The South African government has identified Hong Kong as a partner to help stop wildlife smuggling and illegal killing after one of the world's largest seizures of rhino horn was made in the city.
A South African delegation is visiting the city for talks on technology sharing and training of law-enforcement officers to combat the illegal trade.
'Our request to the people of Hong Kong is to work with us,' a senior South African conservation official, Fundisile Mketeni, said yesterday. 'Hong Kong can be a strategic partner in this.'
Hong Kong customs officials seized 33 rhino horns, weighing 86.5kg and worth HK$17.4 million, last November, hidden in plastic scrap on a cargo ship from Cape Town. The seizure was not only the largest in Hong Kong but one that officials say was among of the largest internationally because detection of such smuggling is difficult.
The delegation of eight South African Environmental Affairs Department officials and law enforcement officials had planned to collect DNA samples from the seized horns but could not do so because the required documents were not ready.
They will return next month to collect the samples, the first to be taken outside South Africa.
The collection required documents from the South African Department of Justice, as the samples may lead to prosecution and could be presented as evidence in court.