2 suspected poachers walk free as police is a no show
Local conservationists struggle to get the police to lay down the law against suspected poachers after waiting four hours with no response.
The carcass of a common duiker was found at the Witpoortjie Train Station after Roodekrans Neighbourhood Watch (RNW) patrollers saw two security guards walking along the railway lines with the buck.
According to witnesses, when the patrollers got to the duiker it was already dead and the guards denied killing it.
Georgina Lackinger from the South African Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, Andreas Oberlechner from the RNW, and SPCA senior Inspector Mike Allen were on the scene.
“Inspector Mike and I tried calling the authorities over 20 times. The security guards should have been charged with possession of a wildlife carcass,” disclosed Lackinger. She further stated that when they contacted the Gauteng Department of Agricultural and Rural Development they referred them back to the police.
Oberlechner and Allen waited over four hours for the police to arrive, to no avail.
“It was starting to get cold and we had to stand down,” they explained.
Lackinger took over possession of the animal carcass from Allen to take it for an autopsy, where it was found that the buck likely died from colliding with a vehicle.
“After the autopsy, we disposed of the body as per protocol,” she explained. There were signs of previous injury before death, as the bone was pulverised and did not coincide with that of a vehicle collision, but at this stage, it is just speculation.
“Our hands were tied as we have no authority to arrest the suspects. It all comes down to police response, which at that stage was zero,” Lackinger pointed out.
Mandi Cattanach, manager of the Krugersdorp Roodepoort SPCA stressed that certain police stations blatantly ignore her inspectors when they go to register a docket.
“Or they are told there is no law that protects animals,” she remarked, “many times we are not assisted by the normal police. Executing a warrant with them is a challenge as well. My inspectors wasted four hours waiting for the police with the duiker. Due to their slapgat attitude, two possible poachers have gotten away with the crime.”
Feedback was requested from Captain Mavela Masondo and Captain Solomon Sibiya, who both acknowledged the inquiries and stated they will revert. However, at the time of going to press no feedback had been received.
An update will follow once comment has been received.
