Some recent stats from ZuluNyala Lodge.

An update on the rhino poaching situation :

Number of confirmed Rhino poached in KwaZulu Natal - to date for 2015:
White Rhino = 89
Black Rhino = 13
Total = 102

Total number of rhino poached in KwaZulu Natal over the past 5 years:
White = 370
Black = 57
Total = 427

Total number of rhino poached in the country for 2014 = 1215

Total number of rhino poached in the country as of the end of October 2015 = 1500

Total number of rhino poached in the country over the past 7 years = over 4000 (approximately 19 % of the total present population)

White Rhino populations in SA = 18 900

Black Rhino populations in SA = 2040

Total number of both species of rhino in the country = 20 940

South Africa is home to 75 % of the worlds wild black and white rhino populations.

Approximately 70 properties - or 250 000 hectares (625 000 acres) of rhino range habitat has been lost over the past 2 years due to private landowners removing or selling rhino, so as to reduce their protection/anti poaching risks. The loss of range habitat does not bode well for the future of rhino conservation, if this trend continues.

It has cost private land owners/reserves in South Africa over 1.4 billion Rand (100 million U$) this past year for anti poaching and security upgrades to protect the rhino in their custody

Value of rhino horn on the black market - varies between U$80 000 (R1 120 000) to U$120 000 (R 1 680 000) per kilogram - depending on demand and country where product is traded.

Poachers are presently being paid up to U$10 500 (R147 000) per kilogram.

Average weight of an adult rhino horns (front and rear) approximately 5 kilograms.

Millions of Dollars are being stolen from our natural heritage each year !

We are now going into the festive season, rhino poaching will definitely be on the increase, I appeal to each and everyone to please be alert and vigilant to any suspicious vehicles or persons seen in the area !

The battle against rhino poaching goes on - we are the custodians of some of the last wild rhino populations left on the planet – let’s all do our bit for future generations.

Hi Barry,

Those stats are heartbreaking. Hope you folks can continue to protect the rhino. I was in KwaZulu Natal in October at Tugela Game Reserve. I believe they had seven rhino on their property, all have been dehorned to try to protect them from poachers. I'm glad they are alive, it is a shame they have to be dehorned to protect them. Good Luck.

Unfortunately, dehorning doesn't help. The poachers kill them anyway to prove a point.

The middle men continue to operate without fear of arrest. Little wonder why...

Horrible stats! Something has got to give or the Rhino are gone. I thought the guys in South Texas were crazy about wanting to import and breed Rhino's but I believe they would be much safer here than there.

And to imagine all the time, effort and money spent to breed these animals!
Hats off to the breeders, and utter shame on the authorities who seem to take a could not careless attitude!

The jury's still out on the concept of de-horning. When it was done in the Zambezi Valley and poachers would spend sometimes days tracking a rhino only to find it had been de-horned the first thing they would do is shoot it. No point in spending days tracking that one next time. It does work better in more contained areas.

quote:

Originally posted by impala#03:
Hi Barry,

Those stats are heartbreaking. Hope you folks can continue to protect the rhino. I was in KwaZulu Natal in October at Tugela Game Reserve. I believe they had seven rhino on their property, all have been dehorned to try to protect them from poachers. I'm glad they are alive, it is a shame they have to be dehorned to protect them. Good Luck.

Probably one of the best examples of input into a conservation initiative is the Chiredzi River African Wildlife Trust which is really gauged to protect rhinos (and ancillary species). What doesn't sink in until you think about it is that it's driven by hunters to protect a species they can't hunt because that's what conservation is really all about.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
And to imagine all the time, effort and money spent to breed these animals!
Hats off to the breeders, and utter shame on the authorities who seem to take a could not careless attitude!

Rhino populations in Texas and Australia are fine. It's been said and it's correct. If you want to conserve an African species get it out of Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by pagosawingnut:
Horrible stats! Something has got to give or the Rhino are gone. I thought the guys in South Texas were crazy about wanting to import and breed Rhino's but I believe they would be much safer here than there.

I'm hearing more and more people getting out of rhinos because the protection is too much hassle cost and risk.

A friend of mine went to parks, to get a transfer permit for his rhinos. Two days later they hit him 150m from his house and killed two rhinos.

A month before we had been hunting and a chopper was flying a grid over the land. He landed when the PH said he was going to shoot him down!! Still nothing you can do.

At the end of the day there is virtually no recourse.

K

Much like our illegal drug trade here in the U.S., as long as there is a market. It will be very hard to shut it down. There is simply to much money involved.

I wonder why you dont see the crazy animal rights activist targeting the end users in Asia. They are the root of the problem after all.

The International Anti-Poaching Foundation is doing some good hands-on work with volunteers. But you won't see any of the activists there. Why not? Because it's run by an Australian ex-SF type and the day begins at sunrise with PT. You will never get an activist that far away from its keyboard.

quote:

Originally posted by Thunder Head:
Much like our illegal drug trade here in the U.S., as long as there is a market. It will be very hard to shut it down. There is simply to much money involved.

I wonder why you dont see the crazy animal rights activist targeting the end users in Asia. They are the root of the problem after all.