White Rhino grazing at Monate Lodge

Monday 31 October 2011

Baby Rhino Rescued From Tree

A crying three-week-old rhino was discovered with its head trapped in the fork of a tree.
  • Poachers had hit the calk over the head with a machete and shot its mother dead.
  • It took a half hour to free the calf since its head had swelled up.
A three-week-old South African rhino was rescued from a thorn tree after fleeing poachers who shot its mother dead and hit the calf over the head with a machete, a report said Thursday.
"I heard the little one cry, I saw it was trapped and was hurting, but I could not do anything until the vet arrived," game farm owner, Neels van Rensburg told Die Beeld newspaper.
The bleating baby white rhino was discovered with its head trapped in a v-shaped fork of a small tree near the carcass of its mother on a game farm near Pretoria. The cow had been shot in the heart and head.
 

Rhino Killer Shot by Police

Call it justice, karma, or rhino relief. A serial rhino killer has been shot and killed by Swaziland police after he shot at them. ‘Lucky’ Maseko was wanted in South Africa for attempted murder, and environmental crimes, including the deaths of at least ten rhinos in the last two years. Swaziland is where he wound up after leaving a trail of death from South Africa, “Swaziland has been targeted because there is low risk here compared to doing the same in SA. The situation will get worse if the country amends the Game Act because criminals from other countries and even locals will know that it is safe to poach in Swaziland. They will use the weak legislation to their advantage,” said a conservation official there. (Source: Swaziland Times)
Maseko was just one of three rhino killers shot dead by Swaziland police. After the shooting of the rhino poachers, two rhino horns, guns and ammunition were recovered. An individual who commits such heinous crimes against human beings repeatedly is known as a serial killer. Will that term ever be extended to include humans that repeatedly cause the deaths of animals, especially if the killer is contributing to the extinction of an entire species? After all, humans are actually just primates and also animals. So what exactly is the difference? Animal poachers who repeatedly kill animals have been known to shoot at conservation rangers sometimes killing them. Shouldn’t the law recognize the relationship between animal destruction and violence against humans in psychopaths and sociopaths and punish them accordingly?
Maseko was listed on the INTERPOL website was wanted. He was also one of South Africa’s most wanted, for various poaching charges and skipping bail. In South Africa he was once caught at a police roadblock with guns near a nature preserve containing rhinos. It was assumed he intended to kill some of them.
Swaziland is a very small country bordered on three sides by South Africa, so it is sort of inside the borders of South Africa. In the 1990s they were losing one rhino  per week due to poaching. Today they might be down to just about 100.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/rhino-killer-shot-by-police.html

Turning rhinos into fast bucks

When it comes to poaching, Wollworths has moved beyond the egg section. Woolworths recently threw its weight behind rhino conservation with its MyPlanet scheme that encourages customers to contribute to the MyPlanet Rhino Fund (an Endangered Wildlife Fund initiative) by swiping their cards at participating retailers. Well done Woolworths - but take a deeper look, because a leopard doesn't change it's spots.

http://www.noseweek.co.za/article/2614/Turning-rhinos-into-fast-bucks

Owner dehorns rhinos

The owner of a Jeffrey's Bay nature reserve believes dehorning the rhino on his property will minimise the risk of the animals being poached.

Johan Lottering has dehorned 10 of the 13 rhino on the reserve after being tipped off about a possible attack by poachers.

He said they plan to do this every two years.

Lottering said the horns have been stored in a safe at a bank.

“It is in a safe deposit in the bank because it’s too dangerous to keep it on the farm. We twice received tip-offs that people were about to strike over weekends but we had people out in the veld 24 hours a day over weekends,” he said.

Hundreds of rhino are poached every year in South Africa.

In the most recent incident, environmental officials and police have reportedly launched a manhunt for poachers who killed two white rhinos in the Sandveld Nature Reserve in the Free State.

