RHINO KILLED IN OL PEJETA SANCTUARY IN KENYA

A rhino has been killed by poachers in Kenya and had its horn cut off. The endangered white rhino has been shot 17 times and was six years of age. The rhino by the names of Max features in the documentary Last Chance To See and had been raised by Ian Craig a friend to Prince William.

The rangers had cut off part of the horn to protect the animal from the poachers but has been killed for the small piece that had remained.

Ian Craig manages the Lewa Wildlife Reserve in Kenya where the rhino had grown up from and when it reached childhood, it was transferred to Ol Pejeta sanctuary where it has been killed.

In 2001 Prince William the Duke of Cambridge volunteered at Mr. Craig’s conservation project for six weeks and it is where he came to know Max and also joined the Tusk Trust an organization that protects animals.

Rhinos are killed by poachers for their horns which is sold at 40, 00 Euros a kilo in Asia because the Asians believe it can cure cancer.

Poaching in Africa has increased because of the increasing demand of rhino horns in China and Vietnam. In 2011in South Africa, poachers killed a rhino every after 20 hrs and this year over 70 rhinos have been killed in the same country. Six have been killed in Zimbabwe this year in one of the reserves.