Rhino Poaching Soars

Rampant rhino poaching is thwarting efforts to protect the animal around the world, according to a report from a group of conservationists. The organization blamed a decline in effective law enforcement for a surge in poaching in South Africa and Zimbabwe over the last few years. Demand for rhino horn for use in Asian medicines is fueling the rise in poaching, the BBC reports.

The group called for "concerted action at the highest level" to end the poaching crisis in Africa and to preserve threatened rhino populations in Indonesia and Malaysia. The report found that some nations—Nepal in particular—had successfully stepped up rhino protection efforts but warned that further action will be needed from all nations involved. (More rhinoceros stories.)