Rhino poaching hits new high in South Africa

Poachers in South Africa have killed more rhino so far this year than in the whole of 2012.

A black dehorned rhinoceros is followed by a calf  at the Bona Bona Game Reserve, 200 kms southeast of Johannesburg.

South Africa's Department for Environmental Affairs said 688 rhino are known to have been killed al ready in 2013.

That's more than the record of 668 rhino that were killed last year.

Rhino horn is more valuable than gold in South East Asia where it is believed to have medicinal properties.

Wildlife campaigners are calling on governments to take action to save the rhino before it's too late.

Philip Mansbridge from Care for the Wild said: "We're about to become the generation that lost an animal which has lived here for millions and millions of years."

http://phys.org/news/2013-07-rhinos-poached-south-africa-year.html#jCp