Comments on: Rhino threat – again

By: ecoAfrica’s Blog » A parks board sells rhinos to hunters

ecoAfrica’s Blog » A parks board sells rhinos to hunters — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 18:55:53 +0000

[...] on the heels of news about escalating rhino poaching and illegal hunting in South Africa comes almost unbelievable news that the Eastern Cape Parks [...]

By: ecoAfrica’s Blog » Rhino threatened by hunting

ecoAfrica’s Blog » Rhino threatened by hunting — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 19:37:18 +0000

[...] is claimed that besides those being poached, about 300 have been shot for the trade. Should hunting for the trade not cease, the NGOs will [...]

By: Clarissa

Clarissa — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:24:34 +0000

Hi Andy
Actually, unlike bushmeat poaching and, in some cases, ivory poaching, rhino poaching isn’t generally attributed to the poverty-stricken people living adjacent to protected areas. Rhino horns and now, lion bones, are so valuable, that the ‘harvesters’ are usually part of a highly sophisticated syndicate with hitmen being sent in and the chain of transfer of the spoils well organised before the killing. The solution? Focus on curtailing the buyers, all the way through the chain. And here you need real commitment from all echelons of Government. A recent 50/50 programme filmed personnel from the Vietnamese Embassy in South Africa accepting a consignment of rhino horn.

By: Andy Lee

Andy Lee — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:37:04 +0000

This is such distressing news…of course it seems directly related to the increasing burden held by local people to not profit off the game they live with, also not complain about their loss of crops etc., and also survive during the most difficult of political and economic times! Quite a challenge for people living so close to the brink of extinction themselves (individually, that is). Telling a man his daughter is not worth the cost of a rhino for it’s horn, or a mother that the baby she wears is less important than the food she grows and that an elephant eats…very difficult crisis indeed! I know that so much effort has gone into re-educating local populations, and helping them a) recover some of the losses they incur b) make profits off leasing their land rights for travel/visitors, and c) learn how to live with wildlife more easily, but something else is missing. When I figure it out I’ll let you know lol! I believe Francois had the right approach, incorporating people in profit-generating schemes, but that requires significant capital investment – and who’s got that? It takes, of course, a lot of time, effort, communication, and money to build up well run, long lasting projects that really do bring in enough money for local groups. The universe may have to survive without the rhino – victim of … time. Not enough of it.