Botswana’s wildlife authorities say four rhinoceroses were shot, and two of them died, in a heavily guarded sanctuary, although their horns were not removed. The permanent secretary at the environment and tourism ministry, Thato Raphaka, said the shooting took place at the protected Khama Rhino Sanctuary recently. Most of the rhino population, estimated at 400 in 2019, was moved to other havens to protect them from poachers. Following the recent shooting incident, local rhino conservationist Map Ives fears more rhino attacks could be on the way. Botswana has been experiencing a poaching crisis since 2018, which has forced authorities to relocate the rhinoceroses from the Okavango Delta, a poaching hot spot. Namibia and South Africa also have been hard hit by rhino poaching. Namibia lost 87 of the animals to poaching in 2022, the highest recorded in a calendar year in that country.

SOURCE: VOA