Two traffickers of rhino horns have been sentenced by a South African court in what police said was the world’s largest such case, partly bringing to an end an almost two-decade legal saga. Dawie Groenewald and Tielman Erasmus had faced more than 1,700 charges ranging from illegally hunting and dehorning rhinos to racketeering and money […]
Tag: rhino horns
Chinese court cases reveal most trafficked rhino horns come from Southern Africa
Rhinoceroses, one of the largest groups of animals on the planet, are fighting a battle for survival because of a prized body part: their horn, which they use to defend territories, assert dominance and protect their young. But people use this keratinous horn as medicine, adornment and decoration. In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s believed to […]
It’s ‘whack-a-mole’: Alarming rise in pet trade fuels wildlife trafficking into California
In October, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer at California’s Otay Mesa border crossing noticed an odd bulge inside a man’s pants. Jesse Agus Martinez, a U.S. citizen who lives in Tijuana, repeatedly claimed the bump was “pirrin,” a Spanish word for penis. His history of smuggling birds into the U.S. prompted further examination, […]
Namibia loses bid to overturn ban on rhino horn trade
Namibia’s proposals to lift the ban on the international trade in black and white rhino horns have been rejected at a key conservation meeting. The result of the voting at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) earlier this week was adopted by the conference on Thursday in […]
This creature has one of the mightiest, most lethal weapons in the animal kingdom – and he uses it to impress the girls
Consider elephant tusks, elk antlers, rhino horns or the curved canines of the extinct sabre-toothed cat… these weapons may be enormous, but, proportionally, it’s the male fiddler crab that owns the mightiest weapon on record. The male’s larger claw can be half of its total body mass – the equivalent of carrying your entire bodyweight […]
Singapore intercepts record stash of SA rhino horns hidden in ‘furniture fittings’
The stash of illicit rhino horns, together with an assortment of other animal parts, was destined for the south-east Asian country of Laos. The National Parks Board of Singapore confirmed this week that 35.7kg of rhinoceros horns, valued at roughly S$1.13 million (just under R15 million), were discovered earlier this month during routine cargo checks. […]
Rhino horn trafficking: Conservationist John Hume among six accused in Pretoria court
Well-known nature conservationist John Hume, 83, is among six people accused of running a rhino horn smuggling syndicate. The accused, Hume, Clive Melville, Izak Du Toit, Elizabeth van Niekerk, Mattheus Poggenpoel, and Johannes Hennop appeared in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday. According to the National Prosecuting Authority, Hume was granted R100,000 bail. “Melville and […]
Petition: South Africa Must Act Now to Stop Rhino Poaching
The ongoing crisis facing South Africa’s rhinos cannot be ignored. In the first three months of 2025 alone, 103 rhinos were killed, highlighting the threat posed by sophisticated poaching groups that exploit weaknesses in protection and enforcement. Rhinos are an iconic species. Their continued survival is under grave threat – especially for critically endangered species […]