Federal raids a ‘serious blow’ to rhino trade: Wildlife investigators in California and other states crack down on an international smuggling ring that trafficked for years in sawed-off rhinoceros horns @ LA Times
Federal wildlife investigators in California and other states say they have cracked an international smuggling ring that trafficked for years in sawed-off rhinoceros horns, which fetch stratospheric prices in Vietnam and China for their supposed cancer-curing powers. (…)
The Fish and Wildlife Service seized more than $1 million in cash, $1 million in gold bars, diamonds and Rolex watches, along with 20 rhino horns, in the raids. (…)
About 450 rhinos were poached in South Africa last year, nearly four times as many as in 2009. African herds have declined by 90% since the 1970s, with 20,000 white rhinos left, mostly in South Africa, and 5,000 black rhinos scattered across the continent. Their Asian cousins are teetering on extinction. (…)
