Alarming increase in rhino poaching
While flying to the scene they discovered a second carcass, then a third and then a fourth
AT least 14 rhino have been found slaughtered in Zululand over the past fortnight in what could possibly be one of the bloodiest two weeks in KZN conservation history.
The deaths were discovered in various protected areas throughout the region. At first light on Saturday, EKZN Wildlife vet Dave Cooper flew out to do a postmortem on a dead rhino discovered the previous day, after having also attended to poaching scenes on Thursday and Friday.
While flying to the scene they discovered a second carcass, then a third and then a fourth.
Hardly back at a friend’s home, Cooper received news of a tiny orphaned calf from one of the murdered rhinos wandering about.
Lunch was interrupted and off he raced back to the game reserve.
The three-month-old calf was loaded into the helicopter and under the watchful care of Dumi Zwane, the calf started drinking and may be saved.
The province has officially lost close to 100 rhino this year and the prediction of at least 140 by the end of December could prove to be accurate.
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