POLITICS

158 rhinos poached so far this year - DoEA

Dept says 116 of animals killed in the Kruger National Park

Update on rhino poaching statistics

15 Mar 2013

As the triennial Conference of Parties of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) draws to a close, the number of rhino poached in South Africa rose to 158 since the beginning of the year.

In the Kruger National Park 116 rhino have been poached, while 13 have been poached in North West, 12 in KwaZulu-Natal, nine in Mpumalanga and eight in Limpopo.

A total of 61 people have been arrested, 38 of them alleged poachers and three alleged couriers.

In the past week two alleged poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park. Nine were arrested at a game farm near Lephalale in Limpopo in connection with rhino poaching on March 10, the Limpopo conservation department confirmed.

Delegates to CoP16 in Bangkok, Thailand, congratulated the Department of Environmental Affairs for its initiatives to combat rhino poaching on the sidelines of the conference saying initiatives presently being undertaken in South Africa would enhance the global effort to fight all trans-boundary wildlife crimes.

Rhino poaching statistics

South Africa

2010

2011

2012

2013

KNP (SANParks)

146

252

425

116

MNP (SANParks)

0

6

3

0

Gauteng

15

9

1

0

Limpopo

52

74

59

8

Mpumalanga

17

31

28

9

North West

57

21

77

13

Eastern Cape

4

11

7

0

Free State

3

4

0

0

KwaZulu-Natal

38

34

66

12

Western Cape

0

6

2

0

Northern Cape

1

0

0

0

 Total

333

448

668

158

Rhino poaching arrests statistics

South Africa - Arrests

2013

2012

2011

2010

KNP

28

73

82

67

MNP

0

0

0

0

Gauteng

3

26

16

10

Mpumalanga

1

66

73

16

Eastern Cape

0

0

2

7

Limpopo

20

43

34

36

North West

8

32

21

2

Free State  

0

6

0

0

KwaZulu-Natal

1

20

4

25

Western Cape  

0

0

0

2

Northern Cape

0

1

0

0

Total

61

267

232

165

South Africans are urged to report incidents of poaching and tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

Statement issued by Albi Modise, Department of Environmental Affairs, March 15 2013

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