Namibia dehorns 666 rhinos since 2018 to curb poaching.

Namibia is dehorning most of its endangered black rhinos in an effort to curb poaching, official said Thursday.

According to Environment Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda, Namibia has dehorned about 208 rhinos this year, bringing the total number of dehorned rhinos to 666 since 2018.

“This is an initiative that has been ongoing since 2014, where we dehorn rhinos located in poaching hotspots. it is part of our interventions to curb poaching. We are aware that this is not enough to stop the killing of our animals that is why we are bolstering our anti-poaching patrols,” Muyunda said.

He said the country has made major progress in rhino conservation but poaching incidences are still a challenge.

Statistics from the Environment Ministry show that rhino poaching in the country has fallen by over 60 percent year on year with only 22 cases compared to 46 last year.

16 October 2020

CGTN