Rhino Poaching
The worrying upward trend in Rhino deaths
Rhino poaching levels are not on the decline. By the 19th of December 2011, 443 rhinos had already been killed in South Africa compared to the 333 poached in 2010. As you can see in the above chart, the number has been increasing since 2008 and based on this current trend, we could have a disastrous 2012. We are losing the battle against poaching, and the South African Government has a lot to answer for these figures. It has failed and continues to do so.
Is it a coincidence that the numbers started to rise around the time of the global economic crisis, possibly? Men will do desperate things when they are hungry, but these acts are no longer perpetrated by poverty-stricken men. It has become a profitable business for organised crime. The South African government and National Park’s board has been far too slow to increase funding and resources in the troubled areas, hence the marked rise in numbers.
Tough fight on the ground
I have said it before; the valiant rangers on the ground are ill-equipped to deal with today’s organised criminals who are responsible for the increased levels of poaching. Whether the solution is simply to bring in the army to assist in the high target areas, is up for debate. The fact remains simple, the horrific deaths will continue on an upward trend.
One of South Africa’s big tourism drawcards is the Big 5. Tourists who have never been to Africa, want to experience Lions, Leopard, Elephants, Buffalo’s and Rhinos on their Safari’s. What would the effect on tourism be if one or two of these iconic species disappear? Elephants and Buffalo’s numbers are not critical in South Africa, well, not compared to the other three anyway.
I hope that the people of the world will get behind many of the great conservation organisations that are trying to raise awareness into the plight of the Rhino. Failing to get behind them could see the extinction of a mastodonic creature within our lifetime.
Rhino Conservation Charities:
International Rhino Foundation
Please see my previous blog post on Rhino conservation in South Africa
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Hi Wayne
How many concerned people have raised their voices in codemnation of the rhino kilings? And if your statistics are correct then the final requiem is already sounding.If we accept the cosmic principle that any human negative action against Nature will be revisited on humanity itself: we are all connected: then maybe the cause is a lost one! Fairly recently Zimbabwe had a large problem with Cable Theft. The collusion between Zesa officials, local police, border control officialdom and transport vehicles is documented: the destination of the copper is equally known: people who smelt the stolen copper are known and that must indicate that government law enforcement agencies are tarred with the same brush of collusion. In the present instance we are talking about the wholesale decimation of, as Chief Seattle says, “our brothers and sisters”: those creatures who walked this planet before man made the first human imprint. It would seem that all forums and avenues of redress are closed to common sense at the lowest level and the wider implications of Earth Care at the more advanced advocacy level. Does one have to fight fire with fire to douse the flames or can the goodness of people be mobilised to prove once and for all that the highest form of creation is worthy of the whole of creation? We will keep adding our voices to the call for action on these callous assassins and pray that Chief Seattle’s predication will not witness the final chapter!
“THE END OF LIVING AND THE BEGINNING OF SURVIVAL”
Stay well Wayne and may you be blessed for your defense of the whole of Creation.
Donald Kennedy (DVK)
Hi Wayne,
What a very good article, well worth my time reading that. It is so wrong how the poachers kill the poor defenceless animal for their horn 🙁
By the way, your article you pointed to (the other article you said to read: http://wmarinovich.com/archives/613), says “Page Not Found”.
Take care and God bless mate!
[…] time of writing this blogpost the official number of Rhino killed for 2012 was set at 668. In a post I predicted the poaching numbers could reach a high as 550, I clearly underestimated the greed […]