Rhino poaching hit all-time high in 2010

[Barrett808]

Rhinoceros poaching in South Africa hit an all-time high in 2010, with 333 animals slain for their valuable horns. That's nearly triple the 122 rhinos killed in the country in 2009.

Most of the poached rhinos were southern white rhinoceri (Ceratotherium simum simum). The most prolific type of rhino, it is considered a near-threatened species. But 10 critically endangered black rhinos (Diceros bicornis) were also among the dead.

The killing hasn't abated with the new year. As of January 11 five more rhinos had already been killed.

Most of the deaths in the past year were in Kruger National Park, which lost 146 rhinos due to poaching. ...

Rhino poaching hit all-time high in 2010