South Africa (SA) has lately lost another almost 1000 rhinos; 50% were poached while the remainder were killed on both state properties and privately owned parks or reserve farms.
With the additional safety measures at the Kruger National Park (KNP) and extremely high court sentences meted out at the Skukuza Court in Mpumalanga, the killing fields have now moved to Hluluwe-iMfolozi National Park in KwaZulu-Natal. Last year, 499 rhinos were poached across the country and according to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) this represents an increase of 51 in comparison to the 448 rhinos poached in 2022.
Highest Poaching Loss at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
In the past, most rhino killings took place in the KNP, but this has dropped by between 37% and 40% with poachers establishing new killing fields at the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) where 307 rhinos were killed for their horns during the past year.
Releasing the statistics recently in KZN, DFFE Minister, Barbara Creecy, said this “is the highest poaching loss within this province”, adding in that in comparison, the KNP recorded a decrease from 2022 with a total of 78 poached in 2023. No rhinos were poached in any other national parks, she said.
Partnership between Agencies
“While KZN recorded 49 arrests and seized 13 firearms, multi-disciplinary teams continue to work tirelessly in an attempt to slow this relentless pressure,” Min Creecy said. She also said the DFFE is working closely with various government agencies to ensure the safety of the rhinos and to disrupt local and international poaching rings. The partnership involves the SAPS, Hawks, SANParks, the Environmental Enforcement Fusion Centre, the Environmental Management Inspectorate or Green Scorpions customs officials, provincial park authorities and the National Prosecuting Authority.
International Wildlife Trafficking
Min Creecy said the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) is involved in several regional and transnational engagements to enhance the government’s integrated approach to combat wildlife trafficking. She said responsible partnerships between the public and private sectors, as well as the financial and transporting sectors, remain critical in combating international wildlife trafficking. “The approach is not exclusive to SA but is followed within the region and transnationally; working with the transit and end user countries in South-East Asia, especially with the People’s Republic of China, Singapore, Qatar, Malaysia and Vietnam.”
Successful Convictions
Creecy said this collaboration has resulted in several successful convictions including:
- The arrest and sentencing to 10 years imprisonment of a former KNP field ranger;
- In KZN, five accused were convicted for killing one rhino; conspiracy to hunt a rhino, possession of firearms and ammunition and possession of a firearm with the intent to commit an offence. They were sentenced to an effective imprisonment term of 10 years;
- In Gauteng, an accused was convicted for the possession of two rhino horns; found inside a bag in a vehicle he was travelling in and sentenced to an effective period of imprisonment of 5 years.
Meetings to Combat Poaching Scourge
The director of Public Prosecution Environmental working group, meet with all relevant role players twice annually to share best practice in investigation and prosecution of environmental crime, to address challenges experienced, foster closer collaboration between the provincial conservation authorities dealing with wildlife trafficking cases and to help identify repeat offenders moving around the country in furtherance of implementing the NISCWT strategy.
Furthermore, Creecy said they share information related to arrests in real time and this significantly improves collaboration between prosecutors and law enforcement agencies. She said they have also conducted a national environmental cases audit to determine the number of cases being dealt with by the prosecuting authority. A consolidated list of investigating instructions, regarding rhino and abalone cases, have been developed to ensure comprehensive investigations are requested.
Biodiversity Management Plans
Creecy said the DFFE is embarking on a consultative process to revise both the Black and White Rhinoceros Biodiversity Management Plans (BMP) to, among others, address the needs of both black and white rhino, to rovide a strategic approach and detailed action plan to rhino conservation in SA. This, according to Min Creecy, consolidates previous work at policy and planning level on rhino management into a single integrated tool to usher in a whole-of-society- approach in the interest of both the rhinos and the people of SA.
