WHITE RHINO TO THE RESCUE

(This letter, written by John Hume, was sent by email from Tanya Jacobsen of www.rhinodotcom.com)

HOW TO STOP RHINO POACHING IN NATIONAL PARKS AND ON GAME FARMS

We have probably had 160,000 rhinos slaughtered in Africa over the past 50 years. This equates to an average of 3200 rhino a year.

One of the major contributing factors was almost certainly that the local populations were never on the side of the rhino. We need to change our tactics in South Africa, align with the true conservation principles of sustainable and wise use and help our communities to foster a pride and desire to breed with rhinos, instead of poach them.

We should move some rhino from our National Parks and put them in the custody of the communities and black emergent farmers. Game farmers and breeders should be encouraged to engage surrounding rural communities and teach them to conserve and breed with rhinos. If the communities are generating a substantial income from these rhinos they would literally guard them with their lives. It will change the general attitude towards poachers in the rest of the country and particularly around their own communal rhinos. This will play a significant role in addressing two major conservation issues: poverty and habitat loss.

If we donated 4,800 rhino to the communities in this manner and they increased them by the same percentage that we have increased them for the last 50 years, we will have 29,000 rhinos owned by the communities in 25 years’ time.

In order for this model to be successful, the communities will have to benefit from it and fortunately the rhino has the appropriate reward.

As a simple model, if you distributed these rhinos to 120 communities on average they would get 40 rhinos each. Initially, they would probably get 160kgs of horn off their rhinos and thereafter 40kgs per year. At the prices currently being quoted by the media this would be an enormous income and poverty alleviator for these people. These communities would need about 600ha of land for 40 rhino.

The barrier to this model is the current ban on rhino horn trade. This ban must be lifted in order for this system to work. If we cannot offer the communities some incentive to breed with rhinos and ultimately help to improve their basic living conditions, they will simply not be interested.

50 years ago there were about 630 white rhinos in South Africa and almost none in the private sector. These numbers were increased by our government agencies and sold to our private sector that also started breeding significant numbers. Today the private sector has about 4,800 white rhino in its possession and the government about 14,000. This equates to an increase of 7% PA. If we increase these 4,800 at the same rate for the next 25 years we will have 29,000 in the private sector.

At present, the private sector no longer wants to farm with rhinos as they are being poached and the breeders are being pursued by onerous regulations. Rhinos are also a major security risk to anyone involved in their management and protection. If we could change this, the private sector would again become contributors to increasing our rhino numbers.

In 25 years’ time, if the communities and farmers each had 29,000 rhinos they would be harvesting 60 tons of horn per year and more importantly, breeding 4,000 rhinos PA.

If the Asian market for rhino horn was being largely supplied by our live rhinos; if communities no longer wanted to poach rhinos; if the private sector was encouraged and incentivised to breed rhinos; and if our National Parks were generating a substantial annual income from horn stockpiles, I believe that poaching levels would drop to a minimum.
However, it is imperative that our rhino numbers remain constant until then and this is where the problem comes in.

All of this will only work if we stop the poaching. Unfortunately we will not stop the demand but we have the resources and potential to divert the supply of that demand from poached rhino to rhino that are still alive or have been long dead.

For the communities, emergent black farmers and the commercial farmers to rescue our rhino, we need legalization. Without legalization you will not persuade the indigenous communities of South Africa to become conservators of rhino.

I reckon there's a very good argument for allowing trade in rhino horn & indeed also elephant ivory but personally think that if they donated 4,800 rhino to the communities/emergent black farmers etc 4800 of them would be dead, sold & eaten within weeks if not days.

The blacks ain't exactly known for their forward planning & what's more, they never bloody will be!

No matter where you look in Africa they've stuffed up anything & everything they've ever been put in charge of & the saying of their not being able to organise a one car funeral procession is as true now as it's ever been!

ADDED

As for stopping the poaching, the only way that will ever possibly happen is if the guys at the top of the trade are caught & properly punished....... no matter who they are or what rank, title or fortune they hold & that includes diplomatic immunity etc. Until that happens, the poaching will continue unabated until there's no rhino left.

AMEN!

Read a report a while back from a fellow who headed up a project to drill a well, install a filtering system, a solar generator to run it, and all the pipes and plumbing to provide a lifetime of clean water in the middle of a village.

He returned a year later to find the apparatus in shambles and villagers walking miles to a creek and dipping water out of elephant excavations. When he inquired, he was told the villagers stripped the wires for snare materials.

I know it sounds harsh, but after hearing that, I don't hold out much hope for any plan that involves future return on investment in Africa.