Botswana said that it is fighting rhino poaching harder in the Okavango Delta in the northern part of the country.

The Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism said in a statement that the government has stepped up its efforts to address rhino poaching and recovered some horns and hunting weapons in related operations.

Statistics show that nine rhinos were killed between April 1 and Oct. 4 this year.

“From October 2019 to date, 13 more rhinos have been poached,” said the statement.

“During engagement with the poachers, seven casualties occurred amongst poachers who were resisting arrest. The government will continue to do all it can to ensure the protection of this iconic species.” Alice Mmolawa, spokesperson of the ministry, said in the statement.

She appealed to stakeholders including communities and the private sector to support rhino protection efforts.

“We further call upon members of the community to be vigilant and report any suspicious activities in and around the Okavango Delta to the nearest security agents.” Mmolawa said.