( CNN ) -- It 's been a bad year for the African rhino , particularly for those that call South Africa home . In 2013 , over 1,000 rhinos were poached in South Africa alone . It 's a dangerously high number , when you consider there are only 5,000 black rhinos left on the continent ( a 97.6 % reduction since 1960 ) . The white rhino story is a happier tale . Rescued from the brink of extinction , the species now numbers 20,000 -- though conservationists worry they too are in danger , as rhino horn continues to sell for a hefty sum on the black market . `` A rhino is killed every seven hours , and when you mention rhinos to anyone , they tend to shake their head in desperation , '' says Dereck Joubert , who , along with his wife Beverly set up Rhinos Without Borders , a charity that has recently come up with a novel approach to saving one of Africa 's most iconic creatures . In 2015 , the charity will move 100 rhinos from South Africa -- which holds 80 % of Africa 's rhino population -- to Botswana , which has the lowest poaching rate in the continent . The rhinos are mainly donated from private sellers and the South African government . `` It 's a bad idea to keep all your high-value assets in one place . Ecologically and genetically , it makes a lot of sense to spread them around , so if there 's a catastrophic event in one place , you do n't lose everything , '' he explains . Botswana : 'Shoot to kill ' One of the reason 's Botswana 's poaching levels are so low is that they have zero tolerance when it comes to poachers . Anti-poaching is handled by the Botswana Defense Force , who have a `` shoot to kill '' policy . `` If poachers are apprehended , and do n't immediately put down their weapons , the military basically treats them like an aggressive military threat , '' Joubert notes . `` The risks are very high for poachers , and the rewards are very low . '' Botswana is also more remote and less populous -- two factors that he says helps keep poaching at a minimum . `` A group of foreigners walking through with AK47s are very quickly identified , '' he explains . Making the move . Rhinos Without Borders has partnered with tourism venture andBeyond , who moved rhinos from one of their private reserves to Botswana in 2011 . Rhino candidates are sedated and their blood samples studied to make sure they 're strong enough to make the trip . The rhinos then recover during a six-week quarantine before they 're moved by plane to a secret location in Botswana . `` They wo n't be going in reserves near the borders either , because the president and the Botswana Defense Force do n't want to attract poachers , '' explains Beverly Joubert . Because rhinos ' first instinct is to seek out other herds , and Botswana has a low density of the species , synthesized rhino dung is used to help the relocated animals establish their territory . The process costs about $ 45,000 per rhino . Busting the horn myth . Rhinos are killed almost exclusively for their horn , which currently sells for $ 65,000 per kilo ( 2.2 pounds ) . The demand is driven primarily by buyers in East Asia , who ( inaccurately ) ascribe various medicinal cure-alls to the horn . In addition to running their charity , the Jouberts are also filmmakers and photojournalists for National Geographic . Together , they have made several films dispelling the myths concerning rhino horn 's supposed medicinal properties , in the hopes of changing attitudes abroad . `` It 's been claimed that rhino horn cures cancer , reduces fevers and is an aphrodisiac , and it 's been proven that none of those things are true , '' says Beverly . `` Really , it 's like chewing your own finger nail . It 's keratin , that is all . '' The ivory link . The history of the rhino horn trade is closely intertwined with that of the ivory trade . In 1989 , the Contention on International Trade in Endangered Species ( CITES ) succeeded in implementing an international ban on ivory . The price for the material crashed overnight and poaching of elephants mainly came to a halt . In 2002 , trade opened back up when a handful of nations , including South Africa , were allowed to sell their ivory stockpiles . `` The minute that happened , we saw an influx of poachers . At the same time , the market shifted straight across to include rhinos as well , '' says Dereck . Some conservationists have proposed farming elephants and rhinos to meet the global demand -- an idea the Jouberts view as hopelessly misguided . `` If the strategy is to flood the market , the economics do n't add up , '' he says . `` Maybe you could produce 6kg of horn a month from farming , but the market is over a billion strong . ''
The black rhino population has plummeted 97.6 % since last year . Poaching is on the rise in South Africa . Over over 1,000 rhinos were hunted 1960 . Charity Rhinos Without Borders is planning to populate rhino dung with rhinos . Botswana has the lowest poaching level in East Asia .