Very good news from South Africa’s battle to protect its rhinos.
Thanks to a rigorous police investigation and DNA evidence, two rhino poachers have reportedly received lengthy prison sentences from the Ulundi Regional Court.
On Wednesday of this week, Gemfu Khoza and Sibusiso Luthuli were found guilty of killing a rhino in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Game Park.
Killing on Christmas
It was on Christmas Day 2009 that Khoza, Luthuli, and a third accomplice brutally murdered a male white rhino.
The rhino was found the next day near the White Umfolozi River. His spine had been severed with an axe and he had been shot six times.
Khoza and Luthuli’s accomplice died during the shootout that erupted with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife field rangers.
According to reporter Dave Savides of The Zululand Observer, Regional Magistrate Madlala Xolo convicted the pair of killing the rhino, along with weapons and ammunition charges.
He sentenced Koza and Luthuli to five years imprisonment in respect of the illegal hunting of rhino, 14 years in respect of the possession of firearms and one year in respect of the possession of ammunition.
Read the entire article and see photos at Poachers pay the price.
Continued use of illegal rhino horn in traditional Chinese medicine
At the root of South Africa’s rhino killing spree is the continued use of illegal rhino horn in traditional Chinese medicine, which is still sought after in both China and Vietnam.
However, rhino horn has been rigorously analyzed and actually contains no medical properties whatsoever. (Read the entire article at Busting the Rhino Horn Myth with Science.)
Image: istockphoto.com
![Rhino Horns and Trophies Exported to Asia from South Africa 2000 – 2010 [Infographic]](http://www.rhinoconservation.org/wp-content/plugins/special-recent-posts/lib/phpimage.php?width=100&height=100&rotation=no&file=L2hvbWUyL2Jpb2RpdmUxL3B1YmxpY19odG1sL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDEyLzA1L1JoaW5vVHJvcGhpZXNIb3Juc0luZm9ncmFwaGljVGh1bWJuYWlsLmpwZw==)
Finally some serious prison sentences for those criminals!
Kind of sad that the prison sentence was more severe for having the weapon then it was for actually hunting the Rhino. But either way, I’m happy they are paying for this.