http://www.eyewitnessnews.co.za/Story.aspx?Id=76425

Thai rhino horn suspect seeks bail

A Thai national accused of buying rhino horns through permits acquired illegally by strippers and prostitutes took his battle to be freed on bail to the Johannesburg High Court on Wednesday.
The man claims the State has no grounds for detaining him.
Chumlong Lemtongthai was challenging last month’s ruling by the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court that he was a flight risk as he had nothing tying him to South Africa.
In opposing his bail, the State had argued it was possible for Lemtongthai to skip the country despite his travel documents being in the investigating officer’s possession because he could bribe Home Affairs officials to get other documents. Magistrate Eric Mhlari agreed, saying it was not impossible for people without documents to travel.
But, arguing in court on Wednesday, Lemtongthai’s counsel, advocate Laurance Hodes SC, disagreed, saying the magistrate had erred in refusing bail and that it was unconstitutional to deny a person bail simply because they had no family in South Africa.
“The magistrate erred in holding that he was of the opinion that the fears of the State that the appellant may not stand trial, it being possible that the appellant might flee the country, there being nothing binding the appellant to South Africa, led him to conclude bail should be refused. The magistrate erred in finding the appellant constituted a flight risk.”
Hodes said Mhlari had also erred in finding that the State had a strong case against Lemtongthai, saying he had a solid defence to charges of contravening the Customs and Excise Act and fraud. The man was willing to pay R100 000 bail and there was no evidence to prove he would skip bail.
However, prosecutor Allen Simpson differed, arguing that no amount of money would be sufficient to keep Lemtongthai in the country. “Money is clearly not an object, so he is indeed a flight risk.”
Judge Motsamai Makume reserved judgment for tomorrow.
Lemtongthai is accused of running a syndicate that used Thai prostitutes and strippers, who would pose as hunters.
The State said 26 rhinos had been shot this way, and Lemtongthai had sold the horns for R65 000 a kilogram.
http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/thai-rhino-horn-suspect-seeks-bail-1.1165912

Could legalising rhino horn trade stop poaching?

South Africa is considering legalising rhino horn trade - in a bid to combat rampant rhino poaching, but the suggestion has been met with mixed reaction in Southern Africa.
Demand for rhino horn is at an all time high and South Africa, which has the largest reserves of the wild animal, is a prime hunting ground for poachers.
Over the past three years, gangs are said to have killed more than 800 rhinos for their horns, which can fetch £22,000 ($35,055) per kg on the black market.
Poachers use a chainsaw to cut away the rhino's horns, after darting it with a tranquilizer - drugged and helpless the animal bleeds to death.
Large syndicates are involved in this multi-billion dollar trade worldwide - exporting the horns from Africa to parts of Asia and the Middle-East.
Despite many anti-poaching measures 310 have been killed in South Africa this year, more than 330 had been killed at the end of last year - and the numbers are set to increase, experts warn.
In the five years up to 2005, an average of 36 rhinos were killed each year.
Some say today's efforts are "too conventional" and are not enough.
Africa's rhino population
  • 80% Africa's rhino population is found in southern Africa
  • There are 4,500 black rhino in southern Africa
  • The black rhino population has decreased by 95% since the 1980s
  • There are 20,000 white rhino in South Africa alone
  • About 80% of Africa's rhinos are found on state-owned land and the rest on private property
Sources: WWF and Campfire Zimbabwe
Now South Africa has commissioned a study into whether legalising trade in rhino horn could in fact help to bring down poaching, the Department of Environmental Affairs announced recently.
"We are impartial at this stage but we are looking at all the suggestions which could help us in the fight against poachers," the department's spokesperson, Albie Modise, told the BBC.
"We are awaiting submissions and would consider this if we get authentic scientific backing that this would be effective," he said.
The idea is that legalising rhino horn trade would make South Africa directly responsible for meeting the demand for the horns - taking power out of the hands of poachers and placing it in the hands authorities who would also be sensitive to current conservation efforts.
These authorities would do market research into global markets of the trade, said Mr Modise.
The department says rhino horn stock piles could also be sold to fund further rhino conservation efforts.
Mr Modise says the suggestion first came up at a rhino summit held last year to find ways of tackling poaching in southern Africa.
Rhino horn trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites) and at present South Africa allows the export of horns only as hunting trophies.
The legal debate
But the consideration has drawn heavy criticism from international conversation group WWF, which says this would be a setback by decades the efforts made to stabilise the rhino population.
"We understand the need to come up with new ways of combating the rhino horn trade but we are against the notion that legalising it is the answer," said Morne du Plessis, of WWF in South Africa.
“Start Quote
We must be open to the idea of engaging with the markets and finding ways which would make Africa benefit from the demand”
End Quote Charles Jonga Director of Campfire Association Zimbabwe
"How can we control legal rhino horn trade when we can't even control illegal trade. There are too many unknowns for us to even start thinking in that direction," Mr du Plessis said.
If WWF believed legalising the industry would be of benefit - it would be done research on the matter itself, he added.
Instead, WWF believes that such a move would only further endanger the lives of rhino - and possibly drive them to extinction.
There are currently 4,500 of the critically endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis) spread across southern African nations - a shocking decline from the 1980s when 75,000 of the mammals were mostly found in Zimbabwe.
The two sub-species of white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) have a population in the region of 20,000 in South Africa alone.
But Campfire Association Zimbabwe - which advocates being able to make a living from wildlife - supports the idea of legalising the trade, saying it is time efforts looked at untested measures as opposed to the current ones which are not always effective.
"We view this as part and parcel of placing value on the rhino species. We are looking forward to a time when communities would benefit directly from living with the species," says Charles Jonga, who heads Campfire Zimbabwe.
He said his organisation, which was founded in the 1980s, had found that communities which were directly involved in conserving wildlife and were also able to earn a living from it were more keen to protect the animals from poachers.
If the trade were legal, Campfire Zimbabwe says, it would give power to countries with rhinos to set appropriate conditions to the sale - for example insisting that the horn not be used for medicinal purposes or perhaps to get clarity on what markets use the horns.
Mr Jonga said the demand needed to be met and not shunned, adding that there were ways of doing this without driving the rhino population to extinction.
"We must be open to the idea of engaging with the markets and finding ways which would make Africa benefit from the demand and indeed the communities where the rhinos are found," said Mr Jonga.
"We must also look at possibilities of breeding the rhino in our communities," he added.
Conservationists suspect that most of the illegally harvested rhino horns destined for south-east Asia are used for medicinal purposes.
In Vietnam many believe that ground rhino horn can be used to cure cancer - although there is no scientific proof of this - and those horns taken to the the Middle East are used to make handles for ornamental daggers.
Some measures have been put in place to curb poaching in South Africa including the deployment in recent months of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to protect the animals from poachers by patrolling "hotspots".
Millions of dollars have been invested over the past few years on high-tech technology, upping conservations efforts and starting up range expansion programmes all in a bid for counter the effects of poaching on the rhino population.
While many countries are desperate for answers to the poaching problem - and many agree that a lot more can be done to save rhinos, critics says South Africa's idea might be too unconventional and untested to get the supports it needs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-15355494

