Rhinos are being illegally killed at the rate of about 1.5 per day in South Africa, as the year’s death toll has already reached 381, according to the Department of Environmental Affairs.
236 of the killings occurred in Kruger National Park, while the hardest hit provinces are Limpopo (43), the North West (40) and KwaZulu-Natal (34).
The total number of arrests for rhino crimes remains at 199.
Source: Department of Environmental Affairs RSA
Image #1 © iStockphoto.com; #2 © Annamiticus
Rhishja Cota
I am the founder of Annamiticus and I have been researching and writing about wildlife trafficking issues since 2009. I also founded World Pangolin Day in 2012. I am the author of USAID Wildlife Asia's Pangolin Species Identification Guide: A Rapid Assessment Tool for Field and Desk. I co-facilitated and was a presenter at the USAID Wildlife Asia Pangolin Care Workshop. At the 4th Regional Dialogue on Combating Trafficking of Wild Fauna and Flora, I facilitated the species roundtables on pangolins. I have trekked with forest rangers in Cambodia, journeyed to the streets of Hanoi to research the illegal wildlife trade, and to the rainforests of Sumatra and Java to document the world’s rarest rhinos. At CITES meetings, I collaborate with colleagues from around the world to lobby in favor of protecting endangered species. I hosted the Behind the Schemes podcast and am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine. I enjoy music, desert gardening, herping, reading, creating, and walking with my dogs. Check out my t-shirts and stickers at snoots + teefers.