Africa Had a Record 1,020 Rhinos Poached in 2014

The rhino saw a lot of violence in 2014, as Africa had a record amount of them poached during 2014. Kruger National Park, in South Africa is home to nearly 10,000 rhinos, which is one of the reasons why Major General Johan Jooste is at war with the poachers.

The Wildlife Veterinary Team has a goal to protect the threatened species. To do this they capture move the rhinos away from poaching hotspots – away from the Mozambique border. Since last month, the team has relocated more than 30 rhinos and intend to help hundreds more.

The reason rhinos are being hunted so much is due to their horns, which are considered to have medicinal worth, although scientifically there is no backing evidence. The demand emerged from Asia, where a single ounce can make more than $5,000 on the black market. This is mostly due to the keratin in the horn, which is the same protein found in human fingernails.

By Garrett Jutte
Sources
CNN
Photo by Colin the Scot – Flickr Licence