Two men were arrested for the poaching of rabbits in Witbank Game Reserve.
On Sunday morning, May 13 at 02:30 two men were spotted inside the game reserve. When authorities arrived on the scene, they found rabbits in their possession.
Witbank Game Reserve, where two men were arrested for poaching.
It’s alleged that the men claimed that they drove over the rabbits at first, but when the vehicle was searched, they found a firearm inside the vehicle.
The 34 and 32 year old men were placed under arrest for poaching and were taken to Witbank Police Station.
A case of hunting, catching, capturing or killing of living pangoliny any means, method or device without a permit was opened.
The men were expected to appear in Witbank Magistrates Court on Tuesday, May 15.
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The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources announced new penalties for the poaching of wild animals, birds and fish with the fine for poaching rhinos pegged at a staggering R150 0372.00. The new penalties have been introduced following the repealing of Statutory Instrument 65 of last year.
According to Statutory Instrument 92 of 2009, Parks and Wildlife (Payment for hunting of animals and fish) Notice, 2009, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources in terms of Section 104 (a) of the Parks and Wildlife Act, Chapter 20:14 declared that:
“The amount specified in the second section of the schedule (below) shall in respect of the species and animal and fish specified in the first column of the schedule, be imposed in terms of section 104 (1) of the Act.”
Cute furry rabbits were poached at Witbank Game Reserve.
The National Environmental Management Biodiversity Act (NEMBA) prohibits anyone from carrying out a “restricted activity” involving any “threatened or protected species” without a permit.
It authorized the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism to establish lists of species that are threatened or in need of national protection, further subdividing the class of “threatened” species into those which are “critically endangered,” “endangered,” and “vulnerable.”
The Minister issued NEMBA Regulations in 2007 that contained such lists.
Many rabbits are killed every year just for their fur.
