Poachers Sentenced!
Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 14 2008 | By: zimbabwe7
Dear Readers,
Every so often a bright light flashes at the end of this very long and dark tunnel. We have received some encouraging news that we want to share with everyone.  You may recall the harrowing tale of little Nyasha, the white rhino calf that was orphaned in the most brutual circumstances and then was mortally wounded. On the eve of  18 June 2008 , National Parks put up road blocks as soon as the scouts were alerted to the poaching.  Four people were arrested on the poaching of Nyasha as well as his mother.  In the days that followed, with the evidence which was uncovered, these four suspects were not only found to be the poachers of Nyasha and his mother, but of another 15 rhino, poached within Zimbabwe.
The four perpetrators have been sentenced to 28 years in prison! Â National Parks have worked extremely hard towards developing a case against these poachers and now to be rewarded with this prison sentence is paramount to their efforts. Â The Tikki Hywood Trust extend a huge thanks to the Department, on this successful operation
Nothing will bring those rhino’s back and in my way of thinking there is not a sufficient sentence which could justify their deaths. Â However, having said that this sentencing is a start!
-
Lisa Hywood & Tikki Hywood Trust
"Life is not about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain" Anon.
Humans once belonged to the world, but we've moved away and now we are destroying it. I believe that each of us can do something to make a difference - our every positive thought and action creates a ripple effect.
- Lisa Hywood
Tikki Hywood Trust in Zimbabwe. -
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10 Responses to “Poachers Sentenced!”
Paula, on 14 Aug 2008
Wow Lisa, this is good news. I’d love to hear more about the incident an see lots of photos. Is that you feeding the baby rhino?
Iris, Paris, on 14 Aug 2008
Considering the appalling poverty and misery of Zimbabwe’s population, I find it impossible to rejoice in the sentence of 28 years of prison for the poachers. I do appreciate the fact that I am sitting at my desk in Paris and you are in the field working hard to protect these beautiful animals – our perspectives must be different – but even so, I can only find your news very sad and distressing. Iris
Annie, on 14 Aug 2008
Yes! What awesome news…..I am so glad they got what they deserved….this was a horrible story that poor baby suffered so much and witnessed the horrible death of his mother!
Christine C., on 14 Aug 2008
Well done…some good news to end this tragic story…is that the picture of you with Nyasha…gosh, she was beautiful…still makes me cry to think about what happened to her…but at least justice is being served!!!
sheryl, washington dc, on 14 Aug 2008
Very good news! I agree, there’s no sentence stiff enough for those poachers, considering the horror of the crimes they committed.
I remember the pictures of Nyasha’s last hours …
s.
Lucia Cristiana, Brasil, on 15 Aug 2008
Thank you Lisa for sharing these good news with us. It’s a fine sensation to see justice begining to be done. My prayers and thoughts are with you all at National Parks. Thanks again.
TheTeach, Seattle, on 15 Aug 2008
Outstanding news! Congratulations to all personnel who helped at every level, to apprehend and press charges against those who have inflicted so much damage on the rhino conservation program in Zimbabwe. I hope these greedy butchers rot in prison just like the hornless carcasses they left behind in the sun baked dust.
Iris, Paris, on 15 Aug 2008
All who rejoice in the poachers’ 28 year prison sentence, please take a few minutes and go to http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7518993.stm for conditions in African prisons. Iris
Iris, Germany, on 03 Sep 2008
It may be a hard sentence, but do you see another way to protect these animals? If you feel more sorry for the offenders than for their victims, you are accepting their extinction.
TheTeach, on 05 Oct 2008
Well said, Iris of GERMANY. This wasn’t a bushmeat killing incident to feed a family. This was a small cartel of poachers specifically targeting the last remaining rhinos of Zimbabwe. These guys were committing acts of ecocide, and in the process, condemning one of the most ancient of mammal species to certain extinction. Those facts make it a much more serious crime, than just the killing of a dozen range animals. 28 years may seem excessive for such a crime, but the judicial system must set precedent for harsh punishment. A severe sentence like that is sure to deter many others who would pick up right were these guys left off, finishing off the remaining rhinos for quick profits. I can’t think of a better way to secure the safety of every rhino in Zimbabwe than the spectre of 28 yrs in one of Mugabe’s prisons, hanging over every potential poacher’s head. Iris of PARIS would do well to understand this. It’s less about the actual crime, and more about the principle, and the consequence of rampant, unstoppable poaching. It’s a sad day for these poachers, but they brought it on themselves. Only such stringent penalties as these are going to stop poaching. We need to see something like this applied to the “elephant” situation or in another 10 years, they will be in the same desperate position the rhinos are in now.
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