Kenyan authorities have arrested a gang suspected of killing¹ a white rhino² and cutting off and selling its horns.

肯尼亚当局逮捕一个犯罪团伙，该团伙涉嫌杀死一头白犀牛并切下、出售犀牛角。

Julius Kipng'etich said 2009 had been a bad year for rhino conservation

Julius Kipng'etich of the Kenya Wildlife Service said the suspects were caught with two rhino horns and 647,000 shillings ($8,500; £5,300) in cash.

It is thought some of the 12 suspects were buyers of the horns and had used the money to pay the poachers偷猎者.

Kenya had many thousands of rhinos³ in the 1970s but only hundreds remain after decades of poaching非法狩猎.

The hunters supply an illegal trade in rhino horns, which are widely used in traditional medicines in Asia.

Week-long manhunt

Lobby groups warned last month that rhino poaching around the world was on the rise despite efforts to protect the animals.

A report funded by WWF International suggested that a decline in law enforcement执行，实施 is the main reason for the rise in poaching in Africa.

The report found that 95% of rhino poaching in the continent since 2006 had occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Mr Kipng'etich said Kenya had the world's third-largest rhino population with 610 black rhinos and 240 white ones.

But he said 2009 had been a bad year, with poachers killing 12 black rhinos and six white ones.

The gang of 12 men was arrested near a private ranch⁴大牧场，大农场 in Laikipia West in the Rift⁵ Valley Province after a man-hunt lasting⁶ several days.

The ranch's 10-year-old female white rhino was found dead on 28 December.