We know the numbers don’t make for pretty reading, but despite the best efforts of conservationists, the scourge of rhino poaching remains on the increase.

The stats for the first four months of this year are in, and as you might have guessed, they are a jarring reminder of the uphill battle we face. The Mail and Guardian reports:

“By the end of April 2015 the number of rhino we lost to poachers was 393 for the whole country,” Environment Minister Edna Molewa told a press conference in Pretoria, adding that 290 of them were poached in the Kruger National Park.

The figure is a more than 18% increase over the first four months of 2014, when 331 rhinos were poached including 212 in Kruger, she said.

One has to feel for those on the front line who really are up against it. There have been calls for military involvement, rhino horns have been removed by veterinarians and an ex-army general was appointed to keep an eye on our anti-poaching operations, but still the thugs are coming out on top.

The illicit industry has seen a steady increase since 2008, culminating in 1 215 rhinos being killed in 2014 alone. 2007, by the way, saw 13 rhinos poached.

We can only hope that something is done soon to prevent the slaughter of these animals or it might be time to fight fire with fire.

[source:mg]