Fisher Foundation Africa

Over 10 000 rhino poached in South Africa during the past decade. 451 in 2021. 448 in 2022. 499 in 2023. Pangolins are the world’s most trafficked animal. Over 1 million pangolins poached in Africa during the past decade. That equates to one every five minutes.

Written by
Mashudu Sadike

Multimedia Journalist, Pretoria News

Rhino are the most poached animals in the Kruger, resulting in their numbers dwindling rapidly. A total of 451 rhinos were poached in South Africa in 2021, 327 within government reserves and 124 on private property. Although there was a 24% decrease in rhino poaching compared with the pre-Covid-19 period in 2019, there has been an increase in poaching on private properties.

In 2021, 209 rhinos were poached for their horns in South Africa’s national parks, whereas in 2020, 247 were poached.

Besides poisoning and shooting of the rhinos, another rife form of poaching is snaring. In October last year, field and honorary rangers claim to have removed more than 3,000 snares that were placed across the park to trap the animals.

More on this on IOL – HERE

 

Following 29 years of service to the Kruger National Park Joe Nkuna or Kokwane Ranger (Uncle Ranger) as he is affectionately known in the villages, goes on retirement at the end of March 2024. He speaks of many good days on the job but winning a Kudu award in 2014 stood out. His worse day is when a poison poacher laced a dead buffalo with 2Step poison resulting in the deaths of 86 vultures who ate from that meat. This happened just a few weeks before his retirement. Behind him is ashes of where the carcasses where incinerated Picture: Timothy Bernard / Independent Newspapers.