Pam Golding Properties takes quick action to suspend rhino horn accused

A male black rhino wobbles after being tranquillised.

Lora Naude of Bethlehem, who was this week taken into custody in regard to alleged illegal trading in rhino horns, has been suspended by Pam Golding Properties Bethlehem franchise office, where she was an agent.

Comments Greta Daniel, sales and operations manager for Pam Golding Franchise Services: “Swift action was immediately taken by the area principal of Pam Golding Properties Bethlehem, Willi Pienaar, and the agent has been suspended until further notice. The legal process will now follow due course.”

There were 448 rhinos poached in South Africa last year, of which 252 were killed in the Kruger National Park. To this number can be added about 200 rhinos shot in the country by pseudo-trophy hunters for the horn trade, along with rhinos poached in Zimbabwe (28), Kenya (27) and Swaziland (two). This makes 705 rhinos out of an African population of 26000, or 2,7%.

The net growth of the rhino population is about 6% a year, so the current level of poaching has not meant a decline in the total population. The concern is that the level of poaching in South Africa has increased by 35% over the past year (333 in 2010), and if the growth in poaching continues at this rate, then the country is looking at 805 (3,8%) being poached and pseudo-trophy-hunted this year, and 1017 (4,7%) next year. (Assumed that the levels of pseudo-hunting will remain the same.) In 2015, the levels of poaching in South Africa may exceed the natural population growth rate.