Police apprehended a gang of eight people suspected of killing three rhinos.
Eight people suspected of killing two rhinos in Masvingo and one in Guruve were arrested near the Harare-Masvingo Road. Police also recovered an AK-47 and an elephant tusk.
The suspects were identified as Yemba Pauni Mulamba, his two sons Yemba and Lomane, all from DRC; Zambians Wilifoni Meki, Patrick Chibila, Justin Tembo, and Zimbabweans Shapiro Shungu Michael Tagwirei and Owen Godzi.
They were charged with breaching section 45 (I) of the Wildlife Act Chapter 20:14, which criminalises hunting specially protected animals. The eight were also charged with contravening section 4 (ii) of the Fire Arms Act 10:09, which criminalises possessing firearms without a certificate.
It is believed that on June 12th, the gang killed two rhinos at Lake Kyle in Masvingo. Their vehicle was reportedly identified as a Honda Odyssey.
A third rhino was killed on August 26th at the Nyamacheni Sanctuary in Guruve, allegedly by the same eight suspects driving the same vehicle. Another expedition in September was disrupted and the suspects escaped.
However, it was on October 5th that the Border Patrol Unit received a tip about rhino poachers headed to the Masvingo area. They detained the gang at a tollgate along the Harare-Masvingo Road and subsequently made the arrests.
Demand for illegal rhino horn decimates Zimbabwe rhino population
According to the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, Zimbabwe has lost 26% of its rhino population to the market for illegal rhino horn.
The seriousness of the situation in Zimbabwe is again evident in the fact that losses since 2006 represent 26% of the living rhino population, and 89% of all black rhinos illegally killed in Africa since 2006.
TRAFFIC reported Zimbabwe’s rhino population at around 849 in 2009 (313 white rhinos and 546 black rhinos).
Most illegal rhino horn leaving southern Africa is destined for China and Vietnam, for use in traditional medicines.
Although rhino horn has been extensively analyzed and found to have no curative properties whatsoever, medicinal folklore in China and Vietnam credits rhino horn with treating nearly everything from fever to acne – and even devil possession.
Source: allAfrica.com
Image: Wikimedia Commons
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