Four SA National Parks (SANParks) officials have appeared in court on poaching charges.
|||Four SA National Parks (SANParks) officials appeared in the White River Magistrate's Court on Thursday on poaching charges, the Hawks said.
“The case was postponed to March 8 for a formal bail application,” spokesman McIntosh Polela said.
“They face charges of poaching and defeating the ends of justice. Investigations continue because we are still looking for the fifth suspect.”
The four were arrested on Tuesday afternoon after a rhino cow and her calf were found shot and dehorned in the Kruger National Park earlier that morning.
All four were stationed in the Pretoriuskop section of the park, where 11 rhino had been killed since the beginning of the year. One of the four was a field ranger and another was a traffic officer connected to the protection services unit.
Tuesday's discovery brought the total number of rhino killed in the park since January 1 to 43, and nationwide to 80.
Fifty people had been arrested in connection with poaching since the start of the year, SANParks spokeswoman Wanda Mkutshulwa said on Wednesday. – Sapa