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Viability of rhino horn trade studied

Pretoria - The department of water and environmental affairs (Dwea) has commissioned a feasibility study to look into legalising the rhino horn trade.

“The department, as part of the outcomes of the Rhino Summit held in October last year, has commissioned a feasibility study on the viability of legalising trade in rhino horn in South Africa," department spokesperson Albi Modise told African Eye News Service on Friday. "The terms of reference for the study have been published and a service provider will be appointed shortly."

He said market research would also be done into global rhino horn markets.

He said it was already a known fact that the market for rhino horns was in the Middle and Far East.
“We are not sure about [other] countries or clients who would be interested in buying the horns," he said.
Funds raised from the sale of government-owned rhino horn stockpiles would be used for rhino conservation, he said.

Modise said it was also important to locate black market traders and shut them down. He was adamant that the war against rhino poaching could be won.

Chair of the Wildlife and Environment Society of South Africa Andrew Rossaak has supported the initiative.
“We really support...research [efforts] because there will be a clear understanding of the demand of horns overseas,” said Rossaak.

Rossaak agreed that funds raised through legal rhino horn trade could be used to protect rhinos against poaching.

Last week, South African and Vietnamese officials agreed to draw up a Memorandum of Understanding and collaborate, amongst others, on natural resource management, wildlife protection and law enforcement.
The bi-lateral meeting focussed, in particular, on rhino poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horn.

Since January 1, poachers have killed at least 281 rhinos in South Africa.

Dwea minister
Edna Molewa has reported that only about 18 800 white rhino and 2 200 of the endangered black rhino remain in South Africa.

She said 155 suspected rhino poachers were arrested this year. Sixty-five arrests were in the Kruger National Park.

Molewa proposes new rhino rules

Johannesburg - In an attempt to further restrict the trophy hunting of rhino, Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa has proposed amendments to the norms and standards governing the practice.

Molewa submitted the suggested amendments for public comment on September 30. These covered the norms and standards for marking rhino horn and trophy hunting of white rhino, the department said in a statement on Friday.

"The proposed amendments are intended to address the abuse of the permit system," said spokesperson Albi Modise.

"Although illegal hunting is the main threat that could impact on the survival of rhinoceros in the wild in the near future; stricter provisions relating to hunting [are] required."

This was to ensure that the processes were standardised and to reduce possible abuse of the system.

