South Africa after the lockdown: poachers kill more rhinos again

2021-07-31T20:05:06.972Z

During the strict South African lockdown last year, many poachers also stayed at home - and the rhino populations were able to recover. Now more animals are dying again.

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Rhinos killed by poachers in South Africa (archive image)

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EPA / Riaan Kotze / Inkwe Valley Game Lodge / dpa

Rhino poaching in South Africa is picking up again after falling during the 2020 pandemic year.

Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said on Saturday that at least 249 rhinos were killed in the first six months of 2021.

That is at least 83 more than in the same period last year.

In the Kruger National Park, which is popular with tourists, 132 rhinos have already been killed this year.

Apparently because of the strict corona lockdown and the associated restriction of freedom of movement for poachers, the number of rhinos killed because of their horns fell by a third in 2020. "Although the number of rhinos killed because of their horns is higher than the 166 in the same period last year, it is fewer than the 318 poached rhinos in the first six months of 2019," said the Sanparks National Park Authority on Saturday.

In the Kruger National Park alone, with 715 poaching incidents, almost 4 percent more activities were registered than in the same period of the previous year (689 cases).

A total of 125 people across the country have been arrested for poaching or smuggling rhinoceros horn - 20 of whom have already been convicted.

Creecy: "In the fight against poaching and for the preservation of our wildlife, our rangers remain at the forefront and risk their lives anew every day."