Staff Reporter
A POACHING incident took place at a farm in the Kunene Region this weekend, claiming the life of a pregnant rhino and injuring her calf.
This was confirmed by the farm owner, Harvey Boulter, who revealed that the pregnant rhino was shot about 10 times. He said the calf was also significantly injured in the attack. He confirmed that no suspects had yet been arrested.
Boulter said he had had the rhino on the farm for about 14 years and that she would have given birth to her sixth calf had she not been poached this weekend.
Content Warning: Graphic animal violence/poaching
POACHED: Scenes from the aftermath of the poaching incident at a farm in the Kunene Region. Photos: Harvey Boulter.
“Over 14 years, you build a relationship with an animal because you see her so often on the farm, and it’s a bit like somebody killing your dog. You’d be upset and angry about it. That’s the emotion I felt when they poached her because I knew her for 14 years – and not only did they shoot her 10 times, the baby that she was carrying didn’t survive. They tried to shoot her other calf that was still with her as well,” Boulter explained.
While expressing his grief over the poaching incident, Boulter also warned the poachers that the poached horn could potentially pose a danger to anyone in possession of it.
He explained that the rhino’s horn had been forensically marked as a precaution to ensure its identification. However, he warned that the treatment used for the marking could pose serious risks to people who come into contact with it.
“Some years ago, we took measures to forensically mark the horn, and there were two consequences of that: one, it could be identified if it was ever recovered, and secondly, the side effects of that forensic marking of the horn are that it would probably be quite dangerous to a human. So if you ingest it, if you go and sniff that horn, it’s probably not going to go well for you. That was one of the side effects of that forensic marking. I think it’s important for people to understand because you can’t say it was poisoned; it was designed to be a forensic marker, but it has pretty severe side effects,” Boulter explained.
Boulter also revealed that it is suspected that the individuals responsible may be the same individuals who were intercepted by anti-poaching rangers at Farm Kifaru in the Outjo district this weekend.
According to the police report, three men, aged 30, 45 and 35, were linked to the Farm Kifaru incident. The 30-year-old was injured in an alleged exchange of gunfire with anti-poaching rangers, while the 45-year-old allegedly fled the scene. The 35-year-old, who is alleged to have acted as the getaway driver, was arrested.
Police reportedly recovered a hunting rifle, two rounds of live ammunition, two spent cartridges, a knife, an axe, bread and chips at Farm Kifaru.
