The big rhino cover-up

Larry Bentley

EZEMVELO KZN Wildlife CEO, Dr Mkhize, has apologised for what appears to be a serious cover-up attempt regarding recent rhino losses in KZN.
The lack of transparency through the media has fuelled speculation that the EKZNW is losing the battle against poachers.
This month eight white rhinos were poached in the Opathe-Emakhoseni Heritage Park (OEHP).
It has since emerged that 15 rhinos have been poached in KZN this year, including one black rhino in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park on the Eastern Shores.
Ten white rhinos have been lost in the OEHP.
Two animals were killed in separate incidents in April and eight white rhinos died this month.
On enquiry by the Zululand Observer following the first incident in April , officials from Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife had no knowledge of the incidents.
Developments regarding the OEHP incidents have since seen four men and a woman, all of Chinese origin, appear in the Babanango Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday this week, following their arrest inside OEHP near Ulundi.
They were found trespassing, as the reserve has been temporary closed to the public, pending the appointment of a new manager for the park.
They were not asked to plead to any charges and the case was postponed pending further investigations.
Those who appeared are Pingquan Ni (37), Shuiwang Wu (37), Daxin Zhang (42), Xiufu Lin (32) and Meixia Zhu (26).
They own businesses in Ulundi.
Investigations are continuing to establish a possible link with the accused and the 10 rhinos killed in the OEHP.
The OEHP appears to be a ‘problem park’, with EKZNW battling to retain management staff and there is a general atmosphere of neglect, including a non-functioning entry gate despite the presence of white rhino in the reserve.
Of the 29 killed in the last 18 months, two white rhinos were killed on a private game ranch near Empangeni.
Disturbingly, all the other rhinos have been poached in protected reserves under the control of EKZNW.
This has obviously been an embarrassment to EKZNW and they have failed the public by not revealing these incidents.
According to the Provincial Rhino Investigation Committee made up by EKZNW and the SAPS organised crime units, 12 white rhino and one black rhino were lost last year.
Mkhize says the number killed this year is an ‘unacceptably high’ tally, particularly at OEHP.
According to Dr Mkhize, EKZNW are taking internal steps to correct the situation.