Botswana steps up war on poachingBy MTOKOZISI DUBE | Tuesday, March 13  2012 at  07:34

Botswana is set to engage security agents as it steps up its war against poaching.
Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Mr Kitso Mokaila said they were taking tough measures to save the endangered species.

The southern African country has, in recent years, lost many rhinos to poaching, with the crime soaring due to booming demand in Asia for rhino horn.

The horn is used as an aphrodisiac in Asia and is believed to cure cancer. A single rhino horn fetches half a million dollars on the Asian market.

“They are an endangered species and we will introduce stern measures against poachers,” said Mokaila.

He further said they were aware that poachers from neighbouring South Africa were eyeing Botswana rhinos.

Mokaila’s warning comes barely a week after President Ian Khama said that travelling to Botswana to poach would be a very high risk undertaking. The president said poaching was a serious threat to Botswana’s wildlife and tourism industry.