Despite cooperative efforts between WWF and the Chinese government, well-funded organized crime syndicates continue to profit by exploiting superstitions regarding so-called medicinal properties of the rhino’s horn.

Tragically, Zimbabwe’s trade links with China are fueling the increase in Black Rhino killings – and the corruption appears to be at the top.

According to Johnny Rodrigues, chairman of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force, via The Guardian UK:

Zimbabwe’s trade links with China, where the rhino horn is highly prized as medicinal, are a driving factor. We’re now down to about 400 rhinos, black and white, since the opening of the Chinese market.

Normally the first thing the Chinese ask when they come here is, ‘Have you got rhino? Have you got rhino?’

It’s all linked to the top. All those corrupt ministers are trying to cream off as much as possible before the next election.

Drugs used to kill Imire Safari Ranch’s Black Rhinos found to be of Chinese origin

Discovery News producer Anne Sommerfield while working on a documentary about rhinos for Animal Planet reports the following while at Imire Safari Ranch:

Poachers broke into the conservancy, ‘tied up and assaulted the guards, and proceeded to kill three rhinos in their pens.’ Only a young rhino named Tatenda, which weeks beforehand had its horns removed to protect it from attack, survived.

So at just six weeks old, Tatenda was found cowering in the corner of the pen covered in his mother’s blood.

Rodrigues also noted that there is no doubt that Chinese demand is behind the rhino murders:

Autopsies have been done on the rhinos killed with a dart gun, and it was found that the drug is of Chinese origin, so we believe, and in fact we have heard from a reliable source, that the Chinese are buying the rhino horn.

Poaching ring leader believed to have escaped to China

Earlier this year, Karrie Kern, CEO/US Operations/Zimbabwe Conservation Task force posted at Rhino Resource Center that there were 4 poachers involved in the Imire murders. They were jailed, released on bail, and apparently re-captured.

It is believed the main culprit escaped by fleeing to China.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. Besides writing Rhino Horn is Not Medicine, I am the author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, the Editor of Project Pangolin, and a writer for the environmental news blog Planetsave. When I'm not blogging about the illegal wildlife trade, I like to rock out to live music.

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