South Africa has halted the total ban on rhino trophies, while 96 Rhinos have already been poached in South Africa this year. The United Nations Wildlife Trade Regulator (CITES) secretariat’s proposal halting the trade of rhino trophies and rejecting rhino products, is now being backed by Government. Environment Minister, Edna Molewa said in a statement,

We also welcome CITES’ acknowledgement of the recent significant steps taken to improve the management of rhino

It has been proposed by Kenya that a “zero export quota” be put in place in Switzerland and South Africa, where the world’s largest populations of white rhino exist and where legal hunts are allowed.

This proposal is one of many on the global Wildlife Trade agenda and will be voted on in the next meeting in Bangkok.

The CITES secretariat further said that South Africa has taken “significant steps to improve its managemet of rhino hunting”.

[Source: Mail&Guardian]