Airports Company South Africa and its stakeholders have joined the Endangered Wildlife Trust in the fight against wildlife poaching and the trafficking of animal products.

The first phase of the partnership kicked off at OR Tambo International Airport yesterday with the Illegal Wildlife Trade Detection workshop.

Acsa said the increase in rhino poaching in the past two years and the rise in identified cases of rhino horn smuggling globally were compelling reasons for it to do more to stop these crimes.

Last year, a record 448 rhinos were poached in South Africa, which is home to almost 90% of the estimated 22800 rhinos in the world.

Twenty rhinos have been poached already this year.

It is believed the surge in rhino killings is linked to demand from the traditional Asian medicine market.

According to figures from the Department of Environmental Affairs, illegal trade in rhino horns is worth about R150-billion a year, making it the third-most lucrative criminal trade in the world after the smuggling of illegal drugs and trafficking of humans.

Unathi Batyashe-Fillis, communication and brand manager at OR Tambo International Airport, said: "We believe we have a role to play in maximising security to prevent criminal activities in and out of the country."

Stakeholders at the Illegal Wildlife Trade Detection workshop focused on joint efforts and partnerships to curb trafficking of animal products, as well as security measures at airports and detection technology.

Earlier this year, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said an additional 150 rangers would be deployed to the Kruger National Park to help combat rhino poaching.

But yesterday a spokesman for the Kruger National Park confirmed that about 214 of its 2500 staff, including 181 rangers, had been on strike since Friday over a wage dispute.

Spokesman William Mabasa said retired rangers were being called in to fill in for strikers.

He expressed concern that poachers might take advantage of the decreased numbers of rangers.

"This is not the best time for them to go on strike, when we are at the height of our fight against rhino poaching," Mabasa said.