Game poaching in Kenya has become so aggravated that the authorities are to microchip every rhino in the country.
Microchips will be put into the horn of every rhinoceros, believed to number in excess of 1,000.
The horns are composed of keratin, the same substance which forms fingernails.
Incidents of killings have risen sharply in Africa in recent years, with the wildlife trafficking industry thought to be worth around £6.6 billion. Rhino horn is traded on the black market in Asia, where it is used to treat ailments such as cancer and “possession by the devil”.
The Kenyan Wildlife Service believes the microchips will allow the horns to be traced, which in turn will provide clues and information on poaching and smuggling chains. They hope be able to provide evidence in court and to see the prosecution of poachers and traffickers.
The chips were donated by the World Wildlife Fund along with five scanners at a cost of £9,400. Tracking the rhinos to dart them and fit the device will cost much more.
Since 2007, rhino deaths have risen by 3,000%. By August there had already been 35 deaths, up from 29 for all of 2012.
At the same time, elephants are being pursued for their ivory tusks. Whole herds have been slaughtered, the most recent massacre being in Zimbabwe where another 10 carcasses brought the number poisoned by cyanide to more than 100 in the past month.
