Agreement reached with Mozambique to fight rhino poaching

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South Africa has signed an anti-poaching agreement with neighbouring Mozambique, a major transit route for rhino horn trafficked to Asia.

Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa says Mozambique is a prime source of illegal hunters hired and armed by trans-national crime syndicates to cross the border into South Africa to kill the animals.

The Kruger National Park shares a long border with Mozambique and has borne the brunt of rhino poaching in recent years.

Molewa says so far this year, a total of 293 rhinos have been killed in South Africa, with nearly half of the attacks in the Kruger National Park, despite the deployment of troops to protect them.

She says the two countries agreed to share intelligence and jointly develop anti-poaching technology and education programmes.