Kenya cracks down on poachers

May 10, 2012

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Kenya is implementing a new strategy of combating poachers by purchasing additional helicopters and hiring more rangers, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) director Julius Kipngetich said on Wednesday (May 9th).

Poachers have already killed four rhinos and 70 elephants this year, he said, blaming the high rate of killing on increasing ivory prices.

"We now have two rangers assigned to take care of one rhino, unlike in the past where we had only one ranger for one rhino," Kipngetich told a press conference in Nairobi. The additional ranger assigned to the rhino will allow for easier tracking.

Kipngetich said the KWS will boost surveillance in parks and airports, and a third KWS helicopter will be equipped with special cameras to monitor activity on the ground.

Last year, 278 elephants were killed, Kenya's Daily Nation reported. Last month, rangers killed five suspected poachers near the Ugandan border.

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