At least 57 rhinos have been massacred in South Africa during the first 31 days of 2013, according to the Department of Environmental Affairs.
Of the total, 42 were killed in Kruger National Park, mainly in the Limpopo Transfrontier Park region near Mozambique. Six rhinos were killed in KwaZulu-Natal, six in North West, two in Limpopo, and one in Mpumalanga Province.
Since January 1st, 2013, 18 suspects have been arrested for rhino crimes, and another three were fatally wounded. Seven rhino horns, heavy calibre hunting rifles, and ammunition were recovered by authorities.
The Environmental Investigation Agency points out that upholding the CITES ban on rhino horn trade allowed rhino populations to stabilize, and kept illegal killings to a minimum for over a decade “until South Africa began to push for legal trade in rhino horn“.
Source: SAnews.gov.za
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.