Convicted fugitive and serial offender Thomas Chauke has been handed a 110-year prison sentence in what authorities are calling a significant victory in the fight against wildlife crime.
The 54-year-old Zimbabwean national was sentenced by an Eastern Cape court for a range of offences, including six counts of rhino poaching, various wildlife crimes, and escaping from lawful custody. Chauke pleaded guilty to all charges.
Chauke had been on the run since 2020 after escaping from a Pretoria prison, where he was serving five life sentences for rape, armed robbery, and kidnapping. He remained a wanted fugitive across four provinces — KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, the Eastern Cape, and the North West — until his dramatic recapture last year by detectives from the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit.
Law enforcement officials have welcomed the stiff sentence, describing it as a strong message to those involved in poaching and trafficking endangered species.