Game farmers stand against all poaching
Game farmers, having had enough of people poaching rhinos on their properties, were prepared to take the law into their own hands
“Is the government expecting us to kill our own rhinos to solve rhino poaching?”
This was one of the angry questions asked by game reserve owner, Danie Prinsloo recently. Game farmers, having had enough of people poaching rhinos on their properties, were prepared to take the law into their own hands by tracking down, capturing and handing over rhino poachers to the police.
He said poachers’ crimes were not only gruesomely violent and inhumane to animals, but were also gravely affecting game farmers’ incomes.
Guarding patrols, training of game trackers, veterenarian costs and replacement costs of rhinos were also affected by poaching.
He added that the cost of replacing a rhino was between R1 million and R2 million.
To help save the rhinos and their businesses, these farmers joined forces with their local police to capture suspected poachers.
“We (farmers) feel although our wildlife, in this case rhinos, are our responsibility, it would be of great assistance if government would also help by making laws stricter and the sentences longer to frighten off poachers,” Prinsloo said.
Prinsloo said the police had been excellent when it came to working with the farmers in Limpopo. “We’ve established quite an efficient intelligence network to spot potential poachers and close off roads when necessary, working with the police,” he said.
Anti-poaching unit provincial coordinator Lt Col Alpheus Mokale said the police had had enormous success in the past when farmers assisted them.
In the latest incident four men, Kenny Sibiya (31), Butini Ndlovu (42), Richard Sibuyani (48) and Sam Nnone (30) were charged with rhino poaching and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. They appeared before the Lephalale magistrate’s court last Wednesday and will are due to appear again on March 28. They remain in custody.
