Rhino poaching crisis



The rhino horn is a money-spinning commodity

The rhino poaching crisis and why they need your help!

Rhinos have recently been hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons. The rhino poaching crisis has hit an all-time high and they need our help for their survival.

Last week, in Bloemfontein, South Africa, an investigation was opened after zoo officials de-horned two rhinos. Whilst they have been suspended, the horns have not been recovered intimating they may have been sold already on the lucrative black market in Asia where demand is high.

Then there was Sudan on Tinder – a dating website - that made something of a mockery of the last Northern White male in existence. The media frenzy over Sudan made him a household name. However, sites like Virascoop, who called it ‘the best thing you’ll see all day’, just downplayed his situation. This ensured his plight didn’t necessarily stimulate the serious influence it intended. Laughing emojis appeared all over social media but how many people donated towards the 9 million needed for in vitro fertilisation to save the species? The Huffington Post claimed he is looking for love but what he actually needs is a guarantee of survival.

In early March, four-year-old, Vince was slaughtered at Thoiry zoo in Paris. It was an ‘act of extreme violence’ the park director said and it disgusted and horrified the world. Five security staff live on site and there are also security cameras to deter intruders. This has sparked debate about whether or not this was an inside job. To date, no arrests have been made. Whilst this was the first attack of its kind in Europe, the demand for rhino horn will probably mean it won’t be the last. If we can’t protect rhinos in zoos, we need to step up efforts to protect them in the wild.

 Medicinal Demand

The demand for rhino horn is high in Asia, particularly China and Viet Nam, where it is reputedly worth more than gold or cocaine. Viet Nam has the highest demand with the horns being used for aphrodisiacs, cures for cancer and relief from hangovers. Due to the high cost of each horn, (they were fetching US$300,000 in 2013) they are also a status symbol of wealth and success. In Chinese medicine, it is used for a variety of ailments despite the fact it is has no medicinal properties at all.

Rhino horn is made of keratin – found in nails, hair and skin. They also contain large quantities of sulphur and other chemicals. For 2000 years, medicine practitioners in the East have believed that rhino horn can be used for cures. They create nostrums for more serious illnesses and to provide pain relief. In order to change the traditional belief of millions of people, we have to argue that 2000 years of tradition is wrong. Changing beliefs is a tricky business: it takes sensitivity, strong proof and a lot of patience. It equates to trying to tell Christians Jesus never existed. This means far more is needed than powerful persuasion to change traditions.

 

Rhino horn is used for cures such as rheumatism,
gout and headaches

The Poaching Crisis

Since 2007, the poaching of rhinos in South Africa has increased exponentially with a slight dip in numbers in 2015. According to Save The Rhino, 13 rhino were poached in 2007. By 2015, this figure had escalated to 1175, down from 1215 the year before. The decrease will hardly have you jumping out of your comfy chair and performing an Irish jig in glee. Across the rest of Africa, a further 163 rhinos were poached, according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).

Statistics like these show that the main problem lies in South Africa but it is not exclusive. The crisis has spread to neighbouring countries – Namibia and Zimbabwe have both reported increased poaching. The poaching total across the whole of Africa in 2015 was the highest for two decades.  Sadly, of the five species of rhino still in existence, three of them are on the critically endangered list.

Like those poaching elephants, rhino poachers are well-funded by crime cartels with powerful and sophisticated weaponry for frenzied attacks. These ruthless syndicates provide high-tech equipment for tracking rhinos, pushing them closer to extinction. Once they are found, they are tranquilised and the horn is sawn or hacked off. When the rhino awakes, it faces a painful and protracted death.

 

The result of poaching cause agonising deaths

Poaching Propaganda?

Whilst organisations like Save The Rhino work tirelessly to save the species, there are problems in South Africa that threatens all their hard work.

In March 2017, Quartz published a report about the decrease in poached numbers in South Africa and the reasons behind the decrease in poaching from the year before. Let’s remember the drop was 40 rhinos.

According to Quartz, the number of arrests for poaching doubled to over 650 people in 2015. This was due to what they called a ‘multi-pronged approach’. This approach included the following:

·         905 border officials were trained to spot trafficking.

·         Elite ranger units were trained.

·         Anti-poaching air wing and canine unit.

·         An Environmental Crime Investigation Unit was established.

·         Collaboration with Mozambique was set up.

·         Pretoria worked with Hanoi to introduce stronger penalties for illegal possession of rhino horn.

·         GPS microchips were introduced and drones were fitted with thermal imaging cameras in 2016.

·         Enlisted help from other departments such as the national parks service and the defence department of the military.

