LUSAKA, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Zambia on Thursday expressed deep concern over the resurgence of rhino poaching in the southern African country.
The concern followed the killing of a three-year-old white rhino by poachers in Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park on March 11, who fled with its horns. This incident came after two rhinos were killed last year at a ranch in the southern district of Kazungula.
WWF Zambia Country Director Nalucha Nganga-Ziba described the recent rhino killing as a major setback in the country's ongoing efforts to restore its rhino population.
"As one of the 12 African rhino range states, Zambia has great potential for rhino conservation. Both the government and non-governmental stakeholders remain committed to restoring the country's status as a strong rhino range state," she said in a statement.
Nganga-Ziba emphasized that rhino poaching in Zambia and the region poses a serious threat to conservation efforts, and called for a united front among key stakeholders to combat wildlife crime.
She reaffirmed the WWF Zambia's commitment to working alongside the government to restore the country's former position as a stronghold for rhino conservation.
According to her, Zambia was once one of Africa's key rhino range states, contributing significantly to the global rhino population index. However, due to widespread poaching, black rhinos were declared extinct in Zambia by 1998, despite their population once reaching an estimated 12,000 in the 1960s.
