2009: Bleak Year for Rhinos, Reports of worldwide poaching at 15 year high

Last year, rhino poaching worldwide hit a 15-year high due to increased demand for rhino horn. A recent report by TRAFFIC and IUCN, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, showed that since 2006, 95 percent of the poaching in Africa has occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Furthermore the report analyzes poaching incidents by month and through certain countries. It is a good reminder of the issues conservation leaders faced around CoP14 last year and the events and statistics leading to CoP15 which takes place in a few weeks.

Most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for medicinal markets in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam, where demand has escalated in recent years.

To Read the Full Report by IUCN, TRAFFIC and WWF…Click Here