Posted on 05/01/2013 5:46:16 AM PDT by kimtom
The 15 threatened animals were shot dead for their horns last month in the Mozambican part of Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which also covers South Africa and Zimbabwe.
They were thought to be the last of an estimated 300 that roamed through the special conservation area when it was established as "the world's greatest animal kingdom" in a treaty signed by the three countries' then presidents in 2002.
The latest deaths, and Mozambique's failure to tackle poaching, has prompted threats by South Africa to re-erect fences between their reserves.
Wildlife authorities believe the poachers were able to track the rhinoceroses with the help of game rangers working in the Limpopo National Park, as the Mozambican side of the reserve is known.
A total of 30 rangers are due in court in the coming weeks, charged with collusion in the creatures' deaths, according to the park's administrators.
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Conservationists say the poorly-paid rangers were vulnerable to corruption by organised poaching gangs, who target rhinoceroses for their horns which are prized in Asia for their reputed aphrodisiac and cancer-curing properties.
The trade in rhino horn has seen the numbers of rhino killed spiral in recent years. Over the border in Kruger, the South African part of the transfrontier park, 180 have been killed so far this year, out of a national total of 249. Last year, 668 rhino were poached in South Africa, a 50 per cent increase over the previous year.
Kelvin Alie, from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said the fact that the rangers may have been turned while working on such an important ....
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
If we import those poachers, will they kill RINOs?
If so, let’s start the importing process.
Just yesterday someone was saying this could never happen to elephants in the wild
There ought to be big game hunting trips, with poachers as the game, available.
Sad indeed. And a good reminder that wealthy, Capitalist countries are better at preserving wildlife diversity than poor, Socialist countries (which is what Mozambique has been for most of its existence). Unlike what most environmentalists claim, the wealth generated by Capitalism results in people being less likely to make a living poaching, and to be more interested and have more wealth to donate to preserving animals like the rhino.
Just remember, it’s the Chinese commies that love them some rhino horns. And, now they have lots of money to pay the poachers.
Cheers
so basically they were killed for what is essentially the same material you have in your fingernails.
I am NOT a tree-hugger at all but this is sensleess idiocy and should be prohibitted.
But the problem is not on the SUPPLY end- that just makes it more scarce and more expensive. And rich people are often happy to spend money on useless crap to show they can.
The solution is to farm them, and let free enterprise solve it.
Countdown 3,2,1
“don’t believe it! it sounds like the global warming con! it’s a hippy-commie-muslim conspiracy to take our guns away!”
Yes, it’s incredibly sad. But expect lots of posts denying rhinoceros’s are in danger.
At the present rate of slaughter, they’ll all be gone in 20-25yrs (something like those numbers). There was an article about it last week.
Maybe some of those freepers will read this article.
Actually, a rhino horn is made of hair.
Yes, they were killed for what you cut every 3-6 weeks.
It will be the same here in our urban locales when their 3-to-4 day supply of subsistence has vanished and the EBT cards haven’t been charged. One big gluttonous pigfest followed by rampant violence, just for violence’s sake.
Note to self: when TSHTF, import poachers.
How much $ is each rhino worth to a poacher? Why not set a bounty on poachers dead or alive? $5000/head for instance. Make it a lucrative and easy business to start.
Quit abusing the Activism sidebar.
Mozambique’s failure to tackle poaching, has prompted threats by South Africa to re-erect fences between their reserves.
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Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Theres a lesson there for sure...
fences are necessary if the local species are to be protected from interlopers...
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