Rangers arrested for poaching rhino

21 June 2016 - 09:49 By GRAEME HOSKEN

Two SANParks rangers assigned to protect rhinos in the Kruger National Park have been arrested for poaching. The rangers appeared in court yesterday after being caught with rhino horn valued at R2-million.Earlier this month, two other Kruger National Park employees - a ranger and a technical services supervisor - were arrested, and two members of the park's special operations unit were suspended.The unit was established to combat rhino poaching.Mpumalanga Hawks spokesman Captain Dineo Sekgotodi said the rangers had been charged with rhino poaching after they were found in possession of four rhino horns.She said they appeared in the Bushbuckridge Magistrate's Court and were remanded in custody.They are due to appear in court again tomorrow.SANParks spokesman Rey Thakhuli said the park's investigation pointed to the two rangers being involved in the poaching of the rhino whose dehorned carcass was found on Thursday in the park's Nwanedzi ranger section.Thakhuli said it was "depressing when the very people hired to protect our country's wildlife and heritage appear to be central to its depletion".Thakhuli said internal investigations were continuing and the park could not rule out the possibility of further arrests of SANParks employees.SANParks chief executive officer Fundisile Mketeni said: "This is a battle we cannot afford to lose."SANParks statistics indicate that poaching had increased rapidly each year, with 333 rhino being killed in 2010 and 1338 last year. - Additional reporting by TMG Digital..

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