Rhino poaching increases sharply in South Africa - www.coastweek.com

Chief executive officer of the trust Yolan Friedman said organized poaching gangs were using legal loopholes to trade the rhino horns in the Far East.

JOHANNESBURG (Xinhua) -- The poaching of rhinos has increased in South Africa, Environmental Affairs Minister Buyelwa Sonjica said on Wednesday.

"The number of poached rhinos has increased from 10 to 100 per annum," she said at the launch of the 2009 Natura Coin Series in Pretoria.
She said the coins were silent ambassadors to create awareness on endangered wildlife.
She explained that poaching has become more complex, the South African Press Association reported.

"It is not like in the past where AK47s were used, today helicopters and other means are used in poaching".

At the launch, Sonjica set off production of the first set of the 2009 white rhino coins.

"I hope this coin will create will create awareness about the rhino," she said holding one of the coins.

She explained that the white rhino was at risk of being wiped out.

"In the late 60’s there were about 100,000 white rhinos but the number has come down to 2,400 in 1995."

The 2009 Natura Coin Series featuring the white rhino is made of one ounce of pure gold coin.

Proceeds for the sale of this coin will be donated to the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

Chief executive officer of the trust Yolan Friedman said organized poaching gangs were using legal loopholes to trade the rhino horns in the Far East.

To counter this the trust has launched a project called Strengthening the Security of the Rhino in South Africa.

The project is a three-pronged approach focusing on law enforcement, tracking the trade in rhino horns and security of the rhino population.

Thanks for the info, Cody. Two things really bother me about this article:

(1) that the poachers are not only on foot using high-powered automatic rifles, but, they are now using HELICOPTERS! This really is a real advantage as the rangers patrolling and guarding the rhinos are usually on foot or in slow ground vehicles.
This is obviously poaching on an elevated level from well organized and well-funded gangs.

(2) Also that they are using "legal loopholes to trade rhino horn in the Far East".
The international community, The UN, INTERPOL, et al, must get involved in closing the loopholes to this horrific destruction of Africa's heritage and the source of much of their national income.

To use helicopeters is taking paoching to another level. Even the cost must be higher than we all think as the latter is not cheap at all.
Surely with modern tech they can see where such helicpoters land and where they head in and out of?
I am sure if they had to watch helicopers searching for new crude oil pits or diamond mines - they will know the shoe size of the pilot!

Poaching on the increase everywhere... Great prospects for wildlife. Cody, I agree with you! The more professional the methods of poaching get, the more alarming...

It's very disturbing that law enforcement is always behind the means these mobsters have got. Not to mention the probability that these gangs have their "counterparts" in high ranking government bodies.

Matusodona in Zim has a problem, it is why we laid as many tyre tracks in wild areas as we could & left the vehicle in open view when tracking on foot.

The wardens post is not seen as a good posting. The present Warden has family in Bulawayo, is based in Kariba & works 5 days in Hwange! 3000k round trip or there abouts!

His predecessor arrested 10 Zambians & confiscated 3 boats, they had set up a "Fishing" camp in Matusadona.

Mysteriously he was re posted!