Eight rhinos poached in Etosha in four months

14 suspects arrested Poaching inside Etosha National Park remains rife, as the police have reported that eight rhinos have been killed on the Omusati side of the country’s flagship national park so far this year. Omusati police regional commander Ismael Basson last week confirmed that eight rhinos have been killed since January, with 14 suspects arrested. A member of the anti-poaching unit has told The Namibian some poachers enter the national park in the company of traditional healers to perform rituals believed to offer protection during illegal hunting activities.

“. . . to allegedly prevent them from being arrested or failing in poaching. We are also informed that some poachers cross into Angola to consult traditional healers for similar rituals before poaching trips,” the source says. Basson, however, says: “There are rumours they use juju [witchcraft] to succeed with their poaching, but it has not been confirmed – at least from my side.”