The fight for rhino protection

In April, South African soldiers were sent to Kruger National Park to protect the Mozambique border. This is a place known for poaching and slaughtering rhinos with heavy and organized weapons to provide the 'black' market of oriental medicine in Asia.

This year, 15 thieves were killed in a shootout at Kruger, 9 were injured and 64 were killed.

Photos are for illustrative purposes only

The most killed rhino in history in March with 40 children killed. However, since the military was deployed, this number has decreased. Signs of improvement began in 2007 only 13 rhinos were killed in South Africa, while the previous year's figure was 333.

But this success will only solve part of the problem, due to strong demand in Asia. Rhino horn is used in traditional medicine to treat everything from feverish bleeding.

Rhino horns are made of keratin, like human fingernails, and it is a medicine of no scientific value, but this still does not reduce the demand of the black market. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, black rhinos are in danger of extinction because they only have 4,838 children in the world, white rhinos have about 17,480 children.