Quartz called these strategies a ‘master class in how to fight complex crime webs’. They went on to admit that in Kruger National Park, the numbers of white-grass grazing rhino had decreased to 7830 from the estimate of 9337.

The year of this statistic was 2015; the same year they claimed there had been a significant impact in anti-poaching efforts. Yet, up to three rhinos are being killed per day in South Africa.

Whilst the hard work against poaching is laudable, the insignificant decrease is testament to the actual lack of impact anti-poaching has had. The question is, why? Whilst Quartz’s report is loaded with (political?) propaganda, it also highlights that so many poachers are slipping through the anti-poaching nets.

There are many theories behind this but two seem to be pointedly recurring: government corruption and rhino farmers themselves.

The Hidden Enemies

Corruption in Africa is rife: from ripping off tourists, to creaming funds to subsidise lifestyles. In the battle to save other species from poachers, government officials have also had the proverbial finger pointed in their direction. This has come down to how poachers are funded so well and why so many are not apprehended despite the use of high-tech equipment. The lack of prosecutions and custodial sentences is also questioned and there are predominant suspicions of bribery and cover ups.

Many ships get permission to leave the eastern ports of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) and Mombasa (Kenya) for Asian countries and port workers have claimed they are told not to check certain shipments which have fallen under suspicion. So, is this one of the reasons rhino poaching is so prevalent?

The other hidden enemy is much closer to the rhino’s home. To be precise, it is the rhino’s home. There are many farms and reserves dedicated to saving the rhino. Today, very few rhinos survive outside protected areas. It is these ‘protected’ areas that have been campaigning for the legal sale of rhino horn within South Africa. In February of this year, they got exactly what they wanted when the constitutional court repealed the government’s ban on rhino horn trade within South Africa. The international ban remains in place.

The reason for this campaign is not surprising. These reserves and farms have been stockpiling rhino horn that they have themselves removed. These stockpiles are worth millions of dollars.

John Hume is one such farmer claiming he is trying to prevent the extinction of the rhino. Just last year, he was quoted as being ‘happy’ to supply the criminal poaching networks with rhino horn as an alternative to poaching. The millionaire also claimed the money raised would protect his own herd.  Hume has dehorned his entire herd of rhino and stockpiled the horn rather than destroying it. With no horns left to take, there doesn’t seem much the herd need protecting from. Poachers are not going to waste their time killing his rhino for no monetary gain. The only thing the rhino need protecting from is perhaps, Hume’s greed.

The effect of dehorning is not fully known and suggestions about changes in behaviour now circulate. Morally and ethically, dehorning is controversial and doesn’t provide a long-term solution. Rhino horns grow back so removing them provides short-term safety only. The scarcity of rhino horn will drive the price up, fueling the poaching crisis further and may well cause a further influx in poaching. A much less invasive method is to dye the horns which organisations, like Rhino Rescue Project, are already doing.

There are many ways to tackle the poaching crisis but de-horning is NOT one of them. Experts now worry that poachers will use the promulgated regulations of domestic trade for international gain and exacerbate the decline in rhinos. There is little domestic trade of horns anyway and the new laws pave the way for poachers to continue smuggling horns over to Asia.

The war on poachers

Save The Rhino believe there are several elements to combating the poaching war. It is important to understand the immense feelings for people with an income below the subsistence level who are offered money to kill a rhino.

This is one reason they have introduced community conservation and educational schemes as part of their anti-poaching drive. It is hoped that through education and learning to appreciate wildlife in Africa, the temptation to kill will lessen.

They also have rigorous anti-poaching methods and monitoring to support the eradication of rhino horn poaching. They are also involved in translocation and captive breeding in a bid to save the remaining sub species from becoming extinct.

 

The Rhino Rescue Project is using a more progressive approach of creating health anxiety. Along with the dye, they inject toxins into rhino horns to create fear of ingesting contaminated horns. Whilst the toxins don't hurt the rhinos, they can cause harm to poachers. This acts as a defensive strategy against poaching that is cost-effective. They also use tracking technology and microchips to add to their security measures.

 

Dr Lorinda Hern (RRP) uses dye to deter poachers

These programmes come at a great cost and without the support of the global community the survival of the rhino is precarious. It is important we work together to save another iconic mammal from disappearing within our lifetime.

To offer your support, click on one of the links below and donate what you can to help save the rhino.

https://www.savetherhino.org/get_involved/donate

 

http://rhinorescueproject.org/how-you-can-help/

Click the link below to find out about lion conservation efforts in Africa.

http://www.nikela.org/what-is-human-wildlife-conflict-and-how-we-can-dimish-it/