Microchip

"The department... views this in a very serious light and is committed to the fight against rhino poaching and abuse of the permit system," said Modise.

The amendments stipulate that all live rhino sold and transported must be micro-chipped in both horns.

Rhino horns obtained as a result of dehorning, which were not micro-chipped, will now have to be micro-chipped by the permit issuing authority.

The information would then be kept on a provincial and a national database.

It was also proposed that all rhino hunts be strictly controlled.

This would be by means of an individual threatened or protected species (Tops) hunting permit which would ensure that all horns could be traced to where the hunt took place.

The hunting of rhino may, therefore, not be authorised in terms of a standing permit for game farms, or a game farm hunting permit provided by the owner of a registered game farm.

The amendment proposes that a person may only hunt and export one rhino for trophy purposes within a 12-month period.

The hunting could also take place only under the supervision of a conservation official, preferably an environmental management inspector (EMI) from the province concerned.

The supervisor must then immediately hand over the information and microchip numbers to the department.

Any exports of rhino horn must be endorsed by the EMI, the department said.

DNA samples would have to be collected when rhinos were darted for translocation and treatment.

Samples would also have to be collected from detached horns obtained through, among others, natural mortalities and dehorning.

"The results of these DNA samples aim to assist enforcement officials to achieve successful prosecutions during criminal proceedings," said the department.

The samples would then be sent to the Onderstepoort Veterinary Genetics Laboratory as soon as possible.

Anyone who wanted to submit representations or comments on the proposed amendments could do so during October.

It is estimated that 307 rhino have been poached so far this year. In 2010, 333 rhino were poached.

About 180 people have been arrested this year, up from 165 last year.

Two rhino poachers caught

Johannesburg - Two men have been arrested for allegedly killing and dehorning a rhino in Hoedspruit, Limpopo police said on Saturday.

Lt-Col Ronel Otto said the ranger of the private game farm heard shots being fired around 09:00 on Friday and called the police.

"Together they traced the suspects on foot and four suspects were found on the farm."

Two men ran away but the other two were arrested. A rhino horn, hunting rifle, two projectiles and an axe were found in their possession.

The men, from Mozambique and South Africa, were expected to appear in the Hoedspruit Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Otto said the search for the men's accomplices continued

Rhino hunting permits could be suspended

Johannesburg - The government may consider suspending the issuing of trophy-hunting permits to curb the increase in rhino killings by poachers, the environmental affairs department said on Wednesday.

The subject of a moratorium was broached at a meeting between Water and Environmental Affairs Minister
Edna Molewa and provincial environment MECs (Minmec), department spokesperson Albi Modise said.

"Minmec has recommended that a moratorium on hunting of rhinoceros be considered as a last resort, after all options have been explored."

A moratorium would be considered and implemented if there was a "clear abuse" or "absolute collapse" in any of the provincial licence permitting systems.

The other options that had been explored to close "loopholes" in the legal framework included a proposed amendment to the norms and standards governing the hunting of the animal under the Biodiversity Act.

The amendment stipulates, among others, that hunting can take place only under the supervision of a conservation official or environment management inspector.

It allows the permit-issuing authority to postpone decisions relating to applications if any applicant is under investigation for contravention of the act.

Should the above measures not succeed in curbing the problem, the moratorium would be put in place.

Modise said a dehorning impact study had been initiated and would be concluded within the next two months.

Another two studies - a feasibility study to determine the viability of legalising trade in rhino horn in South Africa, and a global competitive market research assessment study - were also in the pipeline.

Since January, a total of 324 rhino had been poached and 186 people arrested in connection with rhino poaching.

This figure included two white rhino killed by poachers in the Kruger National Park on Tuesday. Both were shot in the head, but only one front horn was removed.

At the end of 2010, South Africa had conserved approximately 46% of Africa's black rhino in the wild and 93.2% of the continent's white rhino.

Two white rhinos killed in park

Two white rhinos have been killed by poachers near Albasini Road in the Pretoriuskop ranger section of the Kruger National Park, a park spokesman said on Tuesday.

The carcasses of a cow and her calf were discovered on Tuesday morning, said William Mabasa. It was unclear when they were killed.
"The two animals were both shot in the head and only one front horn was removed from the cow."
"We believe that this is truly a despicable act and would like to encourage everybody to come forward and report any suspicious movements," said Mabasa.

http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/10/11/two-white-rhinos-killed-in-park

Rhino shot 11 times, survives

Polokwane - A rhino survived after being shot 11 times on a Limpopo farm, according to a report on Thursday.

