The last remaining rhino in the Nwanedi Provincial Game Park, in the Tshipise-district, had to be relocated urgently this week for its own safety.

This follows after two dead white rhino cows were discovered in the reserve. The shocking discovery was made by rangers on Monday, 4 November, during a routine flight over the reserve.

According to information supplied by the police, one of the rhinos had both its horns hacked off.

The spokesperson of the Limpopo Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mr Patrick Selehale, confirmed the incident this week. He added that this most recent poaching incident had spurred park officials to have the surviving rhino cow, also a white rhino, moved to a place of safety.

The move was done this week in great secrecy, Selehale said, for the protection of the rhino.

As far as the Zoutpansberger could determine, the Nwanedi Reserve had a total of six rhinos at the beginning of year.

The only other surviving rhino from Nwanedi is the bull calf called Pemba, who now lives at The Rhino Orphanage near Mokopane. Pemba became an orphan when his mother was killed and her horns hacked off in front of him during June this year.  Few can forget the sad sight of Pemba mourning by the side of his slain mother for days, licking at her spilled blood.

His caretaker at the orphanage, Ms Karen Trendler, spoke to the Zoutpansberger a fortnight ago, and confirmed that Pemba is doing very well. “He made friends with one of our orphan warthogs and loves playing in the mud,” said Trendler.

In the meantime, the total number of rhinos poached in South Africa since the beginning of the year totals 825. This is according to the latest figures released by the Department of Environmental Affairs on 6 November. A total of 500 rhinos have been poached in the Kruger National Park, followed by 87 in the Limpopo Province.