Over the past four years the government has introduced a series of tough anti-poaching measures, sending soldiers armed with the latest high-tech equipment to back up rangers in game reserves and imposing heavy sentences on poachers when caught.
"Since armed protection for rhinos in South African national parks is strong, poaching syndicates are likely to shift to countries with weaker enforcement power, including possibly Asian countries that may be caught off-guard, " Carlos Drews, global species programme director at WWF, warned in a statement.