Two carcasses of female black rhinos were discovered at two different private game farms in the Otjituuo and Otjiwarongo areas of the Otjozondjupa Region this week.

Namibian Police Force (NamPol) spokesperson in the region, Inspector Maureen Mbeha on Saturday said the police have launched extensive investigations in both cases.

She said during August this year, an adult female pregnant black rhino was shot and killed at a private game farm near Otjiwarongo.

“Both its horns were removed from the carcass, and we still don’t know the date it was shot and killed or the type of a hunting rifle which was used in the poaching,” said Mbeha.

However, since the animal was pregnant and it was about to deliver, the total loss of N.dollars 1 million has been attached to it, she said.

On 22 August this year again at another commercial game farm situated near Otjituuo in the Grootfontein district, a black female rhino was also shot and killed there by unknown poachers, Mbeha said.

Its large and small horns were all removed from the carcass when the farmworkers discovered the crime scene on Monday, she said.

An estimated loss of N.dollars 500 000 has been incurred in this poaching, and the police are hard at work in examining the types of firearms which were used or the number of suspected poachers who were involved in this case at Otjituuo, Mbeha said.

“So far no arrests have been made in connection with both matters, and police investigations continue,” she said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency