Rhino poaching: a R500,000 reward offered for information

"We need the co-operation of each and every citizen of this province and country to bring the perpetrators to book and stop this slaughter from continuing," he said.

Earlier this year, the The Mercury reported that Kobus Crous, owner of the Bergsig game farm at Mossel Bay, whose rhino was killed by poachers, offered a R100 000 reward for information about the poachers. "Someone must have seen something," Crous said, "If someone can point us towards the people who did this terrible thing, they absolutely deserve a reward." According to Independent Online, in 2011, 74 rhino were killed for their horns in Limpopo. Last month, at least 10 rhinos were poached in the province. More than 165 rhinos have been killed since 2008. Thirty-eight suspected poachers are awaiting trial.

Speaking to The Mercury on condition of anonymity, a former nature conservation ranger has expressed concern over the lack of high-level arrests among rhino poaching syndicates. The man said that while numerous Mozambicans had been arrested over the past two years, these were mainly foot-soldiers rather than the kingpins. He questioned whether the police and nature conservation officials are being paid off, "there is so much money at stake for Chinese and Vietnamese syndicates," he said, adding that the truth is bound to come out eventually "let's just hope that it's not too late for the rhinos by then," he said.

Read "Reward offered for rhino poaching info" on www.iol.co.za.
Read "Boost for rhino protection" on www.iol.co.za.