According to Mariette Prestorius, DA member of the city council, the specialist needed to conduct a cost-benefit analysis and provide recommendations in the best interests of the rhinos and ratepayers in Polokwane, Limpopo.
This followed the relocation of the rhinos from the Polokwane Nature Reserve to an unidentified sanctuary near Bela-Bela in 2017, after a poaching incident in which one animal died.
According to Pretorius, the council’s resolution was for the relocation to be a temporary measure until the game reserve could be upgraded sufficiently to safely accommodate the remaining rhinos. However, eight years had since passed, and the necessary upgrades to safely house the rhinos were still not done.
Speaking to Farmer’s Weekly, she said that despite upkeep costs of R61 000 per month, two rhinos had died at the sanctuary in April 2025.
“Post-mortem reports suggested that the deaths were linked to possible colic or seizures. It could also possibly be ascribed to pica, a phosphorous deficiency.
“The Polokwane rhinos are restricted to 50ha in the sanctuary, which accommodated 60 rhinos in total as well as other species such as buffalo and giraffes,” Pretorius stated.
She pointed out that while additional hay had been made available to the rhinos, it was unclear whether they had received any other supplemental feed. This unnatural situation of a high density of rhinos in a relatively small area where movement was restricted was obviously not ideal.
“It is clear that despite the municipality’s best intentions to safeguard the rhinos, the decisions that had been taken so far were not in the best interests of the rhinos or residents,” she added.
Pretorius said the matter required urgent attention grounded in science. She added that the situation had become untenable and could not be allowed to continue indefinitely.
