Almost 50 rhino poachers arrested last month alone: SAPS

National Police Spokesperson, Vishnu Naidoo, says that even though efforts through Operation Rhino, a SAPS-led operation in conjunction with the South African National Defence Force have yielded positive results, the number of rhinos poached still remains at an alarming level. 

Naidoo says that poachers were arrested in the Kruger National Park in Mpumalanga and Hluhluwe in KwaZulu-Natal. Naidoo added that so far this year only 165 rhino have been poached - a reduction of 60 rhino compared to the same period last year.

"What we need to do is to focus our attention on the demand for rhino horns. If there is no market for these horns then there will be no need for them to be poached so we are working very closely with our counterparts from countries where these horns are generally destined for," he said. 

"With those efforts in place we are hoping that our success can be even more significant," Naidoo said.

(File photo)