Three rhinos were darted and killed on Pumba Game Reserve outside Grahamstown between the evening of Thursday 20 March and that Friday afternoon.
Three rhinos were darted and killed on Pumba Game Reserve outside Grahamstown between the evening of Thursday 20 March and that Friday afternoon.
Two of the rhinos, believed to have been sisters, were found by a game rangers and tourists during a game drive on Saturday afternoon. The juveniles, who were between two and five years old, had their horns surgically removed before their carcasses were left some 400m from the fence bordering the road to Alicedale.
The third rhino, a 14-year-old female, was found dead but with her horn still attached. Police believe the poachers were disturbed or interrupted before they could get the larger female’s horn.
According to The Daily Dispatch the attack, the first for Pumba, is being investigated as linked to a crime syndicate. According to Daily Dispatch sources, the attack was performed by professionals who knew exactly how to go about poaching the rhino.
The tragedy has struck the hearts of Pumba employees and members of neighbouring game reserves alike.
Cathy Gush, co-owner of Amakhala Game Reserve, roughly 30km from Pumba, says everyone in the area is affected, if not directly involved. “Aside from a deep sadness at the loss of these rhinos, I am alarmed that the Eastern Cape has been hit again. For a while we seemed to escape the attentions of these ruthless and mercenary rhino-poaching syndicates.
"But now they seem to be back, no doubt to escape the heat that has built up somewhere else. It happened at Pumba, but it could have been any one of our reserves.”
Gush says the game reserves are all too aware of the dangers that face them, and many security measures have been put in place.
Amakhala has a 24-hour patrolling service and is also one of the reserves actively involved in public education about rhino-poaching and its devastating results.
But even the most expensive security systems cannot be everywhere at once.
“We have so many efforts on so many fronts. And then you finally think you’re getting somewhere and something like this happens. It isn’t just about raising public awareness. It’s about taking them on from all fronts.”
Police are investigating while talks on game reserve security measures continue.
