South Africa, home to many exotic animals, has had a problem with poaching. More specifically, rhino poaching, where 80% of most rhinos live. 

In 2014, over 1200 rhinos had been poached. People are poaching these rhinos due to their horns, which is a symbolization of wealth and apparently for medicine uses as well. The horn is mostly transferred to Asian countries, due to these attributes it contains that Asian countries like. Rhino species such as black rhino and northern white rhino have already gone extinct due to poaching. However, although the poaching of rhinos has been excessive, the numbers have been going down these last couple years. Record high in 2015, 1,349 rhinos had been killed, decreasing to 318 in 2019.

When I traveled to South Africa, the open range I had traveled through only had two rhinos.  The rangers described the poaching to me. I noticed they had shaved off their horns to prevent poaching, and the ranger had discussed how they rescued the rhinos from poaching. Another way South Africa is working towards prevention is sniffer dogs who are able to detect rhino horns, to catch poachers. They also are doing court prosecutions on poachers to enforce the law on those who are caught poaching.

These rhinos should not be poached at all, especially just for their horns; they are precious animals that face extinction due to human greed. 

What can you do? If you feel that you’d like to help the few rhinos that are left, (29,500), I suggest you try donating.  Information is available on this website:  http://www.stoprhinopoaching.com/ . Prepare yourself for some gruesome scenes.  If you feel you could do something else, research about anti-poaching of rhinos.