S.Africa Court Sentences Rhino Poarchers To 25 Years In Jail

After a long wait, justice was given to conservationists and animal lovers. A gang of poachers in South Africa recently received a series of hefty and completed a court case that lasted nearly three years.

The three poachers from Mozambique were arrested in South Africa's Kruger National Park in July 2010 with two freshly chopped horns, rifles and an axe, South Africa National Parks said in a statement. "The sentencing of these poachers is an indication that as a country we are taking more stringent measures in the fight against rhino poaching," said David Mabunda, chief executive of the park service. Until now, poachers were typically given up to a few years in jail or fined. The maximum sentence for illegal rhino hunting is 10 years in jail, and for possession of a prohibited firearm 15 years jail, the park service said.