158 Rhinos Killed in 2013 in South Africa Alone

A total of 158 rhinos have been killed by poachers since the beginning of the year in South Africa's national park, according to the Department of Environmental Affairs.

The nation's premier wildlife reserve, the Kruger National Park, spread over 7,500 square miles, and borders Mozambique, has reported 116 rhino killings. Thirteen rhinos were poached in North West, 12 in KwaZulu- Natal, 9 in Mpumalanga and 8 in Limpopo.

The number keeps increasing despite the anti-poaching initiatives taken by the officials. The officials have arrested 61 people in connection with rhino poaching. Of this, 38 are poachers and three are alleged couriers.

The officials also arrested two alleged poachers in the past two weeks from Kruger National Park.

The Limpopo Conservation department has confirmed that on March 10, nine people were arrested at a game farm near Lephalale in Limpopo in connection with the rhino poaching.

In the year 2012, nearly 754 rhinos were killed and nearly 267 poachers were arrested by the officials. It led to a 3 percent loss of the rhino population.

According to IUCN, there are 5,055 Black Rhinoceros and 20,405 White Rhinoceros in Africa. Because of the high demand for rhino horn in Asia's black market, the animals are being slaughtered mercilessly. A horn of rhino costs about $25,000 per pound.

Two events were hosted by South Africa in regard with rhino conservation, safety and security on the sidelines of the CITES conference in Bangkok.