Rhino cow and her calf killed by poachers

Two of the rhinos at the Bathongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve. Image: As originally published by Krugersdorp News.

Natasha Pretorius, Krugersdorp News | September 15, 2021

A rhino cow and her calf needlessly lost their lives when they were poached in the Bothongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in the Cradle of Humankind in the early hours of Wednesday, September 15.

The reserve said in a statement they wished never to have had to report on such an incident, explaining that at about 04:00 on Wednesday their anti-poaching unit heard shots.

The rangers searched and at about 05:30 they discovered the carcasses of the two rhinos. One horn had already been removed but it is believed the team interrupted the poachers, otherwise they most probably also would have removed the second horn.

“The find was all the more gut-wrenching because these animals were a mother and calf who delighted all our visitors and became one of the main reasons that nature lovers from around the globe visited our reserve.”

They said they spent between R350 000 and R500 000 per month on safeguarding the rhinos, and have a specialised anti-poaching unit.

“Our rhinos are guarded to the best of our capacity. Even with such measures in place we could not fight this scourge alone despite our best efforts. In the meantime, we are further increasing security for the rest of our rhinos.”

The statement said management would release more information once it became available, and that the crime is being investigated by the police and relevant nature conservation units.

“One of the purposes of the Bothongo Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve is to make it easier for residents of South Africa’s most densely populated urban areas to see wild rhinos. Getting to share these wonderful, gentle creatures with the public is something all of us at the reserve care about very deeply, and we will not let criminals stop us from doing something that matters so much.”

The statement said everyone at the reserve was angry and devastated.

“This is a reminder that rhino poaching remains a crisis and that we will need to stay vigilant if our children’s children are to have a chance to see one of Africa’s most iconic species living free. We will continue to do everything we can to help the authorities to bring these perpetrators to justice.”

Read the original story here.