The State of SA's Rhino – St Lucia & Beyond

During the darkest moments of South Africa's rhino crisis national government appears to have launched a news clampdown on this sensitive subject.

As reported in a recent Mercury article, “SA National Parks (SANparks) advised that it would not release any news on rhino poaching until further notice and that all queries would now be handled by Department of Environmental Affairs spokesman Albi Modise.
This will include the updates that SANParks has been giving to the media about rhino poaching statistics, all interviews related to rhino poaching and all issues of clarity or information.”

This announcement follows the arrest of four SANparks officials, employed at Kruger National Park, for their involvement in poaching.

SANparks spokesman Wanda Mkutshulwa defended the policy change by deeming it “an administrative arrangement which makes sense because this is a national issue. The department will be conducting this matter the same way SANParks has been doing.”

Many conservationists, however, are questioning the correlation between this announcement and South Africa's 'secrecy bill'.

Although Albi Modise has been unable to provide accurate statistics on the rhino death toll, Chairman of the Private Rhino Owners' Association Pelham Jones stated that “... my information is that the current death toll is somewhere between 115 and 119.” Jones went on to say that he cannot understand the logic of SANparks' refusal to comment on rhino deaths in the parks it controls.

Meanwhile, three rhino were found dead and de-horned on a private game reserve near Hluhluwe on Monday 12 March and one at Weenen Game Reserve during the same week.

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife CEO Dr Bandile Mkhize reported that as far as he knows, this controlled release of rhino poaching statistics by the national government applies only to SANparks.

Over and above the vile act of rhino poaching is the growing problem of rhino poachers' punishment, or the apparent lack thereof. Time and again we see convicted poachers released from prison on bails as little as R5000, which begs the question: are authorities taking the plight of the rhino as seriously as they should?

A recent article on iol.co.za highlighted this problem when it reported that the case of two rhino poachers, one Chinese and one Vietnamese, would have to be thrown out, with the poachers walking free, due to an apparent lack of capable translators.

In the midst of what has undoubtedly become South Africa's worst ever assault on its rhino population, St Lucia News has managed to fish out some positives. That is the success of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's St Lucia Anti Poaching Unit based at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park. This 18-strong unit is nicknamed the ‘AmaKentshane’ - African Wild dog - a tag that speaks of the wild dog's determination of not letting up on its prey until hunted down, but also because they look after one another.

With nothing but gruesome photographs and hideous headlines depicting the plight of South Africa's plummeting rhino population, St Lucia News thought it necessary to report on the somewhat unknown successes of this group of field rangers.

With the Western Shores section of the wetland park being bigger in area than the Hluhluwe side of HluhluweImfolozi Game Reserve, their job is indeed a difficult one; patrolling for days on end, camping at various field posts in the reserve, operating throughout the night by stalking and hiding, yet always guarding the rhino.

Sergeant Fani Mthetwa says that his men are highly trained, with excellent bush and tracking knowledge, and that he will take those skills long before someone who might have the latest equipment such as automatic firearms, spotlights and vehicles.

Although rhino poaching is at the forefront of this team's concerns, they also have to prevent other forms of poaching, such as fish, prawn and bush meat poachers, as well as illegal muthi gatherers. They also have to keep an eye on the numerous outside contractors, unconnected to conservation, entering the park on a daily basis to work on plantations. All these issues to hand, yet still the St Lucia Anti Poaching Unit is one of the most successful in the country.

According to Kobi Ndwandwe, said to be one of the most successful field rangers in the unit, there is another reason for the unit’s success; the expert level of legal training they receive in all aspects of anti-poaching arrests.
“It is not just that we have captured a lot of poachers but that our arrest procedures are good. We have learnt a lot about the law. We are dedicated to gathering all the correct evidence so that the poachers are not let out on bail or released. This has been good for our morale.”

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's St Lucia Anti Poaching Unit's efforts and obvious successes aside, each member sings the praises of Conservation Manager Johan Gerber, stating: “He is so knowledgeable. He is many steps beyond what these poachers know.”