The upsurge in rhino poaching in southern Africa is leading to a variety of responses to the crisis worldwide. This year around 200 animals have been poached in South Africa for horns, with five killed in a nature reserve alone in the last weekend.
According to TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, the number of horns moving out of Africa is escalating, with poached horns able to move from the site of the kill to the global market in as little as 48 hours.
Four rhino carcasses with sawn-off horns were found in a Pilanesberg nature reserve in South Africa last weekend. A fifth rhino was found still alive, but with its horns sawn off and with a gunshot wound in the back. It later died, News 24 reported. The total value of the five rhinos was about 2.9 million rands.
The manager of the Mafikeng game reserve, Louis Coetzee, said the poachers are usually from Mozambique or Zimbabwe, and they operate mainly at night. In certain cases, poachers are dropped off by helicopters. They then tranquillise or kill the animals before cutting off their horns. Once the poaching is done, the helicopter picks them up again.
Authorities, however, made a breakthrough on Monday, when two well-known veterinarians in Limpopo were arrested, along with seven other people, over their involvement in "hundreds of incidents" of rhino poaching, another report said. The suspects are "the masterminds" of a syndicate believed to be involved in rhino poaching across South Africa.
South Africa’s rhino poaching crisis is fuelled by the demand for illegal rhino horn for use in traditional medicines in China and Vietnam – and recent research by the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC confirmed that most rhino horn leaving southern Africa is indeed destined for consumer markets in those two countries. The toll so far this year is 210. Last year, 140 rhinos had been killed.
“The resurgence in rhino horn trade is linked to the availability of cellular phones for rapid communication, internet marketing so that criminals remain anonymous and the growing presence of Asian organised crime in Africa," explained Tom Milliken, Director of TRAFFIC East and Southern Africa.
As South Africa’s rhino death toll continued to climb, a shocking report suggested that senior officials of the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency could be aiding rhino poaching syndicates.
Last week, the UK Government announced a ban on export of rhino horns except under exceptional circumstances; previously the export of antique horns was permissible, according to Antiques Trade Gazette. The ban came after evidence of antique rhino horn and horn products being legally imported from across Europe for re-sale in the UK. The horns are sold at auction houses and then re-exported, often to East Asia, where powdered rhino horn is in high demand for use in medicines, despite no proven clinical efficacy.
John Hounslow, head of the Wildlife Licensing Team, a division of Animal Health, said: "There is evidence that comparatively poor examples of taxidermy containing rhino horn have been selling for £40,000-50,000, far exceeding their worth as art objects. To protect wild rhino populations it is important that future applications for the export of rhinoceros horn, with a small number of notable exceptions, are refused."
Richard Benyon, UK Minister for the Natural Environment and Fisheries, elaborated on the government's position, "I am extremely concerned about the increase in the number of rhinoceros horn products being sold though UK auction houses. We believe this is providing a financial incentive for poachers and encouraging the use of rhinoceros horns in Asian medicine. The Government is committed to protecting endangered species, and in order to do this it has become necessary to take steps to refuse future applications for the export of rhinoceros horn."
Earlier this month, WWF South Africa launched a campaign aimed at raising funds and support for those who place their lives on the line in the fight against rhino poaching. “We’re asking people to take action during the month of September to help us protect our remaining rhino populations and also support our rhino warriors—the men and women at the frontline who risk their lives daily against sophisticated, ruthless and heavily-armed international criminal gangs who run the illegal rhino horn trade,” said Dr Joseph Okori, Head of WWF’s African Rhino Programme.
Namibia too has warned poachers to steer clear of its rhino populations. “Poach a rhino in Namibia, and the blood of the people will be on your hands,” said Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s Minister of Environment and Tourism, speaking at an awards ceremony for Ministry staff in Windhoek. “You will not be poaching a State rhino, but will be stealing from our people, depriving whole communities of a livelihood.” Nambia has one of the best track records in the world for arresting, prosecuting and convicting poachers.
