12 suspected rhino poachers and rhino horn buyers have been arrested in Kenya following the killing of a female Southern white rhino on a private ranch.
A manhunt in central Kenya has resulted in the arrest of 12 suspected rhino poachers and rhino horn buyers, after a 10-year old female Southern white rhino was shot at the Mugie rhino sanctuary on December 28, and her horns brutally hacked off.
The rhino’s horns were recovered in the arrest, along with $8,500 USD in cash.
Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Director Dr. Julius Kipng’etich said via Capital FM Kenya that the poachers may have intentionally struck during the holdiay season.
The poaching season is normally in April but it seems the poachers have changed tactics. They thought because it was a holiday season we would relax our surveillance but they were wrong.
Illegal rhino killings on the rise
Demand for rhino horn throughout Asia – most notably China and Vietnam – is responsible for the surge in the illegal slaughter of rhinos throughout Africa, India, and Nepal.
Although trade in rhino horn is banned, the illegal market in rhino horn – along with other endangered species products – continues to flourish in Asian countries where superstitions attribute rhino horn with “medicinal” properties to treat common ailments.
The Southern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) population has recovered to over 17,500 from fewer than 200.
However, the Northern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum cottoni) population consists of just eight individuals, after being decimated by rampant poaching to fulfill Asian demand for illegal rhino horn.
Numerous scientific studies have long ago proven there are no medicinal properties in rhino horn.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
About Rhishja Cota-Larson
It only takes an ignorant man with an AK47 a moment or two to rob the world of a rare and precious beast…
And all so another ignorant man can be cured of a cold.
Tragic.
China won’t rest until they steal all of our wonderful animals. The poachers themselves (ie the ones killing the rhinos) aren’t the real enemy here – it is the Chinese buyers. These criminal murderers must be stopped and destroyed once and for all.
Dog gift got it wrong today. The 2nd ignorant man (/woman) simply got ripped-off, but forgot about their “cold”, because they couldn’t face that fact.
But Tragic, he’s right again there !
But it’s great to hear that 12, no less, poachers etc. were rounded-up. A great blow for for the bizniss, one small step for the Rhino’s chances.
I work in Mugie as the officer in charge of the Rhinos and i know what it felt to lose “Victoria” the Rhino to this murderers!!!!
And just for your info, the poachers were set free long ago and have even made several attempts to come back and kill again!!!