A field ranger in the Kruger National Park (KNP) was tragically killed yesterday (4 May 2022) during a confrontation with a buffalo. Field Ranger and Dog Handler Shando Mathebula was on duty in the Shangoni Section, in the northern part of the Kruger where he was based, when the tragedy occurred. The Acting Chief Executive […]
Tag: Kruger National Park
A string of poaching massacres has broken out across South Africa, with poachers slaughtering 24 rhinos in one month alone
International trade is the second-largest threat to wildlife after habitat loss. On average, poachers in South Africa have killed more than one rhino each day in 2020, for a total of at least 394 butchered rhinos to feed the demand for ivory and rhino horn. But that doesn’t compare to this wave of killings from […]
Beagles and bloodhounds have been trained to protect endangered rhinos from poachers
A dog pack has been taught to protect South Africa’s wildlife, and they have already saved 45 rhinos from poaching. There are numerous dog breeds to choose from. Before beginning to work at 18 months old, the dogs undergo training from birth and learn how to handle all – the pressures of real operations. Sean […]
African wild dogs have evolved to “dwell in the cracks” of a landscape dominated by spotted hyenas and lions
Large carnivores are essential in Africa for ecological, economic, and cultural reasons, but human activities endanger them. Lions, hyenas, and African wild dogs are increasingly relegated to protected regions such as national parks. They must compete for the same food sources within these constrained locations. Of course, competition is nothing new. African wild dogs have […]
451 rhinos were poached for their horns in South African National Parks in 2021
DUNBAR – For the first time since 2014, an upsurge in rhino poaching in South Africa has aroused international outrage. This comes as Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Barbara Creecy revealed that 451 rhinos were poached in South Africa last year. She said that 327 rhinos were poached on government land and […]
Poachers kill 24 rhinos in just two weeks in South Africa
Poachers have killed 24 rhinos in South Africa during the first two weeks of December after a lull in killings during the Covid pandemic. On Tuesday, the South African environment ministry said carcasses had been discovered in four provinces across the country since the beginning of the month, with seven rhinos found dead in Kruger […]
Wildlife trade hub Vietnam is also hub of impunity for traffickers, report says
Only 14% of wildlife seizures made in Vietnam in the past decade have resulted in convictions, according to a new report that highlights the weak enforcement in the country and lack of coordination between its agencies in following up on investigations. The report, published by the U.K.-based Environmental Investigation Agency, revealed that of at least […]
Armed suspected rhino poacher shot dead at Kruger National Park
CAPE TOWN – An armed suspected poacher was shot dead while his accomplice managed to escape when Kruger National Park (KNP) rangers followed up after hearing gunshots and stumbled upon them. A backpack with two rhino horns was recovered next to the body of the suspect, as well as a large-calibre rifle and poaching equipment. […]