SA National Parks welcomes sentencing on Mozambican poachers

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SA National Parks has welcomed the sentencing of two Mozambican poachers to 16 years in prison.

Sanparks CEO, Abe Sibiya says the sentence will certainly make potential poachers think twice, before crossing the fence to plunder our natural heritage.

On Tuesday, Joseph Bila and Ndombama Nkuna were each handed a 16-year-sentence in the Nelspruit Regional Court for killing and de-horning a white rhino.

The pair were arrested by rangers from the Mjokwane Section of the Kruger National Park on April 27 last year.

A third suspect who was alleged to be the mastermind, skipped bail last year.

Sibiya said Kruger National Park had lost 351 animals to poaching this year and 60 people had been arrested in connection with some of these cases.