Anti-poaching units at South Africa’s Kruger National Park have been struggling to tackle rising number of rhino killings despite extra funding and resources, as reported by British broadcaster Sky News on Wednesday.
Footage broadcast on Sky News showed teams of rangers at South Africa’s largest national park searching for poachers who hunt the rhinos for their horns.
At one point, the ranger teams were shown confronting a poacher at gunpoint.
Veterinary teams were then shown caring for a sedated rhino, with a dressing over the wound where its horn was.
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The rangers believe there to be between 12 and 15 groups of poachers operating at the park, as reported by Sky News.
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Section ranger Andrew Desmet was shot at and injured by poachers.
He told the British broadcaster that the public were unaware of “how much time and effort and stress” the rangers put in to protecting the rhinos.
Meanwhile, the People’s Daily online said that police in Beijing on Monday announced the seizure of 804 kilograms of ivory, 11 kilograms of rhino horns and 35 bear paws in a haul worth 24 million yuan ($3.8 million).
This was the result of a crackdown from May to August on the illegal purchase, selling and transport of wildlife products.
The article cited a news conference in Beijing by forest police, who investigate crimes involving wildlife.
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