The Namibian authorities have reinforced anti-poaching measures after announcing that 28 rhinos had been killed by poachers since the beginning of the year.
Of these 19, 10 were discovered during special operations to dehorn rhinos to deter poachers, who exploit Asian demand by selling the horns after killing the animals.
Etosha Park in Namibia has been particularly hard hit by this new wave of poaching. Numbers for 2023 have not yet been revealed.
The southern African country's environment ministry said an "urgent high-level meeting" with security officials had been called to plan measures to combat the wave of "barbaric" poaching.
Popular tourist destination
The Etosha sanctuary is a popular destination for tourists, with sightings at waterholes particularly frequent during the dry season from May to October.
The ministry has also appealed to the public for help "in this difficult fight" against a phenomenon that is once again rampant in southern Africa. No arrests have been made to date, the department added.
In neighbouring South Africa, home to the majority of the world's rhinos, nearly 500 were killed last year, an increase of 11% compared to 2022.
The massive herbivores numbered nearly 23,300 on the continent at the end of 2022, including around 15,000 in South Africa, underlining the scale of the conservation challenge facing the region.
"This is our flagship park, with a high concentration of rhino and other valuable species, making it a major tourist attraction," concluded the Namibian ministry's press release.
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