Kruger poacher case postponed

The case against two alleged poachers who were arrested in the Kruger National Park was postponed on Monday, Limpopo police says.

The men appeared in the White River Magistrate's Court.

"The case is being postponed to Wednesday September 29 and will be moved to the Skukuza Magistrate's Court," Warrant Officer Oubaas Coetzer said.

Three alleged poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park in the early hours of Saturday.

Game rangers were patrolling the park when they came across two men with rifles. The third man was responsible for transportation.

There was a shoot-out between police and the men.

"One of the poachers was injured in his shoulder. Two rhino horns were recovered and we found the carcass," Coetzer said earlier on Monday.

There was a possibility that the men were involved in a poaching syndicate.

They might also be responsible for other poaching incidents in the area.

Eleven people, including two veterinarians, a pilot and a game farmer, all allegedly part of a rhino poaching syndicate, appeared in the Musina Magistrate's Court last week.

The accused were alleged to be part of a syndicate which operated around Polokwane, Modimolle and Musina, and had been involved in rhino poaching and killing, selling of the horns and disposing of the carcasses.

They were granted bail, ranging from R20,000 to R1 million.

The case was postponed to April 11.

More than 200 rhinos had been killed for their horns since the beginning of this year - up from a total of 122 poached last year.