Nearly 1,200 rhinos were killed by poachers in South Africa last year, officials said on Thursday, a slight decrease on 2014, but another year of carnage fuelled by Asian-led demand for their horn. “By the end of December 2015, the number of poached rhinos was 1,175,” Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa told reporters.
Fewer than 100 rhinos were poached in 2008, since when numbers have rocketed. A record 1,215 were killed last year.
The slaughter has been driven by demand for their horn in countries such as China and Vietnam, where they are prized for their purported medicinal properties. The horn is composed mainly of keratin, the same component as in human nails, but it is sold in powdered form as a supposed cure for cancer and other diseases.