Rhino Poachers Are Getting Killed Off At ‘Alarming’ Rate, Says Former President: Justice?

Poachers are starting to become an endangered species of their own.

A new report from Vice reveals that more than 500 people hunting illegally have been killed by South African park rangers in the last five years.

The news was met with enthusiasm by many of the site’s readers, especially in the wake of stories like Cecil the Lion.

As many remember the beast for his long life cut short, Cecil the Lion was illegally killed by an American hunter earlier this year with the aide of Zimbabwean guides.

One of those guides was brought in on other charges shortly following the incident, according to a report from the Guardian.

That site noted that Theo Bronkhorst, 52, was initially arrested in Zimbabwe’s second largest city of Bulawayo, after he was linked to a plot to smuggle 29 sable into neighboring South Africa.

Those charges were withdrawn, but he was later re-arrested on new charges of “conspiracy to smuggle” in breach of customs laws and “unlawful movement of animals,” indicating that many poachers are guilty of other animal-related crimes.

American dentist Walter Palmer was the triggerman when it came to dispatching Cecil, and according to the Vice report, he was probably lucky to get out of the country with his own life.

South Africa’s Kruger National Park authorizes their armed rangers to shoot on sight at armed poachers, and they’ve done just that over the last five-year period with many of the poacher victims originating from neighboring Mozambique.

Mozambique’s former president Joaquim Chissano decried the shoot first, ask questions later mentality of the rangers in a statement.

“It worries me that quite a large number of Mozambicans killed in Kruger Park in poaching activities. Each of these Mozambicans dead means more poverty for his family, because they can no longer count on him to fight for better living conditions.”

Most of the hunting revolves around a demand for rhinoceroses, particularly the horns, which are popular in Asia.

As for Mozambique — the source of much of the hunting — the country is starting to take its commitment to punish poachers more seriously. They’ve recently authorized harsher sentences, which include heavy fines and prison sentences of up to 12 years, Vice notes.

While that may seem steep in itself, it’s likely a preferable outcome to what happens when these poachers fall into the hands of Kruger park rangers. (Warning: Video contains graphic imagery some may find disturbing. Video is NSFW.)

https://youtu.be/XVmZ_vJecy0

Prior to Mozambique’s steps at punishing poachers, it was considered a misdemeanor offense.

Some commenters were aghast that Kruger is “turning in to a war zone,” but the vast majority were behind the use of deadly force on poachers, including the person who made the following comment.

“When the Mozambique Human population plummets below the Rhino population, then I’ll be concerned. In the meantime, if they can’t find a job that provides for their family without killing endangered species, maybe they don’t deserve to contribute to the gene pool.”

It’s easy for many to sit in judgment while living in a wealthier nation, others noted, but what if you were actually in the situation of these poachers, and it was a matter of survival?

“Not saying poaching is right. It is not. But what jobs will you find in Mozambique?” added another commenter.

While many were furious enough to issue comments calling for the head of Walter Palmer during the Cecil the Lion scandal, for many Africans, those pipe dream revenge fantasies are becoming a reality.

What do you think about the situation, readers?

Is it time for the Internet to tone down the rhetoric and take the deaths of these poachers more seriously, or are these poachers truly “getting what they deserve?” Sound off in the comments section.

[Image via ShutterStock]