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Hadrian's Wall on England-Scotland Borders Awaits Hiking Lovers

In this July 3, 2018 photo, a stretch of Hadrian's Wall cuts through the northern English countryside, near Birdoswald Fort, Cumbria. (AP Photo/Jerry Harmer)
In this July 3, 2018 photo, a stretch of Hadrian's Wall cuts through the northern English countryside, near Birdoswald Fort, Cumbria. (AP Photo/Jerry Harmer)
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Hadrian's Wall on England-Scotland Borders Awaits Hiking Lovers

In this July 3, 2018 photo, a stretch of Hadrian's Wall cuts through the northern English countryside, near Birdoswald Fort, Cumbria. (AP Photo/Jerry Harmer)
In this July 3, 2018 photo, a stretch of Hadrian's Wall cuts through the northern English countryside, near Birdoswald Fort, Cumbria. (AP Photo/Jerry Harmer)

The Hadrian's Wall is one of many remains of fortifications built by the Roman Empire after invading Britain in the second century A.D.

The wall's original structure stretched over 73 mile (117 kilometers) within the English countryside, near the borders between modern Scotland and England. It extends in the west and the east, from Wallsend and Newcastle to the River Tame in the East.

The Roman soldiers constructed it in six years starting from the eastern side. The wall is enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered a popular tourist landmark. It was originally built upon the orders of Emperor Hadrian in 122 A.D. to support thousands of troops deployed to watch the borders with Scotland.

Hiking lovers can walk this path in both directions, and those who have time can start their hike from Carlisle in Solway Firth, a water outlet that separates Scotland and England.

Experts suggest the best hiking route is the one extending from Carlisle or Haltwhistle to Corbridge. Hikers who take it would need three to five days to reach Newcastle, according to the German News Agency.

On the path's sides, hikers would see green pastures, rocky hills, and some grey rural houses that appear on their way. They would also enjoy a soothing scene of cattle pasturing under the trees. Haltwhistle, which marks the middle of the itinerary, is a 700-year-old town that still features ancient rural houses known as "Bastle" that are open to the public. These houses were constructed by locals in the 16th and 17th centuries amid constant threats by the soldiers dominating England and Scotland.

It is thought that the Hadrian's Wall was the inspiration behind the famous ice wall separating the seven fictional kingdoms from the wild lands beyond in George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones.

The great appeal to walk along the Hadrian's Wall is partly attributed to the banners spread along the road, in addition to the scenery that accompanies the hikers during their trip, and not to the wall itself. The itinerary extends between the hills and valleys, and passes by fields full of cattle, animals, and flowers.

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Poachers Have Killed over 100 Rhinos in South Africa This Year

A rhino, front, recovers from a tranquilizer, after a hole was drilled into its horn and isotopes carefully inserted, at a rhino orphanage in the country's northern province of Limpopo, June 25, 2024. (AP)
A rhino, front, recovers from a tranquilizer, after a hole was drilled into its horn and isotopes carefully inserted, at a rhino orphanage in the country's northern province of Limpopo, June 25, 2024. (AP)
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Poachers Have Killed over 100 Rhinos in South Africa This Year

A rhino, front, recovers from a tranquilizer, after a hole was drilled into its horn and isotopes carefully inserted, at a rhino orphanage in the country's northern province of Limpopo, June 25, 2024. (AP)
A rhino, front, recovers from a tranquilizer, after a hole was drilled into its horn and isotopes carefully inserted, at a rhino orphanage in the country's northern province of Limpopo, June 25, 2024. (AP)

Poachers in South Africa killed more than 100 rhinos in the first three months of this year, most of them inside national parks, highlighting an ongoing battle to protect one of the best-known endangered species.

South African Environment Minister Dion George announced the figures Monday and said that of the 103 rhinos killed between Jan. 1 and March 31, 65 were poached in national parks.

The average of more than one rhino killed a day is in line with last year's count and “a stark reminder of the relentless threat to our wildlife,” George said.

South Africa has the largest rhino population in the world, with an estimated 16,000 to 18,000 animals, according to conservation groups. That includes black and white rhinos.

Black rhinos are only found in the wild in Africa and are listed as critically endangered with around 6,400 left, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Around 2,000 are in South Africa.

South African authorities have focused in recent years on criminal syndicates they believe are behind much of the country's rhino poaching.

The environment ministry hailed a conviction last year of what it called a poaching “kingpin” from Mozambique. Simon Ernesto Valoi was sentenced to 27 years in prison by a Mozambique court for running an operation poaching rhinos in South Africa's huge Kruger National Park, which borders Mozambique.