Botswana has seen an unprecedented increase in rhino poaching in the last year.
The government reports that nearly 50 of the rhinos have been killed in the last 10 months, about one-tenth of the country’s rhino population.
Officials explain that at this rate, the black rhino population, with numbers at just a few dozen, could be wiped out by the end of next year.
However, Botswana’s security forces are taking the fight to the poachers.
This week, five suspected poachers were killed in two incidents. On Monday, one of the suspects was gunned down in a confrontation with local soldiers.
The other four were killed two days later in the thickets of the Okavango Delta which is home to most of the country’s rhinos.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi has warned his government will fight the poachers who mostly come in from neighboring Namibia and Zambia.
“There are serious problems of poaching. Poachers do not bear a spear or a knobkerrie, or a knife, like some of those who break into households,” Masisi said.
He continued to say, “Poachers bear sophisticated arms, and poachers are sufficiently radicalized to kill. So they are dangerous. We put an army in place to defend this country, so any intruder is an enemy. And unfortunately, as with any war, there are casualties.”
Last month, a Botswana soldiers was killed during an exchange with suspected poachers in the northwestern part of the country.
According to a conservationist, Neil Fitt, the recent killing of suspected poachers is proof the government and the Botswana Defense Forces are on the right path.
He warned poachers would try to take advantage of the reduction in tourism caused by the outbreak of the new coronavirus.
“We must also remember this time, with the pandemic that we actually have, the tourism operations in the whole area has down scaled, which I believe the poachers will be trying to take advantage of,” Fitt said. “So there will be an upsurge of poaching activity.”
The Botswana government denies the upsurge is due to a decision to disarm an anti-poaching unit last year.
