Rhino Poaching: Setbacks

[Richprins]

From the Front Page of Beeld today:

http://www.beeld.com/nuus/2013-05-27-ve ... ak-geskiet



Andrew Desmet (39), ’n veldwagter van die Krugerwildtuin wat Vrydagaand in ’n skietery met renosterstropers gewond is, is dalk deur vriendelike magte geskiet.

Dié moontlikheid word deur die wildtuin en die polisie ondersoek nadat Desmet omstreeks 19:00 geskiet is. Hy is onder meer in die maag getref wat glo verskeie ernstige inwendige beserings soos ’n geperforeerde diafragma en dikderm veroorsaak het.

Hy het dieselfde aand nog ’n noodoperasie in die Mediclinic Nelspruit ondergaan.

Desmet, streekveldwagter van die Letaba-gebied, was glo saam met kollegas besig om ’n stropersbende te jaag.

Luidens ’n verklaring deur SANParke se Reynold Thakuli het lede van die weermag ook aan die operasie deelgeneem.

Beeld het uit verskeie betroubare bronne verneem die moontlikheid word ondersoek dat Desmet deur een van die soldate geskiet is.

Die skietery het net noord van die Letaba-ruskamp plaasgevind.


"The possibility that Desmet was shot by friendly fire is being investigated by both the police and SANParks. He was shot in the stomach, amongst other wounds, leading to a perforated diaphragm and colon....

....Beeld has heard from various reliable sources that the the possibility of Desmet having been shot by a soldier is being followed up.


(The rest of the story incorporates the SP media release, which arrived at Beeld with the Houtboschrant error corrected.)

[Toko]

Kruger ranger shot in stomach by suspected rhino poachers

A KRUGER National Park (KNP) ranger who was shot and wounded by suspected poachers in North West on the weekend is still in a stable condition.

27 May 2013 | Aarifah Nosarka


SANParks yesterday confirmed that Houtboschrand Section ranger Andrew Desmet was wounded while trying to apprehend suspected poachers as part of an operation near the KNP’s Letaba rest camp on Friday night.

He was airlifted to a Nelspruit medical facility and underwent an operation the same night to remove a bullet lodged in his stomach.

“He remains in a stable condition, heavily-sedated due to the severity of his injuries,” said SANParks media specialist Isaac Phaahla.He said that the poachers had become more desperate and that nothing would stop them from trying to claim their prize.

“They have been using high-caliber rifles and assault rifles, like AK47s,” Phaahla said.

The park’s commanding officer, Major General Johan Jooste, extended his sympathy to Desmets’ colleagues, family and friends.

He said Desmet’s efforts had not been in vain.

“These foot soldiers are more than determined to win this war,” Jooste said.

Last Tuesday, two suspected poachers were arrested.

One of the men is an active serving police official. This was confirmed by Phaahla.

“He was injured while in contact with our rangers,” said Phaahla.

He said rangers were determined to win the “war” and nothing would deter them from saving the rhino species. – aarifahn@citizen.co.za.

[iNdlovu]

Some of these reports and press releases just promote speculation. I wish SanParks would come out and tell us exactly what happened without ambiguous statements. We all know how they hate speculation and yet they promote it by not telling the whole story.

[Richprins]

Agreed, Boss!

Shouldn't be rocket science!

The good news is he should be seeing his family tonight!

[Bushcraft]

Agreed iNdy

SANParks, tell us what happened as surely the answers are available now

[Toko]

Ranger possibly shot by soldier

It is suspected that the KNP ranger that was wounded on Friday was injured in so-called "friendly fire".

27 May 2013 | Nicolene Smalman

SKUKUZA - Letaba section ranger Mr Andrew Desmet was shot in the stomach on Friday night when rangers and soldiers of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) came into contact with a group of suspected rhino poachers in the Kruger National Park (KNP).

Lowvelder was confidentially informed that he had been accidentally shot by a SANDF soldier. KNP spokesman Mr William Mabasa would not confirm or deny this, but said, "Desmet's case is the second one beside the trainee ranger incident.

"Mr Enock Sibuyi was also killed in a friendly shoot-out with a SANDF member at Tshokwane last April."

According to Mr Rey Thakhuli, a SANParks spokesman, rangers and soldiers came into contact with a group of suspected poachers north of Letaba Camp at around 19:00. Desmet was shot and a helicopter was immediately summoned to the scene.

He was airlifted to Mediclinic Nelspruit in the early hours of Saturday morning and underwent surgery. He is currently under sedation and in a stable condition in the hospital's ICU.

Mabasa went to the hospital on Sunday to enquire about his condition. "Doctors say they will only be able to elaborate on the possible damage to his intestines in a few days' time. As far as I could gather, nothing had to be removed during surgery," he said.

At the same time on Friday night, another group of rangers made contact with a second group of armed poachers approximately two kilometres away from the scene where Desmet had been shot. "During this fire fight the poachers managed to escape into the bush in the darkness and no arrests were made. A .458 hunting rifle and other equipment were recovered at the scene," Thakhuli added.

Lowvelder had the privilege of meeting Desmet when it was taken on a media tour in Kruger last month. The extent of rhino poaching was highlighted and he took members of the media on a guided tour along the Mozambican border in the Letaba section.

SANParks CEO, Dr David Mabunda, has extended his best wishes to Desmet on behalf of all staff. Mabunda says, "Andrew is a long-serving member of our ranger corps. We have always said it is a war out there and we wish once again to thank him and all our rangers who are in the front line of the battle. We thank all those who played a role in getting Andrew to safety and we wish him a speedy recovery.

"SANParks remains committed to doing everything in its power to roll back the scourge of rhino poaching, and to ensure that those who commit these crimes are brought to justice."

These incidents follow contacts earlier in the week in which two suspected poachers were apprehended.

The arrests have brought the number of suspected poachers which were caught in the KNP to 50 thus far this year. SANParks head of communications, Mr Paul Daphne says, "While the increasing number of suspected poachers being arrested in the Kruger may reflect the increasing numbers engaging in rhino poaching, it also indicates that the measures that SANParks has put in place are making an impact.

"In 2012 we arrested six suspect a month, while in the first four months of this year the rate has increased to almost 12. The doubling of the rate of arrests is an indication of our ongoing commitment to do all that it takes to bring these criminals to book."

[iNdlovu]

As much as I congratulate all involved in making these 50 arrests, the scoreboard does not reflect that inroads are being made into the poaching debacle. I'm not pointing fingers here, just stating that with the price on the head of our rhino, I don't think we will be able to put a stop to poaching. For every 1 poacher we apprehend or shoot, there are 50 more waiting to get in the game.
The poachers are nothing but cannon fodder in the eyes of the criminals further up the totem pole and unfortunately there is a huge supply of cannon fodder.

[Richprins]

Lowvelder was confidentially informed that he had been accidentally shot by a SANDF soldier. KNP spokesman Mr William Mabasa would not confirm or deny this, but said, "Desmet's case is the second one beside the trainee ranger incident.

"Mr Enock Sibuyi was also killed in a friendly shoot-out with a SANDF member at Tshokwane last April."

That seems a good enough confirmation...

Well done, Lowvelder and Beeld!

It was the front page headline of today's Lowvelder!

[Bushcraft]

That seems a good enough confirmation...

Well done, Lowvelder and Beeld!

[Richprins]

According to Mr Rey Thakhuli, a SANParks spokesman, rangers and soldiers came into contact with a group of suspected poachers north of Letaba Camp at around 19:00. Desmet was shot and a helicopter was immediately summoned to the scene.

This is not true. No mention was ever made of poachers in the initial statement regarding the initial incident.