Record 588 rhinos killed by poachers in South Africa this year

Posted: Published on November 29th, 2012

This post was added by Dr P. Richardson

More rhinos have been killed in South Africa this year than at any time since the colonial period The government has announced plans to deploy troops to wildlife parks Poachers sell the animals' horns for use in traditional medicine

By Dan Newling

PUBLISHED: 13:28 EST, 28 November 2012 | UPDATED: 02:50 EST, 29 November 2012

The South African government has announced plans to deploy armed troops into its wildlife parks in a bid to protect the countrys rhinoceroses from poachers targeting the animals famous horns.

The plans - which could see helicopter gunships patrol game parks skies and soldiers wearing night vision goggles on the ground - were announced as new figures show that more rhinos have been killed in South Africa this year than at any time since the colonial period.

So far this year, a total of 588 of the magnificent beasts have been killed in South Africa by poachers working for Far Eastern crime syndicates which sell the animals horns for use in traditional medicine.

Slaughtered: The carcass of a 24-year-old rhino cow at Finfoot Lake Reserve who was among eight slaughtered by poachers this month as figures showed more rhinos have been killed this year than any time since the colonial period

Most of the horns end up in being used in traditional medicine in China or Vietnam, where it is believed they are good for curing many types of ailments from cancer to impotency.

The 558 rhino killed so far this year is far more than the 448 killed in South Africa throughout the whole of 2011 and almost 4,500 per cent more than the 13 rhino killed in South Africa just five years ago.

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Record 588 rhinos killed by poachers in South Africa this year

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