The Department of National Parks and Wildlife has successfully removed a snare from Inonge, the matriarch rhino in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park.
Principal veterinary officer Dr. David Squarre working with Livingstone based vet officer Dr. Jackson Katampi rescued Inonge who had both hind limbs caught in a wire snare, set by poachers in the park.
The rhino had to hop to search for food and water while officers kept monitoring her whereabouts for two days to ensure her safety before the vet doctors arrived to remove the snare.
The poachers target small game in the park that lies close to the community in Livingstone. The readily available market for illegal game meat, has propelled the vice but the snares end up trapping any animal that passes in the way.
This is the second time that the rhino has been snared, the last was in 2014 when she was pregnant. Inonge has a calf named Fwanya.
Snaring boarders on poaching and the public should know the rhino species is currently fighting extinction. People should refrain from snaring to preserve this important public resource.
Meanwhile the department has arrested two suspects in Feira, Luangwa district being in possession of 216 kilogrammes of buffalo meat and 14 elephant tails.
James Tembo, 42 and Margaret Banda, 38, both of Kavalamanja village had the contraband that was packed in 10 x 25kgs sacks.
Further interrogations revealed that they trade the meat in Luangwa boma, where the market is readily available.
The suspects have since been convicted and serving imprisonment.
And in Livingstone, Kazungula and Mwandi, two suspects were arrested for being in possession of four leopard skins.
The suspects are Evans Shamenda, 39 of Lupani Village, Kazungula District and Douglas Likando, 41, of Mwandi.
The two are currently in police custody and will appear in court soon.
The department is appealing to everyone to help in the poaching scourge by reporting all suspected illegal activities.
Good job guys!!!
Job well done. These poachers need to know that these white rhinos are the only ones that Zambia has.
good job but why did it take you 2 DAYs?
A dotolo anyama soya
Well done colleagues. I emplore ZAWA to fight poaching by any and every means possible with maximum support from the government
Great job to our Vets and ZAWA!! In fact the breeding stock of these Rhinos were brought in from S.Africa in the mid 90s as we had totally poached what was in this park. For those who may know,how many Rhinos do we have now in the Mosi-o- tunya Park?
Nice work Team…
These are white rhinos, similar to those in the Lusaka National Park. They are beautiful animals.
It would also be nice if Zambia had get some black rhinos, as this is actually the specie that was indigenous to Zambia and was wiped out in the 80s.
We should ask the Americans or British to train and equip the Wildlife officers like they are doing in East Africa . ..imagine one small Raven drone costs about $1000 and can be fitted with infrared camera and be used to patrol a radius of 10km…easily carried in a back pack and controlled from a handheld device.
Best just bring in the snipers of Kenya… the rhino guards.
No mercy for poachers. Shoot to kill.
There’s no ZAWA. Abolished.
Best not to post pictures of this beautiful animal, lest we have another group of S. African boers making a trip bigger than that snare.