17 February 2010 12:24:39
4 February 2010
Dirk Kok
Volksblad / South Africa
Free State conservation officials along with the Green Scorpions and the police criminal investigations unit the Falcons, yesterday declared war on rhino poachers after two white rhinos were robbed of their horns in an exceptionally cruel manner.
“Now it is war, we are going to find these people and the likes of them and deal with them” said Werner Boing, acting deputy director of the Department of Economic Affairs, tourism and conservation. Two white rhino cows were darted on the weekend in the Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve and their huge horns were removed with a chain saw or machete while the animals were sleeping.
In addition to investigations by experts like the Green Scorpions, Mr. Chris Louw, the Falcons Captain Hendrik Daffue and inspector Paul Pretorius (tracker and specialist dog handler) of the police K9 unit in Bethlehem, the conservation department will step up their security, foot patrols and air surveillance immediately.
Boing and members of the investigations team said that the poachers are definitely people involved in the wildlife industry. “It is people that know the wildlife industry and game capture and relocation”.
It is highly likely that the horns are destined for the black market in Vietnam.
Mr. Jacob Moloi, the rhino caretaker of the rhinos in the Willem Pretorius Nature Reserve that is located right next to a national road, noticed that one of the rhinos, a pregnant cow, horn had been cut off.
The park manager Mr. Danie Erasmus immediately alerted the authorities and a helicopter, veterinarian and investigations team arrived shortly afterwards. All the reserves rhinos were located from the air and to his absolute horror Erasmus had to find out that yet another cow, with a small calf, horn had also been cut off.
Both injured rhinos were darted from the air and treated by veterinarian Dr. Pierre Nel. While being treated by the vet horn imprints and other laboratory tests were done on the rhinos to determine DNA and blood for use in the investigation.
One of the rhinos horn was cleanly cut off while the other one was hacked off unevenly exposing the flesh beneath. Boing said that although the animals were not killed outright it is a great tragedy.
The pregnant cow without her horn was summarily expelled by other members of her herd and the other cow now has no way to defend her small calf as her horn has been removed.
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