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Subscribe to RSSRock Center producer Meghan Frank takes viewers behind-the-scenes to South Africa where NBC News crews and producers spent two weeks face to face with rhinos.
With rhino horns fetching more than gold ounce per ounce, it's not surprising that poaching has escalated. But South Africa's national park service reported Wednesday that it was shocked when it had to arrest four of its own on suspicion of killing rhinos and selling their horns to criminal syndicates.
"The unscrupulous and revolting hands of the poaching syndicates have stretched as far as to taint the hands of those trusted with the great responsibility of being guardians of our natural heritage," South Africa National Parks chief David Mabunda said in a statement.
The men were stationed at Kruger National Park, which at 7,500 square miles is nearly the size of New Jersey. They were arrested Tuesday after two more rhinos were found dead and their horns cut off.
Home to more than 90 percent of the continent's rhinos, South Africa is on the front line of a worsening war with poachers who send the horns to China and Southeast Asia for use in traditional medicine.
South Africa has sent troops to Kruger Park, but the poaching continues.
NBC's Rock Center reports on efforts to protect rhinos
Rhino dies during operation to protect it from poachers
Poachers killed a record 448 rhinos in South Africa last year and have already killed 80 this year -- setting a pace for a new annual record. Kruger has seen 43 rhinos killed so far this year.
A decade ago South Africa had more than 20,000 rhinos and was losing about 15 a year to poachers.
But poaching has increased dramatically in the last few years as the spread of wealth in places like Vietnam and Thailand has enabled more people to buy powdered rhino horn, a prized ingredient in traditional medicine, though it has no proved benefits.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Lets blow up China, then we won't have to pay back our debt either.
I am going to start exporting North Carolina dirt to China so that they can grow bigger penises. Those idiots will believe anything.
Spike you got me laughing my butt off and you got a good point-Dam Asians,to be smart there dumb as hell...
Carefull what you wish for. Pretty soon all you'll have left is bedrock, lol.
someone should send anthrax to the chinese and let them think it's powdered rhino's horn , that'll teach the other idiots not to ask for anymore powdered rhino's horn.
We could have them make fake rhino horns then tell them that they're real and sell them back at a later time. Can't miss. That should cover our debt to them.
Let's fashion those fake rhino horns out of melamine......
Seriously can a lab make fake horns, sounds like it would be very lucrative. If we can drive the price down so the real thing isnt worth anything maybe it would solve this problem.
Let's stop screwing around and cut their horns off -- they serve no purpose to the rhino.
Gil , i hate to burst your bubble, but they use their horn to defend themselves against other predators, so yeah it is there for a reason.
Let's just do this, Wheel the poachers.
Do their family first in front of the poacher and then Wheel the poacher. After seeing one person broken on the Wheel, no one will ever commit a crime that has a punishment of the Wheel.
Same fate for those that export the horns too. Wheel them.
Our legacy is one of war,death,and destruction. If only we could use our powers for good.What a wonderful world it would be.
All poacher should be taken to closet village,tie him on to an big X made of wood and beat him till his flesh falls off but cut his nose and ears off first,run salt in wounds and leave him tied there and pay all villagers money to beat them as they please then nail them to a cross and let them die.Give a good money bonus to those who catch a poacher-they need to hire more men to protect rhinos and pay them good money and when they catch one they get a bonus-all Zoo's around the world should give money to men that can be trusted to protect Rhinos-all poacher will end up nailed to cross till they die and do it in the villages so others we see what will happen if you do this.
As I always say the punishment should fit the crime. They should poach the Poachers, skinning them, making there bones into chopsticks, remove there internal organs, cut off there dicks (China uses tiger penis), chop off there hands and feet. Physically they may be human but in side they no longer are. Asia shouldn't be blown up but should be educated about this so they know it is not sustainable and if that doesn't work force them to change. some Asians may say we would be killing their culture but I say @!$%# this part of it I would rather see it go than another species we will never see again.
CockatooMan, the Asians have proven to be unteachable. There is a myth that the asians are very smart. We have this myth from what we encounter here. The truth is the smart ones leave and come here for oppritunity and freedom. The average IQ for most Asian countries is only in the mid 70's.
