JOHANNESBURG - Seven rhino carcases have been found at a private park and a game reserve in North West Province, raising to more than 300 the total number of rhinos poached this year in South Africa, authorities said on Sunday.

Five were found in Zeerust at Borakalalo and in another incident at Marikana, two rhino were killed after being dehorned, said Vishnu Naidoo, spokesman for the special anti-crime unit Hawks.

The Hawks are searching for those who are behind the poaching which all took place in the last three weeks. ?

All of the scenes has been visited with as much evidence collected as possible, Naidoo said. "We hope this can assist us in establishing those responsible for the killing of the seven rhinos. "

Since the beginning of this year, a total of 312 rhinos have been lost to illegal killings in South Africa, according to the latest official figures.

The continued efforts by the South African government to curb rhino poaching have resulted in a total of 187 arrests for 2012 thus far, 164 of the arrested suspects being poachers, 10 receivers or couriers, six couriers or buyers and seven exporters.

South Africa is home to approximately 22, 000 white and black rhinoceros of which 12,000 are found in the Kruger National Park. This represents 93 percent of the world's total rhino population.

The South African rhino population is one of the last viable rhino populations in the world which makes it vulnerable.

South Africa is the remaining hope for the rhino conservation globally and recognizes that the global community support and cooperation must be enlisted to address the scourge, the government said.