JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- South African President Jacob Zuma officially opened a joint operations center on Sunday at Kruger National Park to coordinate efforts to stop rampant rhino poaching.
Zuma said saving rhinos, targeted by poachers for their horns, will have a direct impact on the country's economy and crime rate. Through the Mission Area Joint Operation Centre -- a coordinated effort between the police and the country's environmental affairs department, park services and conservation agencies -- steps are being taken quell the mass destruction of the enormous animals. In 2011, the country declared rhino poaching a threat to national security.