515 rhino killed in 2013

515 rhino killed in 2013

The Department of Environmental Affairs released the Rhino Issue Management (RIM) Report on Wednesday in Kempton Park.

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The Department of Environmental Affairs released the Rhino Issue Management (RIM) Report on Wednesday in Kempton Park.
 
Deputy Director General Fukisile Mketeni addressed the media on the threat to the country's rhino population, saying that while the white rhino is under great threat, the black rhino is critically endangered.
 
"As of yesterday we have lost 515 rhino in this country', Mketeni said.
 
The Kruger National Park continues to bear the brunt of poaching with 321 rhino poached since the beginning of the year, while 54 have been killed for their horns in Limpopo, 53 in North West and 43 in KwaZulu-Natal. 
 
A total of 143 alleged poachers have been arrested this year. 
 
Mketeni assured that the scourge of poaching is being addressed.
 
"The issue of rhino poaching has been, or is still being, discussed in the highest offices of the country. Your frustration is the frustration of government, let us not undermine that. Everyone in government is talking about this. They want to stop it."
 
The RIM emanated from the national consultation process to facilitate a common understanding of the key issues related to the protection and conservation of South Africa’s rhino population. 
 
Msimang and his team hosted 16 workshops, and 400 roundtable and one-on-one discussions to facilitate a common understanding of the challenges and opportunities relating to rhino conservation in the face of rhino poaching. 
 
It has been said that rhino births still exceed the deaths and that it will only become a real problem in 2016 should poachings continue at the current rate.
 
The department's Thea Carrol said funds will be made available to address the scourge.
 
"A National Rhino Fund will be established to look at the funding of the various actions required to secure the population and to ensure the long term survival of the species", she said.
 
- Suné du Toit

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