Save Our Rhinos! Join in on World Rhino Day!

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Thursday 22 September is the second annual World Rhino Day, a cause very close to our hearts at &Beyond. On this day, the world takes a stand against rhino poaching and the illegal trade in rhino horn. World Rhino Day 2011 specifically aims to debunk the myths and diminish the demand for rhino horn.

The past few years have seen a massive surge in poaching. From 2000 to 2007, approx 12 rhinos were poached each year in Southern Africa. In 2010 alone, a staggering 333 rhinos were slaughtered, and so far in 2011, a total of 279 rhinos have already been poached.

How can you get involved?

Please do what you can to raise awareness for this important campaign. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter, tell your friends, make a donation and get involved! At our lodges across Africa, guests will enjoy a Rhino Day themed high tea before their afternoon game drive, and rangers will educate guests on the ongoing plight of our rhinos. At our regional offices, staff are encouraged to wear RED and generate some noise about rhino poaching. Take photos, post them on our Facebook page, and let’s get people talking!

The issues surrounding rhino poaching are very complex and they differ among regions, reserves and countries.

THE MAIN ISSUE, SIMPLY PUT, IS THAT WE NEED TO REDUCE THE COST AND DEMAND FOR RHINO HORN AND SIMULTANEOUSLY INCREASE THE SECURITY OF ALL RHINO POPULATIONS.

Q: Why are rhinos being poached?

A: The main reason is that prices of up to $60,000 US per kilogram of rhino horn are being fetched in the Far East.

The use of rhino horn varies by country. In Yemen, it is highly prized for the manufacture of ceremonial dagger handles. In Vietnam, it has traditional medicinal value as a cure-all for many ailments. A Vietnamese General recently alleged that rhino horn had cured him of cancer. In China, rhino horn is said to reduce fever, and in some parts of the country, it is said to be an aphrodisiac. The problem is different in different countries.

Q: What are we doing to protect our rhinos?

A: All of the animals in our reserves is precious and we have always believed that if we include the local neighbours and communities in the benefits from these animals, then we have a good chance of protecting them. Africa Foundation was established to facilitate this beneficiation to the local people, and programmes like our Conservation Lessons and CLEF bursary programme have been instrumental in getting communities to support the wildlife in the neighbouring reserves.

We have a highly effective, armed, anti-poaching patrol unit that uses local intelligence to effect arrests. This has often meant that the poachers are sometimes even caught before they enter the reserve. We also have airborne surveillance and patrolling in some of our reserves.

Q: Why don’t we dehorn all our rhinos?

A: The main reason is that, at today’s current price, even the1 kg stump is valuable enough to kill the rhino for. Just last week, a large de-horned rhino cow was killed near Malelane and the stump removed, and her calf has also since died. The second reason is that in Zimbabwe, if the poachers track a rhino all day and finally find it without a horn, they kill the rhino to ensure they don’t track the same one again in future.

Q: Will selling all rhino horn stockpiles and sustainable harvesting (i.e. trimming the horn every few years and not killing the rhino) of rhino horn help?

A: There is no doubt that increasing supply can help to regulate the market. If this was done on an annual basis by all countries and a constant stream of rhino horn was available, it could well reduce the price which will have a positive effect. This would need to go hand in hand with better controls and total transparency from all involved. This co-operation is very difficult to achieve. It is probably important to note that we will need to try every possible avenue to reduce the pressure on our rhinos and every action, no matter how small, will help. The question about this approach is that it may just open a floodgate of demand which will be very negative for the future of our rhinos.

Q: Why don’t we put poison on our rhino horns?

A: The moral issues are immense. Whilst we find it abhorrent, trade in or use of rhino horn does not carry the death penalty in any country. In many countries it is not even illegal, so how can you be party to killing people who are not even doing anything illegal.

Q: How are our &Beyond rhinos doing?

A: &Beyond operates on and owns reserves that are home to many rhino. We have pioneered the black rhino range expansion programme with WWF and have had impressive population increases in all of the rhino on Phinda in the last 20 years. The Phinda population is now of significant national importance to rhino conservation, so our rhino are doing very well at the moment. We have had incidents of poaching and in each case, criminal investigations have ensued.

Q: How can I help?

A: Education is one of the best weapons we have in influencing our communities to prevent poaching. Our Africa Foundation has had really good results from its Conservation Lessons. This programme brings students and teachers from neighbouring communities into the reserves to experience wildlife first hand, and learn about how to conserve it. Donating to the Africa Foundaiton’s conservation lessons is a great way to help stop poaching – R60 provides one child with a conservation lesson!