poaching of endangered wildlife is such that big funding is being made available to deal with the poachers. Because such big money is involved in the sale of the horns, the poachers are armed and dangerous and a number of human deaths are involved too, with conservators being shot as well as poachers being killed. It's a bit of a war out there.

Don't forget, it is World Rhino Day this coming Saturday, with loads of ways you can support it, including Rocking for Rhinos in Hoedspruit...

 

[waynegohl]

I'll read that lengthy sermon once my pc is up and running.

The authorities said they were injecting the horns with some sort of solution or poison, what was it and how does joe poacher know which horns were injected? If joe poacher does not know which horns were injected then he will carry on cutting them off as he is none the wiser. Even if they are poisoned, he is not consuming them himself but selling them on and the buyer is not consuming the horns but maybe turning them into a powder and selling them on so he too is not affected so the only solution is to monitor 24/7 and shoot on sight but that too has its pitfalls.

 

[Ninja'd]

R100 000 x 1.3 billion =

 

[Indigogirl]

The authorities said they were injecting the horns with some sort of solution or poison, what was it and how does joe poacher know which horns were injected?

Which authorities said they were injecting the horns with poison?

If joe poacher does not know which horns were injected then he will carry on cutting them off as he is none the wiser. Even if they are poisoned, he is not consuming them himself but selling them on and the buyer is not consuming the horns but maybe turning them into a powder and selling them on so he too is not affected so the only solution is to monitor 24/7 and shoot on sight but that too has its pitfalls.

Agreed on all counts - so the tactics presently include:
1) establishing a DNA database so that a rhino horn can be tracked to the locality the rhino was killed
2) dehorning rhinos (this is not 100% successful since the horns are hair and regrow, but it does help bit)
3) moratorium on sale of ANY rhino horn in ANY form
4) liaison with international authorities - there have been successful prosecutions overseas too.
5) shooting suspected poachers on site (the poachers will - so there seems to be a no-holds barred approach, generally if someone is out without permission in rhino country they have to take their chances). It is just a darned shame rhinos can't be taught how to use automatic weapons and missile launchers to defend themselves...

 

[Thugscub]

I went to Rocking for Rhinos. Well done to the organisers.
Advertise it nationaly for next year. Will be there again.

 

[Tim182]

A reward of a R100 000 is offered to any person who provides information that results in the arrest and successful conviction of the culprits.

They're human. Now where's my money?

 

[ShaunSA]

They're human. Now where's my money?

You missed the arrest and successful conviction part

 

[Tim182]

You missed the arrest and successful conviction part

Well, once they catch them of course!