[ti:Increase in Illegal Killing of Rhinos in Africa, Asia] [ar:Steve Ember] [al:Development Report] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]This is the VOA Special English [00:02.92]Development Report. [00:04.65]A new report says [00:06.51]the illegal killing of rhinos [00:09.18]for their horns is increasing [00:11.73]in Africa and Asia. [00:14.00]Rhinoceros poachers are killing [00:17.11]an estimated two to three of [00:19.82] the rare animals each week. [00:22.22]Experts say demand in Asia [00:25.63]-- especially Vietnam and China [00:28.15]-- currently drives most trade [00:30.95]in rhino horns from southern Africa. [00:34.32]The horns are often used [00:36.69]to make traditional medicines, [00:38.89]or handles for dagger knives. [00:41.68]The report is from [00:43.52]the International Union [00:45.03]for the Conservation of Nature [00:47.54]and an organization known as Traffic. [00:51.04]Most African rhino poaching is [00:54.33]in Zimbabwe and South Africa. [00:57.73]Experts found that [00:59.83]two hundred ten rhinos [01:02.18]were illegally killed [01:04.04]in South Africa [01:05.79] in the last three years. [01:07.98]The estimate for Zimbabwe [01:10.47]is two hundred thirty-five. [01:12.75]The situation threatens gains made [01:16.57]in its rhino populations [01:18.62]in the nineteen nineties. [01:20.86]In the last two years, [01:23.20]only six people were found [01:25.83]guilty of poaching charges [01:27.85]out of forty-one arrested. [01:31.15]In two thousand one, [01:33.50]sixty-eight percent of [01:35.91]African rhino horns [01:37.96]entering illegal trade [01:40.13]were recovered. [01:41.78]By this year, [01:43.23]nine out of ten were heading [01:46.13]to Asian markets without interference. [01:49.71]The report says [01:51.52]poaching and illegal horn [01:54.42]trade has increased [01:56.76]in South Africa even [01:58.37]with new measures against it. [02:01.07]Adding to the problem, [02:03.41]poachers today are more skilled [02:06.24]at killing rhinos, [02:07.93]and not only with guns. [02:09.99] They also use quieter methods, [02:13.35]like veterinary drugs, [02:14.98]poison and crossbows. [02:17.83]An international agreement [02:21.08]on protecting endangered animals [02:24.17]and plants provides [02:26.01]for sport hunting of [02:28.19]white rhinos in Africa. [02:30.86]But the horns often enter illegal markets. [02:35.09]Not all the news is bad, however. [02:39.00]The report notes that [02:41.15]rhino populations are [02:43.24]increasing in some areas. [02:46.10]These include both white rhinos [02:49.36]and black rhinos [02:51.50]in the wild in Africa. [02:53.70]Africa had an estimated [02:56.50]seventeen thousand white rhinos [02:59.34]and four thousand black rhinos [03:02.39]as of two years ago. [03:04.59]Current estimates for Asia [03:07.02]are around three thousand rhinos. [03:09.82]But even with poaching, [03:12.64]growth is reported [03:14.44] in some areas of India and Nepal. [03:18.51]Wildlife activists are urging [03:22.12]governments to do more [03:23.97]to fight rhino poaching. [03:26.62]The report was presented [03:29.12]to the organization known as CITES. [03:32.02]CITES is the Convention [03:36.86]on International Trade [03:38.38]in Endangered Species of [03:41.00]Wild Fauna and Flora. [03:43.42]The next conference of countries [03:46.12]that are parties to the agreement [03:48.63]is in March in Doha, Qatar. [03:52.28]And that's the VOA Special English [03:55.63]Development Report, [03:57.13]written by June Simms. [03:59.01]I'm Steve Ember.