Pretoria - The Environmental Affairs Department has set up an interim National Wildlife Crime Reaction Unit (NWCRU) aimed at responding to the upsurge of rhino poaching and smuggling of rhino horn.
In the past three weeks alone, 21 people have been arrested for rhino poaching -- indicating that conservation attempts are under threat.
This was announced by Water and Environmental Affairs Minister, Buyelwa Sonjica, at a two-day conference on rhino killings at the Reserve Bank.
Intervention
The NWCRU is led by the department, along with the South African National Parks (SANParks).
The NWCRU will detect and investigate smuggling of wildlife and wildlife products.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has designated an endangered species coordinator for each province.
A select team of the SAPS Hawks has been designated to focus on rhino poaching-related activities.
More help
Sonjica said on Tuesday that a Strategy for the Safety and Security of Rhinoceros Populations in South Africa has been put in place.
This is aimed at nabbing crime syndicates operating locally at park level, nationally, regionally and internationally.
She appealed to South Africa's neighbours for help. "We are engaging our SADC partners ... through the SADC Rhino and Elephant Security Group ... to discuss issues related to the safety and security of rhinos and elephants in the region."
South Africa will be visiting Vietnam to discuss rhino horn smuggling and the legal export of sport hunted White rhino trophies.
The department is consulting with the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) on bilateral engagements with China and Japan on wildlife law enforcement and improved technology to help detect illegally traded wildlife products.
Black market
Rhino horns can fetch up to R429 000 per kilogram on the black market. Each horn can weight around 8kg.
The biggest destination for the horns is east and south-east Asia, where they are believed to have medicinal properties.
The rhino population in South Africa was close to extinction in the early 1960s. However, by the end of 2007 the country had conserved 35 percent of Africa's black rhino and 93 percent of Africa's white rhino.
Although disheartened by the killings, Sonjica is encouraged by conservation efforts.
"The annual growth rate of the White rhino population in South Africa is 6.6 percent. South Africa currently has a population of approximately 19 000 White Rhino and 1750 Black Rhino," the minister told delegates at the conference.
South Africa has been successful in penetrating poaching rings, but 2008 proved to be particularly challenging for intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
Poaching escalated at an alarming rate. Rhino horns held at private and government stockpiles went missing.
To date, about 227 animals have been killed illegally. Sonjica predicts that this could rise to 300 by the end of 2010.
