Remember the rhinosThe international community celebrates World Rhino Day today, in the midst of the greatest crises these animals have faced in their eons of evolution.
Targeted for their horns which are used in traditional Chinese medicine and as a status symbol in Asia to demonstrate a person’s wealth and success, global populations have dwindled. On the black market, the horn sells at a higher price per ounce than gold.
According to environment minister Pohamba Shifeta, “For people whose annual income is often far below subsistence level, the opportunity to change one’s life by killing an animal that they do not value, is overwhelming.”
World Rhino Day celebrates all five species, including the black and white rhino from Africa, the greater one-horned rhino from India, the Sumatran rhino and the Javan rhino. The latter is the most critically endangered with between 58 and 60 animals left in the world, while the Sumatran rhino shares a similar fate with around 100 animals. In India, there are only just over 3 000 greater one-horned rhino. Between the white and black rhino, the white fares far better with around 20 000 animals left in the wild in Africa, while its black counterpart totals just over 5 000.
Namibia is home to the largest population of black rhino and according to Shifeta, “Is the stronghold of the south-western subspecies of black rhino, Diceros bicornis. More than 91% of the total number of this species is found locally.”
Namibia has been lauded internationally for its management of its rhinos and the numbers have, over the years, steadily grown. However, as poaching took a foothold in southern Africa, it invariably, as it does, spilled over into Namibia from South Africa and other countries in the sub-region.
Our animals traverse vast areas, especially in the north-west of the country and Etosha National Park too, is very large in size. While this is a bonus for management and conservation, it hampers the battle against poaching due to the isolation of the animals and the areas they live in. More often than not, carcasses are found days or even weeks, months or years after the poaching incident.
Anti-poaching efforts by the authorities in Namibia have borne fruit and Etosha is also being patrolled by specially-appointed units of the Namibian police. There is also good collaboration between the relevant NGOs, stakeholders and government.
Roadblocks have also achieved successes with arrests of poachers and just recently, the landmark case in which four Chinese nationals were arrested in possession of rhino horns in 2014, was concluded with a guilty verdict.
Calls have been made to legalise rhino horn as there is a viable market for the product. While most conservationists agree, the jury is still out on the issue and debates continue. Trade is banned under CITES.
Conservationists say there are three Es in saving animals which are: whether they have economic value, ecological value and of course, the ethics of sharing resources with the animals. In the case of the rhino, the economic value alone is reason enough to protect these animals with everything we have. The value of such a success will impact our international image and our tourism on economic levels that could have major spin-off effects.