The authorities of a southern Mozambican game park on Tuesday said no rhinos were left in the park due to rampant poaching which involves some of the game park rangers.

Antonio Abacar, the administrator of Limpopo National Park, told local media that 30 rangers are to be taken to court soon after their cases are ready. There used to be 300 rhinos in the conservation area bordering South Africa.

He said the last 15 rhinos were killed last month.

"Many tourists, Mozambicans and foreigners enjoyed seeing rhinos and elephants in the park," he said, adding that elephants are also in danger of extinction in the Limopo park.

A fortnight ago, the World Wild Fund (WWF) said that Mozambique lost 2,500 elephants to poachers in the past two years for the illegal ivory trade.

It said the situation was worse in the Limpopo Trans-frontier in Gaza, where many rhinos and elephants were killed between 2011 and 2012.

Poachers both from Mozambique and South Africa are responsible for the killings. In the northernmost province of Niassa, Malawians, Tanzanians and poachers from the Great Lakes are accused of being involved in the crime.

The poachers are well armed with AK-47 assault rifles and locally-made guns. Some used brutal forms like land mines to kill rhinos and elephants, reports said. Endi

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