Gaven Holden-Smith, of an on independent anti-poaching unit in the Waterberg area, told Beeld newspaper that the young cow was found on Wednesday on a farm between Bela-Bela and Thabazimbi.

The rhino was being treated to avoid infections and would probably be moved to another farm in the area which was believed to be safer, Holden-Smith said.

Since January, a total of 324 rhinos had been poached and more than 180 people arrested in connection with rhino poaching. This figure included two white rhino killed by poachers in the Kruger National Park on Tuesday.

The government is in the process of tightening up hunting regulations in a bid to curb rhino hunting
.

Toxic rhino horn treatment a thorny issue

Johannesburg - The environmental jury is out on whether treating a rhino horn with toxic substances is an effective method to curb poaching in South Africa.
"If it makes people sick, it will surely make animals sick," the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said.
"It's a complex, ethical issue because it involves poisoning people," the Private Rhino Owners' Association (PROA) said.
"If they say it won't hurt the environment, they must be using a synthetic compound that hasn't been proven to be toxic to humans," replied the Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies at the University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort.
On Wednesday, the Rhino Rescue Project announced it had treated a number of rhinos' horns with a mixture of ectoparasitacides [drugs which kill parasites living on the surface of the host].
The project treated animals at the Rhino and Lion Reserve in Kromdraai, north-west of Johannesburg, more than a year ago, claiming that no adverse behavioural or environmental effects were recorded.
The project's Lorinda Hern said the potion was not lethal to humans, but would cause unpleasant symptoms such as convulsions and headaches. The treatment, injected into the horns, was described as a cost-effective, long-lasting and immediate solution for private rhino owners seen as easy targets by poachers.
On Thursday, EWT's compliance and enforcement spokesperson Rynette Coetzee said the effect of the treatment on a whole population of rhinos was not clear.
"What if the rhinos use their horns to scratch themselves? The toxins may enter the bloodstream and have an effect. Every rhino is an individual with unique behaviour. Our main concern is that this treatment is not damaging rhino or other wildlife."
She said the potion's active ingredients would have to be legal and in line with both the Fertilisers, Farm Feeds, Agricultural Remedies Act, and the Hazardous Substances Act.
On Wednesday, Hern said she had sought "extensive legal opinion" on the treatment, a combination of legal chemicals.
Richard Burroughs, director of the Centre for Veterinary Wildlife Studies, said on Thursday he could not give academic comment without knowing the exact components of the solution.
"However, it sounds like it may be synthetic pyrethroids which are used because they are environmentally friendly. We don't know the effect on humans and also what concentration will penetrate the rhino horn.
"It might be worthwhile, from a public relations point of view, to those who are reasonably informed. However, poachers are not informed and will still shoot rhinos."
He said it was the right of individual owners to treat their animals for protection, but did not see it becoming national policy.
Stockpiles of horns
PROA chairperson Pelham Jones was wary of commenting on a treatment that could inflict harm on people.
"We as an association have no firm position. We will certainly look at it... and welcome any legal initiative that is shown to be credible and measurable."
He said PROA supported the legalisation of the trade of horns as a solution.
"We would like to see the legitimate trade of horns from rhinos that have died from age, fighting or relocation.
"Farmers are sitting on huge stockpiles of horns... we can meet a short-term demand by releasing them and run an education campaign in the process."
Jones said a horn's status could be checked by DNA registration at Onderstepoort, opening up a process for possible criminal proceedings against those who had horns illegally.
"To create legislation allowing us to sell horns, waiting for a country that legislates horn buying, and waiting for approval by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species... could take up to six years."
Coetzee said she was against legalising the market, as this would fuel a demand that could not be met.
"We'll have those with money buy every horn they can get. Those who can't afford it will resort to poaching to get a horn."
Burroughs said legalising horn trade would stem the demand, and owners could de-horn large numbers of rhinos on their game farms in a sustainable way.
What was clear among the environmentalists was that the department of environmental affairs needed to regulate the issuing of permits for legal game hunting.
"The department has failed to implement stricter controls. We have asked for a centralised permit office that would police this issue," Jones said.
Coetzee said putting a moratorium on hunting would damage the tourism industry and target legitimate hunters wanting to enter the country.
"The sustainable and legal utilisation of wildlife [like hunting] is vital to the future of tourism in South Africa."
Since January 1, poachers killed more than 280 rhinos in South Africa. The local rhino population was around 18 800 white rhino and 2 200 black rhino.

