Latest Poaching Stats from South Africa

National rhino poaching down slightly in South Africa versus 2015

Successis being seen in Kruger National Park with rhino poaching less than in previous years

Other areas of South Africa are seeing an increase in rhino poaching

South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs have released their official rhino poaching statistics for the period of 1st January to 31st August 2016.

The good news is that over all the number of rhinos lost to poaching in South Africa is down compared to 2015. In the Minister's statement it is stated that 702 rhinos have been lost nationally, with 458 of those lost in Kruger National Park. The latest release states that this compares to 796 nationally in 2015 and 557 in KNP. It should be noted however that there is some discrepancy between the 2015 figures quoted in the latest release and the numbers actually quoted in 2015, which seem to indicate that 749 were lost in nationally in 2015 and 544 in KNP. However, despite this discrepancy the overall numbers are down.

For many years now KNP has been the epicentre of the poaching crisis, and it continues to be so, but the efforts of rangers on the ground and the combined security forces appears to be delivering favourable results. 414 alleged poached have been arrested in 2016, of which 177 were in KNP. This is despite as the number of illegal incursions in Kruger has risen to an unbelievable 2,115!

One area of big concern is that, while the numbers head in the right direction with regards to Kruger National Park, other areas of the country are seeing increase, with Kwa-Zulu Natal, Free State and the Northern Cape highlighted in the briefing. This is raising concerns that the poaching syndicates are moving focus to other areas of the country.

In Summary:

We should recognise the positive news that overall rhino poaching has reduced, BUT let us also not lose sight of the fact that we have still lost 702 rhinos in the first 254 days of 2016, a number that equates to an average of 2.7 rhino lost PER DAY.

We must be encouraged that our collective work is showing some positive results, but not lose sight that there is still much to do before we can even think about saying we are winning the war on poaching.

By working together and with the collective support of people around the world we will continue to work towards our goal of protecting the world's rhinos.

Full Media Briefing by South Africa's Departn of Enviromental Affairs - 11th September 2016

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa today released a statement of report back on progress in the implementation of the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros.

The period under review covers the period 1 May 2016 through 31 August 2016. This is the Department’s third report-back to the nation on the Integrated Strategic Management approach for this year.

The Department has taken the decision to release a statement in lieu of a media briefing owing to preparations for the upcoming 17th Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) currently being underway. South Africa will host COP17 CITES at the Sandton Convention Center from 24th of September to 5th of October 2016.

Rhino poaching was declared a National Priority Crime in 2014 and the issue continues to receive the highest level of attention from the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA), the country’s law-enforcement authorities, and the prosecution service.?In the period 1 May 2016 to 31 August 2016, the implementation of the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros has continued to yield success.
This is government’s multi-sectoral, interdisciplinary approach involving DEA, the South African National Defense Force (SANDF), the South African Police Service (SAPS), South African State Security Agency, Justice and Correctional Services Department, South African National Parks (SANParks), the provincial conservation agencies and all our people in general.

The Integrated Strategic Management Approach has a number of key pillars that are addressed within the context of national and international cooperation. The key pillars are:
· Compulsory interventions,
· Managing rhino populations,
· Long-term sustainability interventions, and
· New interventions, within the context of regional and international cooperation
At the last briefing held in May 2016 Minister Molewa noted that whilst victory could not be claimed outright, there are promising signs that rhino poaching is now on a downward trend in South Africa.
1. Compulsory Interventions
A new National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking which will replace the current Integrated Strategic Management approach, is in the final stages of being authorized.
1.1 Arrests, investigations and prosecutions
There has been a significant increase in the number of arrests of alleged poachers this year.
A total of 414 alleged poachers have been arrested in South Africa since 1 January 2016 – of which 177 were in the KNP and 237 for the rest of the country. A total of 94 firearms have been seized inside the Park between 1 January and 31 August 2016.
Among the notable investigations, arrests and prosecutions linked to rhino poaching are:
· The arrest of three men in Vanderbijlpark in April, during a police operation, for allegedly intending to sell rhino horns. Adriaan Van Staden, Martin Van Rooyen and Conrad Strydom were found in possession of 18 rhino horns. Their court date is 20 September 2016.
· In a matter linked to the arrest in Vanderbijlpark, two other men – Adriaan du Plessis and Nardus Rossouw – were arrested in Lephalale for their alleged involvement in the orchestration of the illegal selling of rhino horns. Their court date is 15 September 2016.
· In the Eastern Cape, three suspects were arrested for rhino poaching and the illegal possession of a fresh rhino horn in June. The arrest followed the killing of a rhino bull in a private game reserve earlier the same day in the Grahamstown area. Jabulani Ndlovu, Sikhombuzi Ndlovu and Zimbabwean national Forget Ndlovu were arrested during a joint operation during which a Dart Gun and Darts, several saws, knives; M99 tranquilizers and 2 high performance vehicles were also confiscated. The accused in this case remain in custody following their court appearances.
· On 10 August, the Hawks and SANParks officials arrested three men in Equestria, Pretoria, during a police operation who were intending to sell five rhino horn. Pieter Van Zyl (67), Marco Swanepoel (35) and Stephan Mylie (30) were found in possession of an additional three rhino horns during the arrest. During follow-up investigations a massive haul of almost 105 rhino horns, the value of which is yet to be determined, was found. The three accused, who were granted bail during their court appearance in August, are scheduled to appear in the Pretoria Regional Court on 12 October 2016.
· Law enforcement agencies working at OR Tambo International Airport in August arrested a Chinese national found in possession of 10 rhino horns, 84 stick ornaments made out of elephant ivory and 41 elephant ivory bangles. The suspect, Desheng Zhane, was about to board a flight to Hong Kong when he was nabbed. A joint investigation is underway by the Hawks and the Green Scorpions.

