Badak Hunting For Culanya In South Africa Decreased In Semester I Of 2023

African White Rhino. (Wikipedia Commons/Hein Waschefort)

JAKARTA - The number of rhinos killed for their turn in South Africa decreased during the first half of this year, as authorities stepped up efforts to tackle illegal hunting of endangered animals.

South Africa and its neighboring countries, Namibia and Botswana, have struggled for decades to control rhino hunting. The animal culture is highly valued for traditional jewelry and medicine in several East Asian countries.

"Between January 1 to June 30, 231 rhinos were killed in South Africa for their turn, 28 more than in the same period last year," the South African Environment Ministry said.

The ministry further said joint efforts involving law enforcement agencies, customs and private security officers had succeeded in ensnaring illegal hunters.

However, with the increasing demand for rhino horn, it said the threat to the rhino population was still ongoing.

It is known, rhino hunting often involves international criminal syndicates that rely on local hunting assistance.

Along with increased surveillance and programs to ban the hunting of cula in the well-knownTUK National Park, last year's hunters shifted their focus to provincial parks and private nature reserves.

The trend continues in 2023, the ministry said, with 143 rhinos killed in KwaZulu-Christmas Province and 46 rhinos in private wildlife asylum.

The South African government said it had established tactical centers, in addition to improving services provided to forestkeepers in terms of healthcare, training, and counseling to prevent them from colluding with criminal gangs.

South Africa itself is home to nearly half of the endangered black rhino population on the African continent, as well as the nearly endangered population of white rhinos in the world.