The Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa has reduced the 30-year jail sentence imposed on Thai national, Chumlong Lemthongthai, to 13 years plus a fine of R1m.
International Rhino Foundation (IRF) in the USA and the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), announced that they are petitioning the Obama Administration to impose trade sanctions against Mozambique in response to rising poaching incidents.Since 2010, Mozambican nationals have slaughtered approximately 1,862 rhinos in South Africa, as well as thousands of elephants in Tanzania and Mozambique.
According to CITES three of the five species, the Sumatran, Javan and Black Rhino are 'Critically Endangered'. The Indian Rhino is listed as 'Endangered', while only the White Rhino has been saved from the brink of extinction due to conservation efforts.
A small founder population of Critically Endangered black rhino have been captured and released into the safe haven of Botswana’s Okavango Delta by Wilderness Wildlife Trust. This is a a joint collaboration with the Botswana and South African Governments, following the successful capture and release of a group of black rhino in April 2014.
On October 4th people in cities throughout the world will march as one voice to save Elephants and Rhinos. Up to 50,000 Elephants are killed every year so their tusks can be carved into ivory trinkets. A Rhino is slaughtered every 9-11 hours for Rhino Horn. Their only hope for survival lies in an immediate end to the ivory and rhino horn trade.
With 496 rhinos poached in 2014, the SA Government is considering the controlled sale of rhino horn, and has issued a formal invitation to the public on Monday 7 July 2014 to present opinions on the matter. Although the Govt. insists it has not taken a final decision on whether to push for legal rhino horn trading, SA is expected to submit a proposal to CITES in 2016 to allow strictly regulated legal sales.