Last week we brought you the story of the poacher whose attempts to hunt rhino ended in him being trampled by an elephant and then eaten by lions.

Unfortunately, not all poachers end up that way.

South African police busted an illegal rhino horn smuggling operation in the North West province.

According to News24, the poachers were transporting “one of the biggest hauls of rhino horns in the country”.

“We arrested them on Saturday in the Hartbeespoort dam area. They were driving in a vehicle and they were intercepted,” Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said.

“It was an intelligence-driven operation that led to the arrest of the two. They were found in possession of those 167 rhino horns,” he said, adding “it is one of biggest (hauls)”.

The suspects, aged 57 and 61, are expected to appear in the Britstown magistrate’s court on Monday.

Police said the rhino horns worth a “substantial amount of money” were destined for the Southeast Asian markets.

Demand for rhino horn is primarily fuelled by consumers in China and Vietnam where it is advertised by some traditional medicine practitioners as a wonder ingredient.

Rhino horn is actually made up of nothing more than keratin, the same protein that makes human hair and fingernails.

So chewing your fingernails would have the same effect as consuming rhino horn…

South Africa’s rhino population has been hit the hardest in the past decade, with over

7 100 of the population killed.

Thanks to SAPS and the Hawks, that’s two fewer poachers to worry about.

[source:news24]