News
Tragedy strikes local game reserve as rhino is poached by heartless criminals
Police in the Southern Cape are searching for suspects after being found in possession of a rhino horn on Tuesday, 2 May, as reported by George Herald. According to the sister publication, Mossel Bay Advertiser, the horn belonged to one of the white rhinos in Botlierskop Private Game Reserve, situated outside Little Brak River. Police stopped the suspects at a roadblock between George and Wilderness, where police seized the horn. Still, the suspects managed to escape from the police. The suspects were still at large as of Wednesday morning, and the police were on their trail.
The Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies confirmed the seizing of the rhino horn at the roadblock on the N2 across from Eden Church. Sgt Spies also stated that George police had opened an enquiry docket after the seizure. However, no further information was available when going to print.
On 4 May, the police revealed that the suspect(s) were last sighted in the Humansdorp area in the Eastern Cape, where they abandoned their vehicle and fled on foot. According to Sgt Spies, the Oudtshoorn stock theft and endangered species unit has opened a case of illegal hunting of an endangered species. He explained that police members were pursuing a vehicle after it passed through a roadblock on the N2 at the entrance to George. During the chase, the car stopped just outside George, and a package containing a rhino horn was dropped. Upon further investigation, members discovered the package’s contents and seized the horn. Although the police later pulled the vehicle over in the Eastern Cape, the occupant fled on foot.
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