Other than sea turtles with threatened conservation status, other endangered species around the world have also benefitted from diminished human activity during the pandemic. The number of South African rhinos killed by poachers fell by half in the first half of the year as the coronavirus outbreak limited the movement of people and disrupted international smuggling rings.
During the first six months of the year, 166 rhinos were poached in South Africa. That’s 53 percent less compared with 316 in the first half of 2019, according to Barbara Creecy, the minister of environment, forestry, and fisheries.
The ministry attributed its success in slowing the rate of poaching to a decade of various strategies and supply chain disruptions that stemmed from national travel restrictions during a national coronavirus lockdown.
South Africa is home to more than 90 percent of the world population of white rhinos. For years, the country has been battling the increasing demand for the animals’ horns in Asia.
