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South Africa Sees Poaching Intensify as 749 Rhinos Killed

Majority of rhinos were killed in Kruger National Park
Government yet to decide on sale of rhino-horn stockpile

Crime scene investigator examines a recently poached rhino in Kruger National Park, South Africa. — Crime scene investigator examines a recently poached rhino in Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Photographer: Moeletsi Mabe/The Times/Gallo Images via Getty Images

By

Rene Vollgraaff

August 30, 2015, 2:32 PM UTCUpdated onAugust 31, 2015, 6:09 AM UTC

Rhino poaching in South Africa has intensified this year after a record number of animals were killed in 2014, according to Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa.

In the period to Aug. 27, 749 rhinos were poached compared with 716 in the same time frame last year, Molewa told reporters on Sunday in the capital, Pretoria. Of that total, 544 were killed in the 2 million-hectare Kruger National Park, which borders Mozambique and Zimbabwe.