1.2 Ports of Entry and Exit
Minister Molewa has congratulated rangers, police, customs and excise officials and the Department of Environmental Affairs’ Environmental Management Inspectorate (Green Scorpions) for the work they have undertaken so far this year.
Training of border officials to detect incidences of smuggling is ongoing; with a joint operation taking place at Cape Town International Airport as well as training of officials at OR Tambo International Airport and Oshoek Border Post.
Furthermore, recognizing the critical role that field rangers play in ensuring effective compliance and enforcement within the country’s protected areas, the Department has combined a project output from the UNEP-GEF Rhino Programme with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) project supported by funding from the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) in order to reach more rangers.
This project, which has just commenced, provides specialised training to 1 400 field rangers across South Africa focused on key areas of enforcement, including the proper execution of body/vehicle searches, arrest, the handling of and processing of seized items and the requirements expected of a first responder to a crime scene.
Following on from the success of the event in 2015, the UNEP-GEF Rhino Programme will host the next Judicial Colloquium in November 2016, this time aiming to bring together judicial officers from South Africa, Namibia, Lesotho and Mozambique.

1.3 Poaching Statistics
“We are pleased to announce yet again, as we did in January and May, that poaching is on the decline in the Kruger National Park (KNP) – the area hardest hit,” says Minister Molewa.
Between January and the end of August 2016, a total number of 458 poached rhino carcasses were found in the KNP, compared to 557 in the same period last year. This represents a 17.8% decline in the number of rhino carcasses.
Poaching rates, i.e. the number of carcasses as a percentage of the number of live rhinos estimated the previous September for each year, reduced by 15.5% compared between the same periods in 2015 (9.6% poaching rate) and 2016 (7.9% poaching rate).
These figures come amidst a 27.87 % increase in the number of illegal incursions into the KNP – a staggering 2 115 for the first eight months of 2016.?Nationally, 702 rhino were poached since the beginning of 2016 whereas between January and July 2015, a total of 796 rhino were poached.
There may be indications however that the success of anti-poaching efforts in the KNP has led to poaching syndicates shifting operations to other provinces.
In the period under review, the number of rhino poached has increased in a number of other provinces in comparison to the same period in 2015, such as Kwa-Zulu/Natal, Free State and the Northern Cape.
However, despite these increases there is still a downward trend in the number of rhino poached.?It is also of concern that we have also begun experiencing an increase in elephant poaching, despite the vigorous and determined efforts by our rangers, the police and soldiers on the ground. Since January 36 elephants have been poached in the KNP.
“We are utilising our experience and expertise gained through our efforts to combat rhino poaching to end elephant poaching as well,” the Minister said.
“What is evident, is that these successes can be attributed to the work being done on the ground by our people, our hardworking law-enforcement teams and our rangers in particular,” says Minister Molewa.
The combined efforts of DEA, law-enforcement and the conservation agencies – with the support of international partners and donors, are slowly but steadily making a dent in the rhino poaching numbers.?The Minister has congratulated a member of the Environmental Monitors programme (which is part of the Department of Environmental Affairs) in Mpumalanga, Anton Mzimba, who won the coveted Field Ranger of the Year award at the 2016 Rhino Conservation Awards.
“I am concerned that while there are Rangers and security officials who go the extra mile to ensure our wildlife is protected and criminals involved in wildlife crime are brought to book, there are also those who have allegedly chosen to embrace the wrong side of the law. To these rangers and officials I would like to send a strong message: You will be arrested and prosecuted,” said Minister Molewa.

2.Managing Rhino Populations
2.1 Translocations
On the matter of managing rhino populations, the evaluation of internal translocations is nearing completion, with the final outcomes expected by the end of 2016.