THE Save Valley Conservancy (SVC) is demanding $269 000 compensation from five suspected poachers who allegedly killed two rhinos in the wildlife sanctuary.
CHARLES LAITON
The suspects cited as defendants in the matter which is at the pre-trial stage at the High Court, are Peter Murira–Makaye, Nelson Abraham, Danod Murahwa, Godfrey Nyambuya and Charles Muzenda.
According to SVC, the men killed a 14-year-old rhino and critically wounded its two-year-old calf which later died as a result of the injuries sustained.
“Plaintiff is entitled to compensation by defendants as it was the appropriate authority and legal custodian of the dead animals and could have benefited from those two animals had they been alive . . . Plaintiff is entitled to payment in the sum of $240 000 combined value of the two dead animals as per statutory instrument 52 of 2012,” SVC said.
“Plaintiff will also prove that at the time of the death of the two animals, it had incurred combined necessary expenses of $29 200 through the ear-notching and dehorning of the adult rhino as well as through monitoring and security for both for a period of 14 and two years respectively.”
The shooting incident allegedly occurred between July 11-17 2011, but the poachers were arrested by police detectives from the Minerals and Boarder Control Unit in Harare while attempting to sell the horns.
The recovered horns were later identified by Lowveld Rhino Trust after comparing them to photographs of the missing rhinos taken during routine management operations.
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Following the positive identification of the horns, extensive searches were made in the SVC and led to the recovery of the carcasses between August 13-16 respectively.
In their defence, Abraham and Murahwa argued they could not be sued over the death of the rhinos since they were found not guilty and acquitted by the courts.
Makaye also said he was not liable since he was not anywhere near SVC when the animals were allegedly killed.
