Over 20 Blesbuck ewes were butchered during the past two months in the Balmoral area.
On Wednesday, October 7 two prominent businessmen were arrested by the farmers, then taken into custody by members of Vosman Police Station as they are possibly linked to the butchering of the ewes.
A local farmer in the Balmoral area has been affected by poachers, as of his 31 Blesbuck only four are left.
A farmer in Balmoral gave the hunters permission to hunt for bush pig on his farm. It is alleged that a neighbour’s fence was then cut and the Blesbuck started disappearing between four and five at a time over a three week period.
One of the female Blesbuck that were butchered in Balmoral area and were sold to the public in the area.
These businessmen are accredited hunters and they did not have permission to hunt Blesbuck or had any permits.
The two businessmen allegedly used night sight equipment, had silencers on their firearms and used spot lights to wipe out all the Blesbuck except four.
“This is all considered illegal hunting as the equipment they used was illegal and the fact that it’s breeding season. Of the 20 ewes, five were pregnant,” said the owner of the Blesbuck.
An accredited hunter in the National Shooting Association (NSA) takes an oath; this code is centred on the principals of life: respect for life; respect for nature; respect for the law and respect for fellow hunters, land owners and fellow conservationists.
As these hunters had night sight equipment they could see other farmers in the area who were trying to catch them out from the observation towers.
The insides and the lamb that were taken out of a couple of Blesbuck and just left in the open.
On Wednesday, the two suspects were eventually arrested by the farmer and his son, in their possession was a carcass, night sight equipment, silencer on their firearms and they also did not have permits with them.
After these ewes were butchered and their lambs were taken out and left for dead, the carcasses were then sold to the public of eMalahleni for R800 a carcass.
“A legal hunt of a Blesbuck can be shot for between R1200 and R1400, that’s besides everything else that you need to shoot a Blesbuck,” said the concerned farmer.
Hunting of most animals is out as it is the breading season, and this is controlled by law.
The Blesbuck is a seasonal breeder, with rutting from March to May. Births peak during November and December after a gestation period of about 280 days (eight months).
“These lambs were about a month and a half premature, but perfectly formed, had no hair on their little bodies and they would have suffocated a cruel death,” said the farmer.
“The lambs would have suffocated for about three to five minutes before they would have died,” said a well known veterinarian from eMalahleni.
Since the arrest on Wednesday, the men have been released on R5 000 bail after appearing in Witbank Magistrate’s Court B. Their next appearance is on Tuesday, December 8.
The investigation is in progress and more arrests are likely to follow.
Witbank SPCA is also busy with their own investigation into the matter.
