Dr. Marius Kruger, center, and members of the Kruger National Park, keep the head of a rhino up during a white rhino relocation capture, on Oct. 17, 2014. Photo: AFPPoachers killed fewer rhinos in South Africa since the start of the year as the government stepped up efforts to protect the animals, spurring an increase in the number of elephants which are being illegally hunted. In the Kruger National Park, 458 rhinos were killed between January and the end of August, down from 557 a year ago, it said. “There may be indications however that the success of anti-poaching efforts in the Kruger National Park has led to poaching syndicates shifting operations to other provinces,” Minister of Environmental Affairs Edna Molewa said. “We have also begun experiencing an increase in elephant poaching.”Since January, 36 elephants have been illegally killed in the Kruger National Park, Molewa said.

Source: Thanhnien News September 12, 2016 06:33 UTC