It’s World Rhino Day

It is World Rhino Day – but with the animals being poached at a rate of more than one a day, there is little to celebrate.

The news on the day set aside to honour one of Africa’s Big Five has been tainted with news that four more rhino have been killed by poachers in KwaZulu-Natal game reserves over the past few weeks.

The Mercury on Thursday reported that two white rhino were shot and dehorned in the wilderness section of the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park at the weekend.

At Ndumo Game Reserve, on the province’s northern border with Mozambique, two rhino – one white, one black, were killed this month.

Approached for comment today, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife spokesman, Waheeda Peters, said 24 rhinos had been poached in KZN and 289 nationally since the beginning of the year. Last year 333 rhino were poached.

She could give no information on the latest incidents.

Those battling against rhino extinction are trying to put across a simple message – rhino horn is not medicine. Local animal rights and conservation groups are convinced that having a day dedicated to the fight against poaching is a step in the right direction.

Ethel Horsman of Animal Action said she was glad a light was being shone on the issue. “My organisation is pro-life, so we hate to see any animal so brutally murdered,” she said.

Chris Galliers, conservation project manager at the Wildlife and Environmental Society of SA, said the day would be key in highlighting the situation.

“Especially with the day falling so close to Heritage Day, it is important to acknowledge these animals as part of our heritage,” he said. -Daily News

http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/kwazulu-natal/it-s-world-rhino-day-1.1142976

ACT launches Skydive for Rhinos campaign

30 staff members and supporters of the African Conservation Trust (ACT) will be leaping out of a plane on 6th August to raise awareness and funding for anti-poaching activities that are urgently needed to protect South Africa’s remaining Black and White Rhino populations.

As the number of Rhinos slain for their horns escalated to over 160 in the first 130 days of 2011, so did ACT’s desire to get more involved and support those on the front line of anti-poaching efforts, who are up against what is increasingly organised crime. However, ACT is at full stretch with several large water conservation, food security and heritage projects and does not have spare reserves of funding that can be directed to protecting SA’s Rhinos, particularly those in KZN, ACT’s home province. Hence, the Skydive for Rhinos project was created.

What started out as a group of six female staff members bravely putting aside their fear of heights (and all common sense) to throw themselves out of a plane in a show of support for Rhinos under threat, grew within hours to 30 (equally crazy) people, the maximum number that Skydive Durban can accommodate in one day.

100% of the money raised will go towards Rhino protection activities that are struggling to counteract poaching because of funding shortages. These activities include equipping anti-poaching patrol teams, GPS tracking, Rhino identification and aerial surveillance. Individuals and businesses may sponsor the team in many ways including sponsoring individual members, one off donations, sponsorship of the identification and micro-chipping of individual Rhino’s and donations of equipment.

http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/environment/act_launches_skydive_for_rhinos_campaign.html

‘Rhino horn must not be legalised’

Legalisation of the rhino-horn trade will strengthen the misconception that rhino horn has “special powers”, while farming rhinos for their prized horns will keep them in depressing, cramped conditions and worsen illegal trade.

These are some of the views garnered from an informal survey initiated by the International Rhino Foundation (IRF), in a global poll on whether trade should resume and if rhinos should be farmed for their horns to stop rampant poaching.

In the survey, an overwhelming 78 percent of respondents believe trade in rhino horn should not be legalised, while just 12 percent throw their weight behind the controversial proposal. On the question of whether rhinos should be farmed, 73 percent disagree and only 15 percent approve.

The survey of the IRF – which works to protect the world’s five rhino species – comes at a time when the government is conducting separate studies into the viability of dehorning and the legal trade in rhino horn.

While South Africa is home to most of the world’s rhinos, this year alone close to 300 rhinos have been poached – more than half in the Kruger National Park – a figure likely to outstrip last year’s deadly toll of 333.

“Butchering these animals should carry the highest punishment. Instead of farming rhinos like common cows, these so-called people should invest in bringing rhinos back from the edge,” writes one European citizen for part of the survey. “Any companies linked to such killings for profit should be exposed and massive fines issued to them.”

The survey elicits mixed views. Some commentators remark the trade should only be legalised in a way that benefits conservation.

“I think if farming is legalised a portion of the proceeds must go back to poaching protection and the conservation of wild rhinos,” says a US woman in her 20s.

Another respondent, from Africa, believes farming can be considered only once the species is no longer endangered.

“Inevitably, illegal trade will hide within legal farming fronts. No doubt ‘wild’ horn will be regarded as more potent than ‘farmed’ horn, and will still be more valuable.”

An American citizen agrees: “If the Asian psyche is consuming the horn of a wild rhino, similar to their belief that a wild tiger has ‘greater powers’, than a farmed tiger, farmed rhino will absolutely not solve the problem of poaching!

“Good enforcement coupled with elimination of corruption, if at all possible, might allow sustainable harvesting of a few wild rhinos. Maybe Asia, with its new-found wealth, could actually embark on a conservation model that allows it to sustainably harvest a few animals and help pay for conservation.”

Another American concurs: “I believe that making any form of rhino horn legal for sale would endanger the lives of wild rhinos because it would strengthen the misconception rhino horn has any special powers.”

A respondent, from Africa, comments legalising then rhino trade will only create an additional avenue for those already trading illegally. “Organised criminals are often diversified, (also) operating legal business interests. For them it will only add another structure they can exploit.”

A European agrees: “I believe that the legalisation of trade in rhino horn would cause an upsurge in poaching to meet demand and give poachers a legal avenue to dispose of their horn. Do we really want to see rhinos farmed for horn, kept in cramped, depressing conditions, with no quality of life?”

