The United States and South Africa are establishing a task force to combat illegal wildlife trade by tracking the financial transactions behind it.
Picture: Getty Images
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen announced this during her visit to South Africa, which has been greatly affected by rhinoceros poaching. Yellen stated, ‘To protect wildlife populations from further poaching and disrupt the associated illicit trade, we must ‘follow the money’ in the same way we do with other serious crimes.’
The task force will improve information sharing between financial intelligence units in both countries to better support law enforcement agencies. South Africa is home to nearly 80% of the world’s rhinoceroses and is a hotspot for rhino poaching, driven by demand in Asia for rhino horns in traditional medicine.
Other animals such as elephants, abalones, and pangolins are also targeted by poachers. This announcement is part of Yellen’s tour of Africa to create a new economic strategy towards the continent, as African countries are being courted by China.
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