From News 24

Namibian environmental authorities embarking on a de-horning exercise for black rhino have already spotted three carcasses left behind by poachers, an official said on Monday. The removal of the horns of live animals in remote areas started about a month ago in a bid to save Namibia’s black rhino population from the hands of poachers.

“Since the start of the de-horning exercise, progress has been made but we are not done yet,” environment ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda told a Sapa correspondent on Monday.

Muyunda declined to reveal how many black rhino have been de-horned so far due to the sensitivity of the matter.

During the de-horning operation, air-tracking teams spotted three black rhino carcasses in the area last week while looking for live animals to be darted for horn removal.

The discovery of the three carcasses without their horns brings the total of poached rhinos in Namibia to 18 this year so far. Three of the 18 animals were white rhino shot and killed on a commercial farm.

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