All rhino at the Lombardini Game Reserve outside between St Francis Bay and Jeffreys Bay in the Eastern Cape have now been dehorned.
According to a statement from the farm owners, there are no horns left on the farm. The de-horning process by specialists was done specifically to save rhino lives following the recent slaughter of rhino on the farm, including a mother rhino and her three month-old calf on the farm, which were dead and the rhino horns were removed.
Less than a week later after the tragic loss of the mother and her baby, a third rhino was killed and de-horned on the same farm. Lottering says the poaching of rhino is out of hand and needs to be stopped. He appeals to the public to please report any information they know of to assist in the arrest of the poachers.
It is hoped the de-horning measures will deter poachers from the game farm and from killing more rhino.
And in another bid to protect South Africa’s rhino on every game farm in the country, Environmental Affairs Minister, Edna Molewa, says her department is making progress in the war against rhino poaching.
This month of May shock reverberated in the Eastern Cape and among wildlife lovers worldwide at the news of the slaughter of the baby rhino and her mother by poachers who made off with a rhino horn.
Owing to the vulnerability of the remaining rhinos on the farm and after consultation with authorities and rhino experts, the owners of the farm Johan and Susan … took the decision to have every rhino on the farm dehorned and this operation has now been completed.
If anyone becomes aware of any information or witnesses any possible breaching of security at the farm, they are asked to alert the authorities immediately. This could be spotting anyone watching the farm or any suspicious activity in the area. The 24 hour hotline is 042 293 1056
Meanwhile the SAP are still investigating the hunting of endangered species and the dehorning and killing of rhino at the farm. The SAP detectives Stock Theft Unit has asked anyone with information about these killings to contact Crime Stop Line on 08600 1011
Minister Molewa held a media briefing 10 May in which she said the fight against rhino poaching needed to be waged by everyone in society as the SA government alone will not win the battle. She revealed that by the end of May 2015, the number of rhino we lost to poachers was 393 for the whole country. Of these, 290 were poached in the Kruger National Park (KNP)
Though these figures are higher than last year’s Molewa said the government is not losing the battle. By the end of April this year 132 people had been arrested (62 from the KNP) .
The Minister also said rhino poaching is inextricably linked to organised transnational crime. She added that in the fight against poaching, security forces have upped their technological game.
Enhanced aerial support, in addition to rangers of the ground and the increasing capacity of canine units, have assisted in improving the effectiveness of anti-poaching operations.
Additional news sources from: SAnews.gov.za
Follow St Francis Chronicle on this website, on FB and on Twitter – @stfranchronicle
St Francis Chronicle 