Rhino Killed by Poachers

Stumpy, the 41-year-old black rhino, was a staple in the Lewa Conservancy in Kenya. Poachers snuck onto the wildlife refuge in the early hours of the morning and encountered the unfortunate victim. The conservation officers heard gunshots around 3:45 a.m. and when the sun began to rise, they discovered the foot prints of four poachers. They followed the tracks and discovered their worst fears - the carcass of the black rhino. On a happier note, the calf accompanying the slaughtered animal escaped with minor gun shot wounds. The poaching of rhinos has increased dramatically as of late due to increased demand the horns of the animals in Asia for medicinal purposes.

News such as this is saddening in the worst degree - the barbarism men utilize is inhumane. Poaching animals is wrong - killing in general is wrong, but certain animals are justified in dying for reasons I will never understand - but, these animals, whose numbers exceeded 20,000 in Kenya, are now on the brink of being wiped clean from the country with less than 300. Another sad statistic is that, on average, one poaching occurs daily. Without the protection of these conservancies, the situation would spiral out of control. Thank the world for those who care about the creatures that we coexist everyday with.