Rhino poachers warned

By Tony Carnie

SA National Parks (Sanparks) boss Dr David Mabunda has declared war on rhino and wildlife poachers in the flagship Kruger National Park following the slaughter of more than 90 rhinos across the country this year.

Mabunda was speaking in Skukuza camp last week at a passing-out parade for 57 new field rangers appointed to combat the recent spike in rhino poaching.

Of the 94 rhino poached this year, 37 were killed in Kruger park, 21 in KwaZulu-Natal, seven in Gauteng, nine in Limpopo, five in Mpumalanga, 10 in North-West and four in the Eastern Cape.

Mabunda said R5.2 million had been allocated to the new anti-poaching and wildlife protection plan.

Apart from the recruitment of new rangers, Sanparks had also acquired several new patrol motorcycles and bicycles, as well as sophisticated surveillance equipment including a light aircraft.

Mabunda also welcomed a recent decision by the government to redeploy military patrols along Kruger's 450km eastern border with Mozambique.

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