Teams from the Wildlands Conservation Trust are busy preparing to fit rhino herds at a game reserve in Northern KZN with special anti-poaching tracking devices.
The trust's Kevin McCann says officials will dart and capture about 10 animals at the Somkhanda Community Game Reserve this weekend.
The rhinos will then be fitted with animal friendly surveillance foot collars.
McCann says a lot of planning has been done to ensure the operation is successful.
"We're making sure that everything is done logistically to make sure that the operation goes smoothly, and we have all the right information and equipment up front," he said.
The government revealed this morning that 251 rhinos have been poached since the beginning of the year.
KwaZulu-Natal, the North West and Limpopo were the hardest hit provinces.
McCann says the project will allow rangers to learn more about the herds and their movement within the park.
"Unless they start deviating from their normal behavioural patterns that we can work out over time, then we can get our field rangers to start changing their patrols to respond to that, or if there is anything out of the ordinary, we can actually have the anti-poaching units respond to it".
Source: http://www.ecr.co.za/kagiso/content/en/east-coast-radio/east-coast-radio-news?oid=1650118&sn=Detail&pid=6028&Anti-poaching-devices-for-KZN-rhino
