Hello everyone, my name is Lauren...
16 years ago
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.
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
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601116&sid=a3_IbXTLifbU&refer=africa
NatGeo News Watch
Search This Blog
My Blog List
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
This is good artical Ricky, i can't belive that nobody going to do anything about it, I think it is really scary to see many dead bodies of rhinos. I hope that some one will stop that massacre because it is not right.
ReplyDeleteI know man. It's so inhumane. I hope governments will begin to make laws to try and prevent this.
ReplyDeleteI think they should do it fast because a lot of rhinos are dying like right now. If they won't do it fast rhinos mide vanish like and other animals.
ReplyDeletethat is very sad for the rhino. the rhino should be better protected from the outlaws! the outlaws that kill the rhinos should be given the death penatly!
ReplyDeleteif the chienese are going to kill the rhino for the medicanal reasons i think they should have to prove it!
ReplyDeleteAndrew i agree with you. I think that for killin living thing u should get death penalty, i am not talking about like rabbit or bug i am talking about animals which almost vanish.
ReplyDeleteafrica should tighten up security in and at the border of africa
ReplyDeleteYeah like electric fences with machine gun turret lol xD
ReplyDeleteyeah maybe the death pentalty might be a little harsh haha. maybe 10 years in jail!
ReplyDeletedima a tad harsh..maybe just tighten up the security around the areas where most of the killings occur?
ReplyDeletenaaah it will be fine, that what they deserve
ReplyDeletetrue dimster. but it isnt really humane..
ReplyDeletehow about those people who killed all this rhino? where they humans? for more like savages...
ReplyDeleteyeah i guess your right. i think they should deffinately be tried though in court, and from there the judges can make the decision on the punishment
ReplyDeletewhoa deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeem lets just try to stop them from hurting any animals without the use of violence
ReplyDeleteyes they should be tried and found gulity for awhat they did to the rhino. its notlike the rhino can get pay back!!!!
ReplyDeleteactually andrew they could probably declare war on the human race and win. haha. but yeah they should deffinately get tried for it and have a long term prison sentance
ReplyDeleteactually richard the human race would win because the human race has gunon there side!!!
ReplyDeletejust look at the pictures i have in my blog, its just so sad..
ReplyDeleteOK guys...good conversation...but let me place a picture in your head. You all need to step outside of our rural American lifestyle and try to view life from another angle. Imagine for a moment that you live in a remote part of Africa. You have lived there your whole life and you know nothing about the outside world. Your father hunted and killed wild animals and sold them for items that your family needed to survive...he made a pretty good living and you always had food to eat. Now you're grown and have a family of your own. Hunting laws have become stricter and you are not allowed to hunt like your father did...the only lifestyle you know how to live. You have three children and a wife...you can not feed them and are watching your children slowly starve to death. Your friends are hunting illegally and feeding their children. You have always been a law abiding citizen and hate the thought of killing the animals...however, until this point in your life, you have always been able to provide for your family. You have a choice...watch your children starve to death or kill animals illegally and sell them on the black market, making plenity of money to feed your children. What would you choose?
ReplyDeleteI agree that the killing of animals, including rhinos, is a terrible thing and I do not agree with it at all...but I also live in rural America and have the means to provide plenty for my children. I can not imagine watching my children starve to death. I personally would to anything to provide for them...include kill an protected animal if it meant giving them food. I think its very easy for us, as Americans, to critic the lives of others around the world...we have no idea what they are living every day. Poaching uis not the issue...the issue is providing a way of life for the local people.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean. There's no doubt in my mind that i would go and do anything to provide for my family. I could never sit by and watch my family starve and die..killing innocent animals would be acceptable then..BUT the killing has to be humane. What these poachers are doing is giving these animals tranquilizers to knock them out, and then they remove there horns and leave. The poachers aren't killing the animals, they are leaving them to bleed out and die. Poaching is still the problem because of the way they treat these animals. If i to provide for my family, i wouldn't make these animals suffer at all..
ReplyDelete