KNP rangers arrest 56 suspected poachers

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KNP rangers, bolstered by additional aerial and canine support, have managed to substantially improve the effectiveness of anti-poaching operations inside the KNP.

In a dramatic swoop shortly before sunset on 25 April SANParks rangers, supported by the Dog Unit, the SAPS reaction team and a helicopter donated by the Howard Buffet Foundation, netted two suspected rhino poachers in the Phalaborwa area of the KNP.

The team recovered a hunting rifle, ammunition and poaching equipment. Two sets of rhino horns were also recovered during the arrests.

Previous incident

In a previous incident on the morning of 22 April, rangers conducting anti-poaching patrols in the southern region of the KNP came across signs of a group of poachers and discovered a freshly killed rhino with its horns removed. The rangers immediately called the Joint Operations Centre in Skukuza for additional aerial and canine support.

The newly acquired anti-poaching helicopter, along with a ranger reaction team and tracking dogs, were immediately dispatched to the area. Shortly after the arrival of the reaction force, the rangers arrested four suspected rhino poachers and managed to recover a heavy calibre hunting rifle, ammunition, hunting equipment and a fresh set of rhino horns.

"SANParks wishes to thank our rangers, the SAPS and SANDF for their dedication to this fight," Fundisile Mketeni, CEO of SANParks, said. "We are making every effort to increase support to our rangers in the field - enhanced aerial support and the use of the canine units are both becoming an increasingly vital component of our anti-poaching strategy. Given the increasing number of arrests, this strategy is clearly paying off," he said.