Two men were arrested on Monday, December 3, for trying to get a Kruger National Park ranger to kill and de-horn a rhino, reports News24.
"According to information, the two men, aged 39 and 35, approached a ranger in the park and asked him to shoot and dehorn the animal because it would be 'easier' for him to do so," said Colonel Ronel Otto from the Limpopo police.
The ranger reportedly agreed but told them that they would need to bring him a firearm, as he could not shoot the animal with his official firearm. The ranger then contacted the police.
A meeting was arranged between the ranger and the men at Plange village, near Malamulele.
Police arrested the 39-year-old man at a meeting on December 2, and confiscated a hunting rifle and a car. The 35-year-old man ran to the home of a woman in the village. She alerted community members, who assaulted him. He is in hospital in a serious but stable condition.
The 39-year-old is scheduled appear in the Malamulele Magistrate's Court today (December 4) for possession of an unlicensed firearm and conspiracy to commit a crime. The 35-year-old man will appear in court once he has sufficiently recovered from his injuries.
