South African Conservationist Killed by Black Rhino on Patrol

Schoeman van Jaarsveld, a 58-year-old South African conservationist dedicated to combating rhino poaching, died after being gored by a black rhino during a morning patrol at the Samara Karoo Reserve in the Great Karoo region on Thursday, April 23.

The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time as van Jaarsveld and his team from Milk River Security, his private firm specializing in rhino protection, tracked the animal on foot. The roughly 2,900-pound double-horned black rhino, fitted with a GPS device on its ankle, emerged suddenly from cover and charged van Jaarsveld, impaling him fatally. Other team members scared the rhino away without firing shots, and it retreated unharmed into the 68,000-acre reserve. One team member suffered minor injuries. Emergency services were called immediately, but van Jaarsveld was pronounced dead at the scene.

The patrol aimed to monitor and care for rare black and white rhinos amid threats from poaching gangs active in the area. South Africa recorded 352 rhinos killed by poachers last year, highlighting the ongoing crisis facing the country's rhino populations.

A spokesperson for the Samara Karoo Reserve confirmed a full investigation is...