White rhino killed, de-horned by poachers in Botswana
The Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) HAS confirmed the recent killing and de-horning of a white rhino by suspected poachers in the wildlife-rich Okavango Delta.
A rhino along the safari ride at Disney World’s Animal Kingdom photo/Brandon Jones
The incident brings the number of rhino poaching cases in Botswana to three within a month, following the killing of a rhino cow at a private game park in the Ghanzi District in July.
Its young calf died a few hours afterwards. In a statement, DWNP Ngamiland Coordinator Timothy Blackbeard said the latest carcass was discovered in the Lower Okavango Delta on August 18.
The carcass was recovered by a joint anti-poaching patrol of game rangers, the Botswana Defence Force and a voluntary organization that supports anti-poaching operations.
According to Blackbeard, both horns were ‘brutally’ hacked off the carcass. He appealed to the public to assist with information that may lead to the arrest of the poacher or poachers.
There DPNW has reported a dramatic upsurge in poaching across the wildlife-rich Ngamiland District over the past three months, with elephants being the most sought-after species.
The Ngamiland is home to world-acclaimed wildlife-rich tourist attractions and world heritage sites that include the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park.
The police are yet to resolve these new high-profile crimes and the December 2016 slaughter of a black rhino near the Okavango Delta city of Maun.
