Campbell exercised by plightof White Rhinos and Lions

The East Londonderry representative asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his South African counterpart to ensure that the problem of an increase in the number of rhinoceros being killed in South Africa is addressed urgently.

Parliamentary Under-Secretary Mark Simmonds told Mr Campbell that the Government regularly engages its South African counterparts on the illegal wildlife trade at senior level.

He stated: “Both UK and South African Ministers reiterated their commitment to combating this harmful trade at the last UK-South Africa bilateral forum, held in Cape Town on 10 September 2013.

“The South African Government has pledged to address the issue of Rhino poaching as a matter of priority and we look forward to working with them at the London Conference on the Illegal Wildlife Trade on February 12-13, 2014.”

A few weeks ago Mr Campbell raised the plight of another one of Africa’s ‘Big Five,’ from an entirely different region of Sub-Saharan Africa.

He asked the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Owen Paterson if he’d take steps to assist in the prevention of the continuation of the significant decline of the West African Lion.