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A protected black rhino in the Erongo Mountain Rhino Sanctuary nearly lost a foot after it was caught in a snare set by poachers recently.

Erongo police are hunting for suspected poachers who killed a pregnant rhino cow on a game lodge near Omaruru over the weekend. The owner of the farm declined to comment, and requested this newspaper not to mention the name of the lodge for fear that it may attract more illegal activity for the rest of the game on the farm.

A defence force member and two other men from Okahandja appeared in the Walvis Bay Magistrate's Court yesterday on charges of possessing two rhino horns. The soldier, Petrus Mutako Damaseb (49), who is based at Okahandja, and Steven Omeb (29), appeared in court yesterday and were denied bail, while the third man was released due to lack of evidence linking him to the alleged crime.

Three Zambians and a Namibian, the latter suspected to be a former policeman, were arrested last Friday after poaching a black rhino at the Erindi private game reserve near Omaruru.

The environment minister, Pohamba Shifeta, described the latest rhino and elephant poaching figures as "a pity", saying his ministry will do all it can to keep these figures from rising further. According to figures released by the minister yesterday, three more rhino carcasses, possibly poached for their horns, were recently discovered in the Etosha National Park, pushing the figure of known rhino mortalities up to 37 this year, which brings the total rhino deaths since last year to 162.

What was described as excellent cooperation between the Omaruru District Watch and the police resulted in two white rhinos being saved from poaching and four suspected poachers arrested.