Skip to content

Conservation

Kruger rhinos' final chance

by Paul Robinson 20 Sep 2014
Kruger rhinos' final chance

The black rhino and these white Ceratotherium simum, from the Kruger National Park are in great danger. The road they are on is the way to extinction. With the Mozambique border just a few miles away, their horns could be on their way to Vietnam in a matter of hours ; White rhino image; Credit: © Shutterstock

With the arrest of an Indian horn trader, rhinoceros conservationists make steps towards preventing the poaching of all the species. More significant is the loss of 2014 rhino from South Africa alone this year. Rhinose Foundation, from the republic, are among the most significant movers among those stopping the poaching. Red polypropylene horns , meant to attach to RSA car hoods, hardly seem to do them justice, as they also bring Vietnamese officials and celebrities to see the killing at first hand.

The idea is to have rhino ambassadors in the focal point of rhino trading. China and other countries with Chinese traditional medicine are the sink for rhino horn, but Vietnam is presently the prime importer of illegal pieces of horn, cut up to fit in normal luggage. The 8 members of the Vietnamese delegation have just arrived in South Africa for World Rhino Day on 22nd September, including customs officials such as Nguyen Hung Anh and pop star Hong Nhung. They describe the ancient beliefs by which powdered horn is supposed to be drunk as a detoxifying agent to “cure” cancer or almost anything else.

Let’s hope stiffer sentences for traders in Vietnam and paramilitary action against the violent poachers in Mozambique and South Africa slow down the loss of animals. There is limited time for action before the continuous poaching reduces the population to zero. Elephant and rhino are now reaching the levels beyond which it will be impossible to recover in most areas, and for most rhino species. International cooperation is the only possible way to reverse the ridiculous situation. Sick people taking useless substances to make much-loved animals extinct seems a huge joke. But it’s not.

Our last article describing this horror was in July when only 500 horns had been taken and elephant were being threatened particularly harshly. This describes the mood in South Africa’s greatest National Park:- Elephant wars in Kruger. Rhinose Foundation’s busy pages can be found here in ”Rhinose Foundation Initiatives”.


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me