 http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Toxic-rhino-horn-treatment-a-thorny-issue-20110908

Game farm owners shy away from rhino breeding

More and more private game farm owners are moving away from rhino breeding. Private game farm owners in the Northern Cape say they do not want to risk having their animals killed by poachers. More than 311 rhinos have already been killed since the beginning of the year in South Africa.
Farmer and veterinarian Johan Kriek says although conditions for rhino breeding are ideal, he will not breed them.  He says at the moment, breeding rhinos is a very risky venture to go into.
"We know how dreadful the poaching scene is with rhino and you're really just targeting yourself by trying to conserve rhino because you have these ruthless people who believe in some old Eastern myth. A rhino horn is not an aphrodisiac. A rhino horn does not help with your blood pressure and the quicker we can get to educate people, the quicker I will start to farm and ranch with rhino's, but at the moment you know because of the myth, people want rhino horn and they kill rhino's for it," says Kriek.
University of Pretoria ecologist Professor, Wouter van Hoven, says it is no longer financially viable to breed rhinos due to poaching.  "We know there is a lot of poaching. Now our feeling is that we should get rid of the ban and the embargo on trade of rhino horn. I think if we can set this up, regulate it and have people farm with  rhino and legally harvest the horn and in this way make it more available."
Like other provinces in the country the Northern Cape game farmers are no longer willing to farm with rhino. If this tendency continues, the very existence of the rhino's are under threat.
http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/b7da8e0048aa32a98bfc9b0bfac4c190/Game-farm-owners-shy-away-from-rhino-breeding-20111012

Monday 10 October 2011

Vietnam joins anti-poaching rhino campaign

A pioneering conservation campaign in Vietnam last year made its citizens aware of the perilous state of Asia’s endangered tigers.
Now Nguyen Trung Kien hopes a similar effort will turn public attention in his country to the plight of South Africa’s rhino.
“The tiger is very close to us in Vietnam because it’s one of the 12 animals in our calendar,” said Nguyen, a member of the Vietnamese embassy in South Africa.
“The campaign was good because people realised the importance of protecting the tiger and a lot of young people joined.
“People learnt about the tiger in real life. My son, who is four, asked me if the tiger was like a dog.
Outrage: People for the Liberation of Animals shout stop killing the rhino outside the Chinese Embassy. Picture: Thobile Mathonsi
“I said the tiger was dangerous and could kill us, but I told him it was beautiful and must be protected.”
But like the tiger, whose body parts are in demand for medicinal use in Asia, Nguyen said he realised any campaign that sought to stop the use of rhino horn come up against ancient belief systems.
“In Vietnam, people don’t know much about rhino. But we have a billion people (also in surrounding states) who use oriental medicine and believe rhino horn is a treatment. It’s a false belief, we need to tell them that, and that wildlife here in South Africa is connected to their lives in Vietnam.”
Nguyen was among a senior Vietnamese delegation who met this week with the Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) to finalise an agreement on wildlife protection and law enforcement – the core focus is the 311 rhino that have fallen prey to the bullets and chainsaws of international crime syndicates this year.
Fundisile Mketeni, the deputy director general of biodiversity and conservation at the department, told a media briefing this week that discussions with consumer countries like Vietnam would extend to China and Thailand, in a bid to stem the carnage.
Several Vietnamese nationals have been caught smuggling rhino horn out of the country. The latest case is that of Duc Manh Chu, who tried to smuggle 12 rhino horns through OR Tambo International.
“We know we have a challenge with rhino,” said Mketeni.
“But we cannot only protect rhino. Tomorrow, it’s elephant ivory. Our focus is on looking at the broader issues of wildlife, and the illegal killing of rhino.”
Vietnam did not have a specific campaign around rhino poaching, explained Twan Cong Ha, the leader of the delegation, through an interpreter.
“We’ve been running several conservation programmes and campaigns. Our hope after these working sessions (with the DEA) is to come up with an (awareness) campaign for a specific species.”
Twan acknowledged that in Vietnam, the belief persisted that rhino horn could cure cancer – contrived, according to conservationists, by wildlife syndicates to fuel more profit in the bloody trade.
“Personally, I don’t believe in that statement or rumour. We have got a medical research institution involved in a process to verify if rhino horn can cure cancer, and we will make that public.”
But Nguyen said in Asia, oriental medicine had ancient roots that were trusted.
“In oriental medicine, you learn by experience.
“A thousand years ago someone said the use of a product could cure… people still believe that today… ”
And it’s not just about the claimed medicinal values of rhino horn.
Nguyen explained that an Asian royal used a cup made of rhino horn centuries ago to drink alcohol.
“To get rich speedily, people use these cups to act like the king.”
The Javan rhino has virtually disappeared from Vietnam, too, said Nguyen. “We are also victims (of rhino poaching).
“Poor people get paid to traffic rhino horn. We need to prevent poaching at the very beginning and we need to stop the user from (holding) the false belief that rhino horn can cure cancer, which is wrong.”
Wildlife was under threat everywhere, he said.
“I went to a game farm and I looked through the binoculars at a wild dog. I thought ‘why do we need to shoot this animal, it is beautiful’, but people here in South Africa are killing them.”

