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According to the International Rhino Foundation, the largest population of rhinos in the world is found in South Africa. Only 16 056 rhinos are left in South Africa, but not nearly enough to save the species from endangerment. 'World Rhino Day' is commemorated annually on September 22 to continue to raise awareness about rhino poaching across the globe. Due to ongoing poaching, the number of rhinos continues to get lower. KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of poaching cases with 145 rhinos poached from January to June this year alone.

An intense debate continues to rage over whether the Namibian government should maintain its existing stockpiles of collected legal and confiscated illegal ivory. Trading in valuable wildlife products is one of the most important incentives for Namibia's coexistence with wildlife, especially rhinos and elephants, to support its conservation. There are two categories of stockpiles: Those held legally and those held illegally. Legally-held stockpiles consist of raw ivory, and are mostly owned by the government under the Controlled Wildlife Products and Trade Act 9 of 2008…

It's clear why the illegal wildlife trade exists. Where there's consumer demand for products from endangered species, there are bound to be networks seeking to profit from that demand. But what about the motivations of individual offenders? TRAFFIC, a wildlife trade NGO, decided to simply ask them. The researchers interviewed 73 people in South African correctional centers, who had been convicted of crimes related to rhinos, abalone, or cycads (ancient palm-like plants that have been called "the world's most endangered plants").