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NAMIBIA REPORTS RECORD LEVEL OF RHINO POACHING
The number of endangered rhinos poached in Namibia last year was the highest on record and almost twice as many as the year before, officials say.
A total of 87 rhinos were killed compared with 45 in 2021, official government data show, and most of them were poached in Etosha, Namibia’s biggest national park, officials say.
Poachers killed 61 black and 26 white rhinos mainly in Etosha, where 46 rhinos were found dead, Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said.
“We note with serious concern that our flagship park, Etosha National Park, is a poaching hotspot,” Mr. Muyunda said.
International criminal gangs now use sophisticated equipment to track and tranquilize the animals before hacking off the horn, leaving them bleeding to death, and now, poaching in South Africa and Botswana has led to wildlife teams sawing off the rhino horns to keep them alive. For many generations, rhino horn has been used in traditional Chinese medicine despite there being no proven medical benefit.
Poaching is also being fuelled by demand in Vietnam, where horns are displayed as a sign of wealth.
BBC