South Africa studies legalising rhino horn trade: report

A South African protester holds a sign and a fake rhino horn during a demonstration …
South Africa may consider legalising trade in rhino horns, as part of a study into combatting rampant poaching, local media said Monday, citing the environment ministry.
"The terms of reference for the study have been published and a service provider will be appointed shortly," the ministry's spokesman Albi Modise told the African Eye News Service.
Rhino horns fetch up to $500,000 a piece on the lucrative Asian black market, according to the UN wildlife trade regulator, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
Demand for rhino horn has soared amid a popular belief in Vietnam that it can be used to cure cancer.
Trade in rhino horn is regulated by CITES. South Africa currently allows the export of horns only as hunting trophies.
Authorities will do market research into global markets of the trade, said Modise.
Government rhino horn stockpiles could be sold to fund rhino conservation efforts, he added.
South Africa lost 333 rhinos to poaching last year and has lost 309 so far this year, up from 13 in 2007.
Police and parks officials say the increase has been driven by organised poaching syndicates.
South Africa and Vietnam last week launched talks toward an agreement to curb rhino poaching.

http://news.yahoo.com/south-africa-studies-legalising-rhino-horn-trade-report-160759464.html

The deceased was a career criminal wanted by INTERPOL.

Career criminal Lucky Maseko, responsible for the deaths of at least ten rhinos in two years, has reportedly been shot dead by Swaziland police.
Maseko was listed on INTERPOL for environmental crimes, and also wanted by South African authorities for attempted murder.
As of this writing, Maseko can be seen here on the INTERPOL website.
According to the Times of Swaziland, Maseko was one of three rhino killers taken out after firing on Swazi police.
The incident occurred last Wednesday, following the killing of a white rhino in Hlane Royal National Park.
Two rhino horns, a .303 long range rifle, a .22 long range rifle, and 17 live rounds of ammunition were recovered.
In September 2010, Maseko was arrested – while out on bail – in South Africa near Mpumalanga, for involvement with several rhino killings.
At the time of his September 2010 arrest, Maseko was also wanted for abduction and attempted murder.
The demand for illegal rhino horn has claimed the lives of three rhinos in Swaziland this year. Prior to last week’s tragedy, a mother rhino was shot and her orphaned calf later died.

http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2011/10/03/notorious-rhino-killer-shot-dead-in-swaziland/

Bracelets to save the Rhino

Rhino Force, an initiative of Afrika Force, sold bracelets to help fund the Endangered Wildlife Trust and continue the fight against rhino poaching.
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The beaded-bracelets cost R30 and  proceeds went towards funding anti-rhino poaching drives. The bracelet making also provided employment. Clive Walker, patron of Afrika Force, founder of the Endangered Wildlife Trust and co-founder of the Wilderness Trust of Southern Africa said, "I am very proud to be a patron of Rhino Force but what is happening in our country is horrifying. I want to encourage South Africans to say ‘no’ to extinction."

South Africa was home to 93.4 percent of the world’s rhino population and has a responsibility to protect them.  The Endangered Wildlife Trust,was focusing its efforts on skills development to match the sophisticated methods and equipment of poaching syndicates, and on tightening environmental legislation.

There were 19 officials at OR Tambo International Airport who had been trained to catch smugglers. The number of sniffer dogs especially trained to recognise wildlife contraband has been increased. Attempts were being made to start a social media campaign in China to discourage the use of rhino horn for traditional medicine.
Rhino Force hopes to raise R8 million by the end of the year through the sale of 1million bracelets.
At Rosebank’s Rooftop Market a life-size rhino made of beads was unveiled as the mascot of Rhino Force’s campaign. Red beads were chosen as a reminder of the danger facing the animal. The handmade bead-rhino will tour the country with Rhino Force.

