Rhinos extinct in Mozambique National Park

Rhinoceroses are being added to the ever-growing list of endangered species, and now, the horned animals are said to be extinct in parts of Africa where they used to thrive — specifically in Mozambique, where officials of Mozambique National Park are reporting that no rhinos had been seen in the park since January.

The Mozambique National Parks covers roughly 2.7 million acres, and park rangers say that if they haven't spotted a rhino in the area for a few months, it most likely means that the rhinos that lived in the park "are probably dead" now. Park officials blame the extinction on poachers who take parts of the Rhino and sell them for money.

However, now that the number of rhinos are going down, park rangers say that poachers are increasingly turning their attention to elephants, who are most wanted for their ivory tusks, which can be used to make a number of things, including jewelry, flatware handles, and furniture inlays. They were also once used to make piano keys.

However, the fight to save endangered species is making its way to the internet, with Google being just one company that's helping out. They recently paid $5 million to fund a fleet of drones in order monitor Africa for illegal poachers. The search giant also removed thousands of advertisements for elephant ivory after they received a bit of backlash from various organizations.

[via Green24]

Image via Flickr