Crisis Zimbabwe Update – April 2, 2009

Another Rhino Killed

A young female black rhino, called “Umlali” by the Lowveld Rhino Trust monitors, was shot by poachers for her horn on March 6th. Umlali had already been caught twice in poachers’ snares, and the Trust’s veterinarians successfully operated on her twice to remove the snares and save her life. But poachers who used to rely on snares are increasingly switching to guns – making their kill rates much higher, and making it that much more difficult for us to rescue and treat rhinos. Umlali had a sub-adult calf who was still living with her, and the rhino monitors and rangers are currently searching for her and hoping desperately that she was not shot also.