A poacher who was caught twice in Kruger National Park – the second time when he was out on bail – has been sentenced to 25 years in prison.
In the first incident, Mike Nyathi and his accomplice, Janeiro Chunguane, entered Kruger via the Kingfisherspruit section, where they shot and killed a white rhino on 17 September 2017.
Field rangers heard gunfire and went to investigate. The two men were found with a rifle without a serial number, an axe and a knife. Rangers also found the rhino carcass.
The two were arrested and charged in the Skukuza Regional Court with ‘trespassing, possession of prohibited firearm, unlicenced firearm and ammunition, conspiracy to commit a crime, hunting of protected animals in a National Park, and possession of a dangerous weapon’.
Both men were granted bail during their court hearing, after which Chunguane fled. A warrant is out for his arrest.
Nyathi went poaching in Kruger a second time on 13 May 2019, this time entering via the Satara section.
Rangers – with the help of a tracker dog – found Nyathi hiding under a big fallen tree. Rangers recovered a rifle without a serial number and ammunition.
Nyathi was charged once again and this time was denied bail. He was convicted and sentenced on both incidents to a total of 25 years imprisonment. Nyathi has also been declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Picture: Unsplash
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