Rhino poaching sees slight decline in South Africa
THE number of rhinos poached for their horns in South Africa decreased slightly in 2022 but more must be done to save them in provincial parks, the environment ministry said. A total of 448 rhinos were illegally killed countrywide last year, three fewer than in 2021. However, the figures are still higher than they were the year before when COVID-19 restrictions in South Africa led to a fall in poaching. Demand for rhino horns has decimated their population over the decades in South Africa and neighbouring Botswana and Namibia. The poaching often involves international criminal syndicates and local poachers, who smuggle the…