Record Number of Rhinos Killed in S. Africa

Two stories of note on the wires about animal conservation:

• Rhinos: Poachers have killed a record 341 rhinos this year in South Africa, according to the World Wildlife Fund. The horns fetch big money on the black market for use in traditional medicine or as ornamental daggers, reports the BBC. It's gruesome business, with poachers usually just sawing off the horn and leaving the animal to bleed to death. South Africa has the world's largest rhino population, about 20,000.

• Asian tigers: The tigers have a new ally in the fight for survival—Interpol. The international police agency has launched a program to crack down on poaching in the 13 Asian nations where wild tigers still roam, reports AP. The population has been cut to a dangerously low total of about 3,500. The Interpol plan will coordinate Asian law enforcement with customs officials around the world, including the US.

(More Interpol stories.)