Anyone else catch this on NG? 3 part series on the dangers facing rhino in SA game preserves. I find it hard to believe that mant rhinos were poached in one year. 2 a day? to quote: "There are only approximately 4,200 rhinos left in the wild today. Of those, 633 were poached in 2012 and as of February 2013, 96 have already been killed.
What? 15% of the total population poached in one area? That's nuts. Are SA poaching laws really that lax? Enforcement appears to be a folly at best.
Was nice to see the faces of guys who are the real deal. You could see the frustration on their faces. They acted like the professional soldiers they are.

Ski+3

Sorry. The show is on Animal Planet.

I have not seen the program but there are around 18 000 white rhino in South Africa presently and over 2000 black rhino. The population growth rate of >7% per annum still exceeds the percentage of rhino that die through poaching, hunting or natural death. This is around 4% so rhino numbers are actually still increasing in South Africa. What is a far bigger problem is the number of private game ranchers who are disinvesting in rhino for a number of obvious reasons, security etc. So we are losing habitat for rhino which is a big problem. The tourist hunting of white rhino has no effect on overall numbers. Without tourist hunting the white rhino would lose it's value and no-one will want them.

We have just finished a movie about this subject and it was used at CITES to counteract the Kenyan proposal to stop rhino hunting. Kenya withdrew the proposal before it went to the vote. I shall post this video on the Hunter Proud website in the next few days.

South Africa is quite capable of taking care of their rhino as they have done for the past 60 years when they were on the brink of extinction. So while the program may show the problems that face the anti-poaching teams across the country it sounds like they are insinuating that the South Africans do not know what they are doing. The fact that this program is using such figures makes me wonder. Where on earth did they get these numbers?

By sensationalizing the problems they are in fact making them worse.

Zig, like most programs of this nature the figures were probably pulled out of their collective arses.

DOJ,

Funny I was thinking the exact same thing!!

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
Zig, like most programs of this nature the figures were probably pulled out of their collective arses.

And further mulled over by a committee of wankers, who were appointed by a couple of mountain cabbage smokers, then refered back to PETA!

When you said animal Planet, all creditibility was flushed down the drain. They do PETA propoganda not scientific study.

Yep, the same animal planet that says a Cape buffalo is a water buffalo. Had to rewind twice to make sure I heard correct.

Their collective crap talking will eventually convince people to become greener.

Thanks Zig. I wasn't aware rhino can still be hunted in Kenya. Thought hunting was shut down many years ago. Can't wait to see your video.

The owners of the game farms featured appeared to be much more concerned about poaching than you folks.

From Google, not the bible:

"Figures from South Africa National Parks show 341 rhinos have been killed so far in 2011, already outstripping last year's record total of 333.

WWF says the spike in poaching in Africa and South Asia is largely caused by increased demand for rhino horn in Vietnamese traditional medicine.

Poachers saw off a darted rhino's horn, leaving the animal to bleed to death.

In the five years up to 2005, an average of 36 rhinos were killed each year in South Africa.

The WWF said law enforcement efforts were increasing, but were not sufficient to stop the smuggling and sale of their horns by organised crime rings.

South Africa has been the focal point of poaching because it has the largest population of rhinos in the world, with 1,916 black rhinos and 18,780 white rhinos, the conservation group said."

And another:
"South Africa has seen a dizzying spike in the pace of rhino slaughters fuelled by the lucrative Asian black market trade in rhino horn.

Last year, a total of 448 rhinos were poached, up from 333 in 2010 and just 13 in 2007.

"The latest rhino poaching statistics indicate that a total of 455 rhinos have been lost to illegal killings since the beginning of this year," the department of environmental affairs said in a statement.

More than half of the animals killed so far this year were in the world-renowned Kruger National Park which has lost 272 animals, compared with 252 last year.

"We are clearly losing the war and we simply cannot carry on the way we are doing more of the same," said Pelham Jones of South Africa Private Rhino Owners Association, who points to a possible year-end toll of close to 600.

Environmentalists fear the bloodshed could still flare at year end with the months of November and December traditionally showing spikes in the kill rates.

"There was always a realisation that there has been an increase and that the rate of poaching has been increased year on year," said Kirsty Brebner, rhino project manager at the Endangered Wildlife Trust.

"But I think that the rate at which it is increasing has come as a major shock.

"We're sitting at 455 with the two worst months to go and if you consider the growth rate (of the rhino population) is six per cent a year, we're getting close to tipping point.

"That means when your deaths exceed your births, so the species starts to go into decline."

South Africa is home to the world's biggest rhino populations of more than 18,000 white rhino and around 1,600 critically endangered black rhino."

Hmmmmmm. Not a single mention of nasty hunters. Wasn't brought up in the show either.
Ski+3

There is no hunting in Kenya for sure, hasn't been since 1977. But it doesn't stop them from trying to stop hunting in the rest of Africa. Since Kenya stopped hunting they have lost 80% of their wildlife. I am not saying that there is not a rhino poaching problem in South Africa, of course there is but stopping the tourist hunting of rhino will make the problem even worse.

Good work Zig!!

Is that 'wild' 4200 figure the numbers on public land?? National Parks etc? Plus the number in the wild in other coountries. That would sound pretty close....

The obvious solution is to reduce the demand, but how the hell can we do that?

nuc Viet Nam??

Matt,

Of the 18 000 white rhino in South Africa around 5000 occur on private land. The rest are in national parks etc. So their figure of 4 200 makes no sense.

There are rumblings about legal trade in rhino horn to try and counter the poaching problem. There are a lot of inherent risks with this however.

Animal Planet are sloppy producers and don't care one bit for facts.