The poaching pathetic Rangers involved in this need to be executed in public.
Make fake rhinos and trap the poachers then kill them, obvious.
we protect the rhino..but f#@#! syrian women and children. do you think we have our prioritys straight..
I'm surprised the Asian's haven't formulated an exact replica of a rhino's tusk. They copy everything else, why should this be any different?
I don't get it. Chinese markets are overflowing with fake items. Why not sell them fake material in ground form and pretend they are rhino horns or whatever. The buyers wouldn't know the difference. Whatever the effect they get, is placebo effect anyway.
When they catch one of these idiots with a rhino horn, lay the guy on an ant hill covered with honey, And
stick the rhino horn in his AZZ as far as it will go. Then parade all the people past him. Just like in WW2
when they found the DEATH CAMPS in Europe, that the local's denied. How many would it take ?
I think that protesting against China buy not buying anything from Wal-Mart would be the most pronounced message to China. If you buy from Wal-Mart, who receives almost all of its merchandise from China, you are effectively supporting the killing of Elephants and Rhinos in Africa. China IS the big push for horns and tusks, not the US. But Americans will buy chinese products from Wal_mart all day long...
Crooked rangers who betray their positions of trust are not an anomaly. This problem is not limited to Africa. Those in positions of power tend to abuse the trust given to them, worldwide. This is human nature. Power corrupts, absolute power absolutely corrupts. If we allowed private ownership of elephants and ivory commercialization in Africa, then the owners would have a vested interest in maintaining the herds for maximum profits. The owners would find ways to protect their investment. Government = corruption. Less government is good for everybody and good for wildlife too.
The article seemed to overlook a critical factor in South Africa in the time period where poaching has increased significantly. All violent crime has increased significantly during this same time period. Let me see, what has changed in South Africa since 1994 when Whites turned power over to the black majority? Rape rates up dramatically, murder rates up substantially, all violent crime up substantially, and poaching has also increasing substantially. Look at Detroit today and compare it to Detroit of 50 years ago. What is different about Detroit today? Duh… we all know but are too cowardly to tell the truth. Almost everybody is afraid of being labeled a racist.
This article fails to mention the "medicine" is said to help men grow larger penis'. WFT? Why not tell the truth? It does not even work and still men are willing to shell out cash for it. Unreal. Another rational reason that women should be in all positions of power. Men think about sex too much. it is so much a part of a man's self concept he can not run governments or business. Over 95% of all sex scandals politicians get into, which cost taxpayers money, and waste our time, are created by men. A more efficient world has women at top positions.
Killing elephants and rhinos for their tusks is very sad for the animal and a huge waste. That the people who are paid to look after them were some of the ones who were doing the poaching is more than sad.
Redherring 90: You've got your eye on the prize, big guy. With white control, they had civilized society and the adherence to law and order. People here in the U.S.A. better keep there powder dry, because what is happening in Africa, is coming to a community near you soon. Very sad indeed.
they should shoot them all they were there to protect GODS creatures MONEY BASTANDS
at one time they were selling their people ,now theyr'e selling their animals , improvement yes,but its still pretty bad in africa.you have to wonder how serious those governments are towards stopping this extinction or even if some of them take part in it ,otherwise they would had put a stop to it for sure.
If you pay the poachers to protect the animals more than they are getting paid for the horns, you might have a solution. Problem is, Africa is so friggin poor those people will do almost anything to make a buck to survive another day. Thos animals don't stand a chance out in their natural habitat. There is too much ground to cover and the poachers will get to them one way or another. Shooting on sight will not stop them- someone else will take their place. The best thing we can do right now is extract as many as we can and get them to North America for preservation and management. The Africans are too corrupt to do anything about the problem. Cutting the demand will help, but not much. Asians are steeped in tradition and ignorance and will never give up these useless so-called medicines. Eco-tourism might help, but again, corruption is so bad that trickle down economics is virtually non-existent there. I feel bad about the whole situation.