Rhino Poaching: Setbacks

[Toko]

Media Release: SANParks dispels Beeld report on destroyed rhino DNA samples

[Richprins]

Translation:

About 60 DNA samples from Kruger rhino carcasses have been destroyed, it is believed. A veil of secrecy has been draped over the incident this past week,with only a few high-ranking KNP officials and selected members of the Hawks apparently knowing about it. Abovementioned deny any knowledge thereof. 60 poaching scenes may have to be revisited, says an email from someone involved, who may not be identified for safety reasons.

The fight against rhino poaching in Kruger may be dealt a severe blow should these samples be lost. They were apparently destroyed when the fridge holding them went off at the office keeping them at Skukuza airport.

The samples are an important link used when convicting poachers in court. Beeld has learned that a special task team has been formed by the police to investigate, and a special forensics team has been deployed to locate the carcasses using GPS coordinates and get new samples.

Beeld has reliable information that the possibility of the fridge having been switched off on purpose is being investigated.

The destroyed samples are used to prove that specific horns have their origin in Kruger.

Capt. Paul Ramaloko, Hawks spokesperson, said yesterday that the safekeeping of these samples is not the responsibility of the police.

[Sprocky]

Media Release: SANParks dispels Beeld report on destroyed rhino DNA samples

And once again they are in denial!

Beeld has learned that a special task team has been formed by the police to investigate

Would this be needed if there was no truth to the allegation, as spewed out by the Dr's sidekick Mabasa?

[Richprins]

Date: 18th February 2013

The South African National Parks (SANParks) would like to refute a report made on Beeld newspaper (Monday, February 18, 2013) regarding rhino DNA samples. The paper’s report is based on an unnamed source within the Kruger National Park (KNP), who alleges foul play and deliberate switching off of fridges storing the samples, a claim rejected by the Kruger National Park Environmental Crime Scene Investigations Unit representative, who said that data was never lost.

KNP spokesperson, William Mabasa said on the weekend of 13 October 2012, only seven collected DNA samples decomposed due to a power failure experienced at Skukuza Airport and not 60 as reported in the paper. "It is important to note that the samples that went off included blood, tissues and part of a rhino ear, and as result of this loss a new sample was collected to replace the one that decomposed."

Mabasa said apart from the samples that are prone to decomposition other samples can be collected from tail hair and toe nails which would not in any case decompose. "Therefore an insinuation that data was lost is far from the truth and misleading based on hearsay."

According to Mabasa measures have been put in place to ensure that when power failure is experienced an alarm will go off to alert the authorities. "It must be noted that samples are not kept indefinitely at this facility in KNP. "The facility is merely used as a holding place until they are moved to Ondestepoort in Pretoria for further process and data collection."

The fight against rhino poaching will not be detracted by this side shows, designed to create confusion and mistrust. "We are confident in winning this war and invite members of the media to verify their facts before publicizing," concludes Mabasa.

Released by:
Reynold Thakhuli: GM: Media Liaison, Telephone: 012 426 5170 Mobile: 073 373 4999 e-mail: rey.thakhuli@sanparks.org

For Media Enquiries:
William Mabasa, Kruger National Park: Head of PR & Marketing, Tel: 013 735 4363 Mobile: 082 807 3919 e-mail: william.mabasa@sanparks.org
Ike Phaahla, Media Specialist, Tel: 012 426 5315 Mobile: 083 673 6974 e-mail: isaac.phaahla@sanparks.org

[Richprins]

The report at no stage mentions the source is within Kruger National Park....

[Richprins]

other samples can be collected from tail hair and toe nails which would not in any case decompose.

I did not know that!

[Sprocky]

I just heard that a helicopter involved in anti-poaching crashed in the KNP last night. It sounds like five people were killed.

Will post more once info is available.

[norms]

My condolences to all the families and loved ones of those brave people who have lost their lives.

Very sad news indeed.

[Sprocky]

Johannesburg - Five people died when a helicopter crashed in the Kruger National Park on Saturday evening, the SA National Defence Force (SANDF) said.

"The helicopter was on a scheduled aerial patrol of the Kruger National Park as part of Operation RHINO, the anti-rhino poaching operation, in the Kruger National Park," Brigadier General Xolani Mabanga said in a statement.

He said at about 19:00 a South African Air Force Agusta A109 light utility helicopter crashed killing five members on board.

"A preliminary investigation is currently under way to establish the sequence of events that led to the fatal crash of the helicopter."

Mabanga said Ministry of Defence and Military Veterans Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the chief of the SANDF General Solly Shoke and the chief of the SA Air Force lieutenant-general Zimpande Msimang expressed their heartfelt condolences to the families, loved ones and friends of the deceased.

[Sprocky]

The chopper went in just north of Satara, an investigation team is at the scene at the moment.