An African respondent states rhino horn has no medicinal value and it is unethical to promote trade “at great risk to rhino populations. Too little is known about market and drivers. Poaching is linked to international crime syndicates and other illegal wildlife trade and products”.

“The SA industry is involved in poaching and driving the market as well. Conservation efforts should go towards conserving the rhino in situ, with accompanying habitat.

“The canned-lion industry is horrific, tiger farming is appalling. Do we want to add rhino farming to this? Absolutely not.”

Commenting on the survey, Pelham Jones of the Private Rhino Owners’ Association, told Independent Newspapers: “All the people at the rockface are saying legal trade and dehorning are definite possibilities. These are scientists and the most credible conservationists in the country. It’s very easy when you don’t have rhinos to turn around and say no to trade and dehorning.”

http://www.iol.co.za/scitech/science/environment/rhino-horn-must-not-be-legalised-1.1140700

Good rhino news at last

Hermanus-based sculptor Farayi Mukonde, left, helped by Blessing Jeremani and Bongani Chenera, with his 80kg rhino. The artwork will be auctioned in Joburg at the end of the month and the funds will go to Clive Walker's Living Museum and Rhino Care Centre, which helps rehabilitate ill, injured or orphaned rhinos Picture: ESA ALEXANDER

Samples taken from black rhinos in reserves in KwaZulu-Natal show that the species is as genetically healthy as elephants and buffaloes, even though the rhino population is descended from only two breeding herds.
Black rhinos were hunted to near extinction, and, by 1930, there were only 110 left in the wild in South Africa. This prompted an ambitious relocation programme.
By spreading rhinos around the country, wildlife officials not only helped increase rhino numbers, but also helped to bolster genetic diversity - vital to the preservation of the species.
DNA test results released by Stellenbosch University show that the policy worked. The data werepublished last month in the scientific journal Animal Conservation, the official publication of the London Zoological Society.
The publication coincides with the release of the latest national black rhino population figures, showing that their numbers have risen to more than 2000 in South Africa.
However, according to the International Rhino Foundation, there were 65000 of the animals in Africa in 1970. The World Conservation Union puts rhino figures in Africa today at 4300.
International Rhino Day was celebrated around the world this week, with much of the focus on efforts to prevent the poaching of the animals in South Africa.
Researchers tested 77 rhino samples, collected during the process of rhino tagging, when small pieces of the animal's ear are removed.
Complex molecular testing shows that the local black rhino population is more genetically diverse than expected, given the animals' common ancestry.
The greater the genetic diversity, the better the chances of adapting to a changing environment, scientists say.
Minette Karsten, one of the researchers, said the rhino study was the first of its kind.
"Our findings pay tribute to the well-managed and well-documented efforts of the KZN conservation officials, who, over the past 40 years, have had the survival of South Africa's black rhino populations at heart," she said.
"Our aim was to provide scientific information that can support the management and monitoring of this rare species.
"We hope this will, along with other ecological data, assist any future decisions about translocation of rhinos between reserves in SA and between various countries."
The conservation success story is in stark contrast to a recent upsurge in rhino poaching, which has claimed 287 rhinos in South Africa so far this year.
Last year, 333 rhinos were killed for their horns, used for medicinal purposes in Asia.
The surge in poaching has prompted some private reserves to consider injecting an "anti-parasite" solution - which is known to be harmful to humans - into rhino horns.
Dr Peter Goodman, co-ordinator of biodiversity research in Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife's biodiversity research division, said the Stellenbosch study would bolster rhino conservation efforts.
"We are grateful to know that our [relocation] strategy thus far has been shown to be scientifically sound," he said.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2011/09/25/good-rhino-news-at-last

Activists march for legal rhino hunting moratorium

http://www.iol.co.za/capeargus/activists-march-for-legal-rhino-hunting-moratorium-1.1143584

Animal rights activists, game reserve owners and members of the public marched to Parliament to call for a moratorium on legal rhino hunting yesterday.

The march was also in celebration of World Rhino Day.

Close to 300 rhino have been poached since the beginning of the year.

Tracy Armbruster, a member of the Outraged SA Citizens Against Poaching (Oscap) Facebook group, said licences were issued to people who abused the system and exported rhino horns for a huge amount of money.

“We want to get a moratorium set in place before October 31 to stop the hunting of rhino. It’s an endangered species. Handing out permits left, right and centre needs to stop – at least until they can sort themselves out. That will give the animal time to recover,” said Oscap member Marché Poole.

Also at the march was Searl Derman, owner of the Aquila Private Game Reserve that recently lost two rhino to poaching.

He stressed that although beefing up security at game reserves and lodges was a necessary move towards protecting rhino, it was very expensive.

“The government needs to step in, increasing security is extremely expensive. We need bigger sentences (for poachers), more people investigating, more surveillance and the government needs to take Asian markets to task.”

Gareth Morgan, the DA’s spokesman on environmental affairs, confirmed the DA’s support in the fight against rhino poaching.

“On Tuesday, the DA raised a motion that was passed condemning the cowardly act of rhino poaching,” Morgan said.

“The whole of Parliament noted World Rhino Day. We will continue to raise this issue at the highest levels to ensure it remains at the forefront of the national agenda.”

Roopa Singh, spokesman for the Water and Environmental Affairs Department, said the department was taking the issue of rhino poaching seriously.

“Minister Edna Molewa indicated that it is her intention to also engage the various provincial Environment MECs to look at the possibility of placing a moratorium on the hunting of rhino.”