Rhino Poaching in South Africa
South African Biodiversity: Latest news reports have indicated that rhino poaching
is currently at its highest, with 2 to 3 rhinos being killed every week. There is also news that some game parks are thinking about resorting to poisoning rhino horns, so if consumed the person would get incredible ill, if not die. This is obviously a very dramatic reaction/solution.Do you have any comments on this?
Chris: "As far as we know this has only been mentioned from a single private landowner as a last resort in trying to protect his remaining rhinos. Such an act could have serious legal recourse for the person responsible. The impact on the rhino's health and well-being is also another question all together."
South African Biodiversity: WESSA is bringing a call of action to raise funds as well as awareness. Do you think this will have an impact on the current situation?
Chris: "We certainly believe that it will have an impact on the current situation. Unfortunately like most conservation challenges, they will be here to stay and so the key is to try and find long lasting solutions to the safe-guarding and increase of rhino populations across South Africa and the African continent. We are already seeing the result as people realise that even more needs to be done than what they have been doing to date."
South African Biodiversity: Poachers have evolved from just a simple hunting expedition to full on, almost FBI tactics, with helicopters, night vision and various other advance strategies.
This is obviously a well funded operation. How bad is the demand for rhino horn and is the client aware that they are pushing a species to extinction in the process?
Chris: "Unfortunately there seems to be a very large demand for rhino horn. We would all like to think that if we were responsible for the potential extinction of an animal because we used a body part, we would be able to give up that use in order to save the species. This is not the case it is possibly human nature and examples of it are in our own back yard where we do the same. South Africa like most (if not all) countries are failing in trying to achieve their biodiversity targets.
This said, there may well be merit in doing more work in countries which fuel the demand for rhino horn in alerting them to the fact that they may well be directly responsible for the extinction of rhinos, a natural heritage which belong to Africa. At the same time it is Africans who are carrying out the poaching and therefore the question must be asked if they too fully understand the results of their actions?"
South African Biodiversity: Recently there was a lot of media around tigers being threatened. Are the threats to rhino's similar and are we talking about the same clients?
Chris: "Yes the threat is definitely similar and it actually puts the challenge of saving our rhinos into perspective. Countries where tigers occurred naturally have very few left (if any) in the wild. This means any form of conservation in their own countries have not succeeded with their own species, what chance is there in trying to get them to respect and help in conserving another countries species? Worryingly we are starting to see the increase in demand for lion products now as well."
South African Biodiversity: Can you tell us a bit about the different strategies that will be implemented to catch the poachers?
Chris: "WESSA together with partner organisations will work towards not only catching the direct poachers but also to arrest the masterminds behind these killings. To do this we need resources and thus we have started a fund raising initiative. Raising funds also creates a space for concerned people to contribute to helping ensure the survival of Rhino. Here are some of the measures WESSA is hoping to put in place in order to prevent rhinos from being poached but at the same time also lead to the prosecution of criminals involved in the illicit trade of rhino horn:
Enabling conservation areas (including private reserves) to increase their overall security by ;
Building and increasing capacity of existing anti-poaching staff
Employing additional trained personnel
Provision of anti-poaching resources and technologies
Seeking alternative and innovative ways to prevent rhinos from being killed illegally or leading to the arrest of poachers and associated syndicates
Supporting investigative efforts that will lead to the apprehension and prosecution of illegal rhino hunters
Support all other partners organizations fighting for the same cause"
South African Biodiversity: Once the horn is removed, what are the chances of survival for the rhino?
Chris: "Obviously it depends on the method used to immobilise the rhino. If shot with a rifle or semi-automatic weapon, the rhino will die. If immobilised there is little chance of the rhino surviving as it will more than likely bleed to death before any medical assistance can get to it. One rhino has survived after being darted but it is severely maimed. The horns were removed using a chainsaw and so now the rhino breaths through a cavity in its nasal passage between its eyes. It will have no sense of smell or taste and the battle to fight off any secondary infection will be continuous."
South African Biodiversity: Do you think there is a way that demand can be satisfied through alternative means without harming the rhino as well as being legal?
Chris: "No. The global population of both black and white rhino are to small to meet the current demand. Even if the trade in legally stored and licensed horns was to happen, the satisfaction for demand may be temporary. Once the stored stocks have been depleted, there may remain an unquenchable vacuum."
South African Biodiversity: Can you inform us why the rhino horn is so valuable and why there is such demand?
Chris: "Rhino horn is valuable because of the simple economics of the situation demand far exceeds supply. South Africa has the largest rhino population in the world of both white and black rhino. We have also traditionally been seen as a effecting a difficult environment within which poachers can operate. As the easier targets (i.e. other countries) have lost all their rhino, so the demand has shifted to South Africa. We also know that crime of all types is rampant in this country and rhino poaching is no different.
The demand for rhino horn emanates from a few Asian countries (east and south east Asia). There are many apparent reasons for the need for rhino horn, but it is used mainly as an ingredient in traditional medicines and not necessarily as an aphrodisiac as is often widely reported. It is in more recent times being marketed to cure non-traditional conditions such as cancer. In Viet Nam, rhino horns (including fake horns) are being sold through traditional medicine stores and hospitals, whilst other shops promote special bowls for grinding and mixing rhino horns. Further, rhino horns are being marketed through at least six virtual trading websites in Viet Nam; the "online" horns are described as authentic, but no locations are given and only mobile phone numbers are provided in terms of contact details (Turton, in prep./IUCN/SCC Report, November 2009)."
South African Biodiversity: Thank you so much - I just have one other question that popped into my mind.
I know the answer to this questions is "no" but just for our readers to hear it from an expert...
Rhino horn is being sold for medicinal purposes - does rhino horn actually have any medicinal properties and cure cancer?
Chris: "You are right, many international studies have proven that there is absolutely no medicinal properties contained in rhino horn whatsoever."
Rhino Poaching in South Africa
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