Surge in rhino poaching

A rapid surge in poaching in the Limpopo Province, South Africa, by organized gangs has devastated the rhino population in the past couple of years. This surge of killings threatens to wipe out the extremely endangered black rhinos within the decade. In the year 2009, 122 black rhinos were killed in South Africa, and rancher Pelham Jones states that this will only get worse if nothing is done. Jones predicts that next year between 180 to 200 black rhinos will be killed, reducing the total of black rhinos in South Africa to around 1,570. David Uys is interviewed on his perspective in this article. He talks about his emotions seeing the carcasses laid across the land, how he plans to rid South Africa of these organized gangs, and how he is trying to help the black rhino population. Many ranchers, who keep the animals to attract tourists, are very concerned about the involvement of organized crime in rhino hunting. Many citizens and ranchers are worried about the possible future extinction of this animal.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/16/world/la-fg-south-africa-rhinos16-2010mar16

Reporting from Limpopo Province, South Africa — The baby rhino, an orphan, had barely been weaned. Her horn was only a few inches long. But that didn't stop the poachers from hacking it off.
David Uys, 33, had helped raise the rhino after her mother was killed by lightning. He called her Weerkind -- "orphan" in Afrikaans. He won't forget the sight of the bodies of the baby and two other rhinos, shot dead, their horns removed.
"I'm not a one for talking about emotions," Uys said quietly. "But it was like seeing one of your family members dead, the brutality of it."

China's recent thrust into Africa in a rush for resources is a major factor in the illegal rhino horn and ivory trade, analysts believe, because China remains the largest market. Rhino horn, made of keratin, the same substance that forms fingernails, hooves, feathers and hair, has long been used in Chinese medicinal tonics.

Zimbabwe's collapse added to the problem, with corrupt government, army and wildlife officials reportedly involved in poaching and smuggling rhino horn and ivory. The airport in that country's capital, Harare, is reportedly a key transit hub.

In South Africa, Vietnamese diplomatic officials have allegedly been involved in rhino horn buying and smuggling. Reports in Vietnam that a government official was "cured" of cancer by rhino horn appear to have spurred Asian demand.
Many fear that the Asian market is so ancient and entrenched, there's not much a small group of farmers can do to save the species. Some support the idea of rhino farming -- regularly pruning horns, which grow back -- to meet the demand and drive down prices. Others argue that legalizing the trade would only fuel demand, putting the creatures at even more risk.

South Africa is home to the world’s biggest population of white rhinos. There are about 15,000 white rhinos remaining worldwide. As of February 18th, 2009, they declared a moratorium on trading in products made from their horns and will limit hunting of the endangered animals. The moratorium will have an immediate effect. Hunters will only be allowed to kill one white rhino a year per person. The black and white rhinos are often poached and their horns smuggled to Yemen and Asia. In Yemen the horns are used to make dagger handles. In Asia they are used for medicines.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=a3_IbXTLifbU&refer=africa

Earlier in the year, in Kruger National Park, South Africa, a rhinoceros were walking down the road with no horns. Just one of the few to survive a surge in poaching that has sent killings to a 15-year high. A surprised tourist saw the poached rhino, and immediately alerted the rangers. William Mabasa’s theory is that the poachers used a tranquilizer, allowing the poachers to remove the rhino’s horns quietly. The animal survived the amputation, but the veterinarians were not able to save its life. The demand for rhino horns in the black-market has soared significantly in the past couple of years. The horn is used for medicinal purposes, causing a great demand for the product in the economic boom in east and southeast Asia. South Africa and neighboring Zembabwe are responsible for 95 percent of the poaching.
http://www.fizanews.com/2010/03/21/rhino-hunting-surges-in-safrica/

Surge in rhino poaching

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