Two people are in custody following the slaying of a rhino in Swaziland.
Authorities in Swaziland have reportedly arrested two suspects following the murder of a white rhino in Hlane Royal National Park. They were identified as Matjekwane Mahlalela and Mciniseli Matsebula.
The pair made an appearance before the Simunye court’s residential Magistrate Philisiwe Dlamini, and are expected back in court on Friday.
According to The Swazi Observer, the suspects were in possession of hunting rifles. It is thought that the horns may have already entered the illegal market.
The possibility of the involvement of South African rhino poachers has not been ruled out, and the fact that the horns have not yet been found has raised suspicions that they could have already been smuggled out of the country.
Last weekend’s tragedy in Hlane Royal National Park was the first rhino murder to hit Swaziland in nearly 20 years.
Continued use of illegal rhino horn
At the root of this killing spree is the continued use of illegal rhino horn in traditional Chinese medicine, which is still sought after in both China and Vietnam.
However, rhino horn has been rigorously analyzed and actually contains no medical properties whatsoever.
- Learn more at Busting the Rhino Horn Myth with Science.
- Check out Bust the Myth – Save the Species, a global public awareness campaign calling for a coalition approach to debunking the rhino horn medicine myth.
![Rhino Horns and Trophies Exported to Asia from South Africa 2000 – 2010 [Infographic]](http://www.rhinoconservation.org/wp-content/plugins/special-recent-posts/lib/phpimage.php?width=100&height=100&rotation=no&file=L2hvbWUyL2Jpb2RpdmUxL3B1YmxpY19odG1sL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDEyLzA1L1JoaW5vVHJvcGhpZXNIb3Juc0luZm9ncmFwaGljVGh1bWJuYWlsLmpwZw==)
