At least 11 black rhinos have been poached for their horns in Namibia’s flagship Etosha National Park in the past few weeks, the Ministry of Environment and Tourism said late Tuesday.
Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said investigations have shown that the poaching has intensified in the past month since all carcasses discovered were at least three weeks old.
“With our ongoing operation in Etosha National Park, we unfortunately discovered eleven rhino carcasses as from the beginning (of) June 2022 to date,” Muyunda said in a statement.
He added: “This is regrettable and a strong indication that the fight against poaching is not over.”
The official said his ministry would work together with the Namibian Police Force, Namibia Defence Force and other partners to intensify wildlife protection and law enforcement interventions, “including intensifying on our patrols, security and intelligence gathering in the Etosha National Park.”
No arrests have been made yet on the recent carcasses discovery and investigations continue, he said.
To date, a total of 22 rhinos have been poached in 2022 in the country.
Rhino poaching is rife in southern Africa where marauding gangs of poachers have for decades killed thousands of the endangered animals for their horns in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
This has led to anti-poaching programmes in all the countries.
JN/APA