It’s difficult to act surprised at the announcement from SANParks this morning, stating that four Kruger National Park wildlife officials were arrested yesterday in connection with rhino poaching activities. There are such large amounts of money involved with the rhino poaching syndicates, and just too many closely related coincidences, for there not to have been someone involved on the inside.

All four of the officials arrested were stationed in the Pretoriuskop section of the park – an area where a total of 11 rhino have been killed since January 2012 alone.

Thus far, the Park has lost 43 rhino this year, and those arrested are expected to face staunch questioning in relation to who they’ve been working for.

SANParks stated that one of the suspects – a field ranger – is also one of the employees who had embarked on a strike against SANParks in the KNP earlier this month.

Another was a member of the Protection Services unit, as well as a traffic cop in the Park, and is now the second traffic cop in the Park to be arrested in connection with rhino poaching activities.

These are the latest available rhino poaching figures from around South Africa:

And these are the latest figures representing arrests made in connection with rhino poaching:

Dr David Mabunda, the Chief Executive Officer of SANParks, was hugely disappointed with the news:

It is a very sad day for South Africa to find out that the unscrupulous and revolting hands of the poaching syndicates have stretched as far as to taint the hands of those trusted with the great responsibility of being guardians of our natural heritage.

I am personally saddened to discover that some of our own would so callously abuse the confidence and faith that we have entrusted upon them.

In their media release, SANParks took the opportunity to further their request for any help from the public:

SANParks and the South African conservation fraternity continues to request the support and cooperation of all members of society in identifying and reporting suspicious behaviour that could lead to the apprehension and conviction of these criminals.

SANParks has established a crimeline in order to improve the level of cooperation with the public as well as to make access for would be informers much easier. For tip-offs please call 082 908 3053 or send an e-mail to antipoaching@sanparks.org

It is extremely sad to think that South Africa has already lost 80 rhinos to poaching since the beginning of 2012, while only 50 arrests have been made in connection with poaching.

[Source: SANParks]