South African court to try duo for wildlife trafficking

ANKARA (AA) - Two suspects are expected to appear before South African court in the country’s capital, Johannesburg, for allegedly holding a rhino horn, local media reported on Thursday.

Security forces found the horn hidden in a car in a "refuse bag underneath the passenger seat," before arresting the two alleged traffickers, aged 38 and 47, local news website Timeslive quoted a police statement released on Wednesday.

Initial investigations suggest that the horn of the endangered rare animal was allegedly smuggled from eastern South Africa’s Mpumalanga province to be sold in Johannesburg, according to the police service statement.

Numbers of the endangered animal have dropped in Africa due to the threat of poaching.

According to African Parks, there are less than 5,000 wild Black Rhinos and only 1,000 Eastern Black Rhinos remaining on the continent.