South African National Park reinforces security
Environment Minister Edna Molewa has announced that South Africa is recruiting another 150 extra Rangers to increase security at the world-famous Kruger National Park in an attempt to combat record levels of poaching rhinos for their horns.
Poaching is a serious problem for the Park. Eight rhinos were found dead in the Park in just one day last week. 448 rhinos were killed in South Africa as a whole last year, with half of those killings occurring in Kruger National Park itself.
Kruger National Park's Rangers are a trained armed force and are one of the few Park Ranger organisations in the world to boast their own air arm. 15 alleged poachers were shot dead and 131 more were arrested last year. This increase in strength will bring the total number of Rangers in the Park to 650, thus bringing their full complement in line with that of a light infantry battalion. A 150 kilometre (95 mile) electric barrier will also be built along the border with neighbouring Mozambique, due to the frequency with which poachers enter the park from across that border.
Growing demand for rhino horn in China and Vietnam has been blamed for the recent spike in rhino killings, and the weight-for-weight price of rhino horn has surpassed that of gold. Rhino horn is powdered for use in traditional medicines as a remedy for various illnesses including cancer, but the practice has been proven to have no actual scientific merit. Another destination for poached horns is the Middle East, where they are used to form handles for ornamental daggers.
South Africa has been hit particularly badly by the upsurge in poaching because it has the largest concentration of rhinos in the world. South Africa's estimated 20,000 rhinos constitute approximately 70-80% of the global total.
A government-commissioned study into whether legalising trade in rhino horn could help to bring down poaching is due in August.
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