ZULULAND conservationists are outraged at the news that game rangers have been arrested and suspended for poaching.
The outrage comes after six staff members of KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo Wildlife were implicated in two separate cases of poaching pertaining to incidents at the Umfolozi and Emakhosini Ophathe Heritage Park last year.
The news only surfaced last week.
Ezemvelo Wildlife is the custodian of the province's precious wildlife.
Zululand Wildlife eForum coordinator, Tim Condon said they had long suspected "criminal poaching activities by some field ranger elements".
"How many bad apples there are and at what level is unknown. However, more exist and their actions have deeply upset the many dedicated staff who battle under dire stress to perform their duties.
"It is obvious that some in senior management bear much of the blame due to their lax performance, which is spilling over into many aspects of their responsibilities," Condon said.
He said staff knowledge or involvement in rhino poaching were vehemently denied and hidden by KwaZulu-Natal Ezemvelo Wildlife. But the organisation denies this, saying they were the ones who unearthed the poaching staff members.
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