On Monday February 20, Botswana revealed that it is facing a sharp increase in poaching of its rhinos. A total of 138 of these animals were killed by poachers between 2018 and 2022, peaking in 2021, before falling again in 2022, Tourism Minister Philda Kereng told parliament on Monday (February 20). By way of comparison, between 2012 and 2017, Botswana had recorded only two rhino victims of poachers.
The minister attributed this increase to "an increased demand for rhino horn on the international market", mainly in Asia, but also to "a movement of criminal organizations from other southern African states". Neighboring South Africa, a traditional hotspot for rhino poaching, has seen a steady decline in the number of animals killed in recent years due to increased patrols in national parks, forcing poachers to leave. look for horns elsewhere. In Asia, rhinoceros horns are used in traditional medicine for their supposed therapeutic effects.
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), a total of 285 white rhinos and 23 black rhinos remain in Botswana. The country, which has in turn stepped up its anti-poaching patrols, has in recent years begun dehorning its rhinos to reduce their appeal to poachers, but this has not had the desired effect as the strain of the horn remains valuable to poachers.
