Thursday, 17 October 2013

Entry 9- October 16, 2013

Kenya to microchip every rhino in anti-poaching drive


October 16, 2013
BBC News

A Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) vet approaches a wild male black rhino after it was tranquilised, on 28 August 2013


















In Kenya, wildlife officials are embarking on an ambitious plan to plant microchips in every single Rhinoceros in the country in a drive to combat a surge of poaching. These microchips will be implanted in the horns of over 1,000 rhinos. The wildlife officials hope that these chips will enable live animals to be tracked and poached horns to be traced, improving the chances of finding poachers and prosecuting them. The big prices for rhino ivory horns have aroused a gold rush in poaching across of Africa. Rhino horns are also very highly priced in Asia, as it is mostly used for medicine. The horns are made of keratin, which is also the same substance as human finger nails. With poachers getting more sophisticated and wiser, it is important that we protect these animals. This will serve to strengthen rhino monitoring, protect all the rhinos on sight and also support anti-trafficking nationally and regionally. 

I think this is a great idea. Poaching has become very popular amongst the people of Africa and we should be trying to stop this ASAP. Many rhinos are in the endangered species and we need to find a way once and for all to put this to an end

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