Okay so its not really tigers, but it is a related issue….
Rhino in Southern Africa are under increasing pressure from illegal killing, with at least 445 poached in South Africa and Zimbabwe from 2006–2009. Although their overall numbers are still increasing, they remain critically low and many populations are isolated and vulnerable.
There is also disturbing evidence of the involvement of organised criminal networks, with new silent methods of killing using sedatives and chemicals on the rise.
The issue was raised by Kenya at the recent meeting of CITES, with an agreement reached on better international cooperation to tackle the groups behind the trade.
Rhino poaching is one of the purest forms of wildlife crime. The animals are few in number, do not eat people or livestock, have a minimal role in human-animal conflict and are not eaten for food. They are killed by organised networks and wealthy hunters… purely for the profit which can be made by selling their horns….