Rhino Force have been granted royalty-free use of the song Beautiful Creatures, a collaboration with Ed Jordan. The CD may be purchased  along with a bracelet for R48.
Bracelets can be purchased from The Tiger’s Eye, Exclusive Books, Look&Listen, Baby City, Thrupps, Casalotti’s Pizza Rapido in Craighall, Parkwood and Riverclub and Local Grill in Parktown North and Hurlingham.
http://www.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/sandton/sandton-news-section?oid=4749861&sn=Detail&pid=217514&Bracelets-to-save-the-Rhino

South African & Vietnamese Officials Meet To Address Rhino Poaching Crisis

During an official visit by Vietnamese government officials to South Africa last week, both countries signed a bilateral agreement to discuss ways to stop the illegal trade in rhino horn.


The poaching of Africa’s two internationally protected rhino species is increasing at an alarming rate. Seeking to address this problem, five government officials from Vietnam made an official visit to South Africa last week to discuss the illegal trade in rhinoceros horn.
The visit coincided with World Rhino Day, held on September 22 this year.
According to TRAFFIC, from 1990 to 2007, South Africa lost an average of 13 rhinos to poaching each year, but in 2008, the number shot up to 72 animals being killed for their horns. This figure rose to 122 in 2009, and again in 2010 to an unprecedented 333 dead.
As of September this year, more than 302 animals have already been illegally killed. At this rate, the total number may be pushed to over 400 dead rhinos in 2011 if the poaching onslaught is not halted.
Rhino horns are usually smuggled to Asia, and there is strong evidence that Vietnam is one of the key destinations and also a primary driver of the illicit trade.
Last month, two Vietnamese citizens were sentenced by a South African magistrate to 8 and 12 years in prison respectively, for attempting to smuggle rhino horn out of the country.
In addition to poaching of live animals in Africa, the demand from Asia has led to a spate of thefts of antique rhino horn from museums and zoos across Europe by organized criminal gangs.
Rhino horn is used in traditional Asian medicine for the treatment of high fever, but a new belief has emerged claiming rhino horn has curative powers against cancer – a notion that may have developed in Vietnam.
However, there is no scientific or medical evidence to support any such claims. Rhino horn is similar in composition and structure to horses’ hooves, birds’ beaks, and human fingernails.
At a joint press conference on Wednesday, Mr. Fundisile Mketeni, Deputy Director General of Biodiversity and Conservation in the South African Department of Environmental Affairs, and Dr. Ha Cong Tuan, Deputy Director General, Viet Nam Forestry Administration, announced the signing of a bilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) under which both countries can actively collaborate to stop the illegal trade in rhino horn.
“In order to combat the illegal trade in wildlife products effectively, law enforcement must address the entire black market trade chain, from source country to end users,” said Tom Milliken, TRAFFIC global elephant and rhino programme coordinator.
“Formal institutional links between South African and Vietnamese law enforcement agencies should create effective channels of communication and improve law enforcement in both countries. It is important to note, however, that a meeting like this is only a first step. The real challenge is for participants to demonstrate their commitment in the follow-through once they return to their respective posts,” he said.
Last week’s visit of Vietnamese government officials to South Africa follows the October 2010 mission of a five-member South African delegation to Ha Noi and Ho Chi Minh City to discuss rhino horn trafficking between the two countries.
 http://www.asianscientist.com/topnews/south-african-vietnamese-mou-rhino-poaching-crisis-102011/

Need For Better Conservation of Rhinos

According to a myth in Vietnam, rhino horn has the capability to treat cancer. This is the reason there is a lot of poaching done, on this poor animal, nearing extinction. According to statistical reports, there have been as many as 309 rhinos killed this year for their precious horns and skin this year. The issue is that these numbers have seen a drastic rise in the past few years, despite the various efforts being made for the conservation of these animals nearing extinction.
Vietnamese people who believe in the myth about rhino horns being useful in curing cancer, are now importing them from South Africa, the rhinos in their own country nearly depleted.
"We need to raise public awareness of the importance of biodiversity and we need to get rid of the wrong understanding that rhino horn can cure cancer", said Vietnamese diplomat, Kien Nguyen.
There need to be launched more education programs to make the people aware that these are mere myths that are harming the ecological balance of the world, rhinos being a major part of the bigger picture of the world. There is also need for better conservation rules and stricter punishments to be made for the ones indulging in poaching, so that these things come to an end. 

  http://topnews.us/content/243873-need-better-conservation-rhinos