South African president opens anti-poaching center at wildlife park to protect rhinos

JOHANNESBURG – South Africa's president says South Africans don't want a future where rhinos become extinct and the only rhinoceros they see is on the back of a banknote or postage stamp.

President Jacob Zuma spoke Sunday during a visit to the country's Kruger National Park, where poachers have been killing record numbers of rhinos for their horns.

Zuma opened a joint operations center designed to allow police to better coordinate anti-poaching efforts at the park with other government agencies, including the environment ministry.

The president said South Africa is home to 22,000 rhinos, which is more than 80 percent of the global rhino population.