Seven rhino horns were stolen over the weekend from a game lodge.
An armed gang reportedly broke into a game lodge near Bela Bela over the weekend, where they stole seven rhino horns from a safe. The horns had recently been removed by game capturer Hans Kooy and veterinarian Jana Pretorius, who were watching television at the Thaba Manzi lodge when the thieves are said to have broken through a sliding door.
The thieves confronted Kooy and Pretorius, and demanded the rhino horns.
“You know why we are here,” the four robbers told Hans Kooy and Dr Jana Pretorius when they struck at Thaba Manzi Lodge on Saturday night.
When the couple said they didn’t know why, the attackers apparently said they “wanted the rhino horns”.
In addition to the seven rhino horns, a 9mm pistol, R15 000 cash, a laptop, cellphones and a .375 revolver were allegedly taken by the gang.
Government links?
According to South African media reports, Thaba Manzi marketing manager, Johan Pretorius, suspects government involvement.
It is very strange… apart from the vets, the provincial environmental affairs department could have known where the rhino horns were. I did not even know that rhino horns were being kept on the property.
Kooy and Jana Pretorius had apparently been issued permits by the department to hold the horns in a safe at Thaba Manzi.
Illegal rhino horn business ‘booming’
The rhino killing scourge has returned to South Africa with a vengeance. More than 600 rhinos have been slaughtered since 2005, a 16-year high. Although some conservationists advocate de-horning rhinos to keep them safe, the practice has not necessarily been a deterrent.
The illegal rhino horn business is booming – and these seven stolen horns will only serve to fuel this gruesome trade.
Illegal rhino horn is still in high demand for traditional medicines in China and Vietnam, despite the fact that rhino horn has been extensively analyzed and found to be of no medicinal value.
Most rhino horn leaving southern Africa is destined for China and Vietnam, according to the latest research by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network.
Sources: News24; iafrica.com; Times Live
Image via Africa Aviation
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