Two suspected rhino poachers were arrested in the KNP on Saturday by the Kruger National Park’s Operation Rhino Task group.
The suspected poachers were apprehended in the N’wanetsi section of the Kruger, in the vicinity of Satara. Two hunting rifles, ammunition and four fresh rhino horns were discovered during the operation.
The search for the poachers began after reports of shots being fired. Soon after, the KNP Operation Rhino Task discovered two white rhino carcasses with their horns removed, said William Mabasa, HOD: Public Relations and Communication.
“During the operation, the joint forces came into contact with a group of suspected poachers, where two were arrested and three others managed to escape under the cover of darkness back into Mozambique,” said Mabasa.
“We congratulate the men and women who, on a daily basis, patrol the park and put their lives at risk to protect our heritage,” he said.
The Kruger National Park’s Operation Rhino Task group comprises rangers, SANParks Environmental Crime Investigation, the South African Police Services as well as members of the South African National Defence Force Borderline Control Unit.
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Main image by Scott Ramsay.
