More senseless killing – and it’s still just the first week of the New Year.
The second rhino killing of 2011 has been reported, and this time, South Africa has been hit. A female rhino was found murdered in the Eastern Cape, at Kariega Game Reserve near Kenton-on-Sea, and both of her horns were missing.
Reserve managers said this was the first rhino killing incident at their property, and noted that most of the other rhinos had been located.
Due to the thriving illegal rhino horn trade, at least 310 rhinos were brutally slaughtered last year in South Africa.
‘Insiders’ involved in illegal rhino horn trade
The continued killing on African soil points to “insiders” from within the South African conservation community, who are apparently operating with unrestrained greed and cruelty, hoping to cash in on the ignorance and myths surrounding the use of rhino horn.
There is an in-depth look at this disturbing topic at Are ‘Insiders’ Intentionally Fueling Demand for Illegal Rhino Horn?, which notes that nefarious business alliances, private stockpile leakage, dehorning scams, and legalized trade speculation are exacerbating South Africa’s rhino crisis.
Current system of ‘bail and release’ not a deterrent
It is also believed that the South African courts are a weak link in the battle to protect the country’s rhinos.
Despite diligent intelligence work and the subsequent arrests of 147 people in 2010, the South African courts have repeatedly granted affordable bail amounts as “punishment” for rhino-related crimes, rather than administer serious deterrents.
Continued use of illegal rhino horn in traditional ‘medicines’
Illegal rhino horn is in highly sought after for use in traditional medicines in China and Vietnam, despite the fact rhino horn has been extensively analyzed and contains no medicinal properties.
Research conducted by the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC found that most rhino horns leaving Southern Africa are being smuggled to China and Vietnam.
It has also been noted that the spreading Chinese footprint in Southern Africa has placed the demand for rhino horn perilously close to the supply, and counter poaching reports have linked the increase in rhino and elephant killings to a flood of Chinese weapons in the region.
Abuse of CITES research loopholes
There are further concerns that state-funded rhino horn use proposals from China served as one of several catalysts for the surge in rhino killings across Southern Africa.
Such proposals, which surfaced in 2008 and 2009, encourage the use of rhino horn, and strongly suggest the PRC government is attempting to circumvent CITES research provisions by blurring the lines between research and commercial trade in rhinos.
Source: “Female rhino poacher in Eastern Cape.” Times LIVE. 05 January 2011.
Image: istockphoto.com
![Rhino Horns and Trophies Exported to Asia from South Africa 2000 – 2010 [Infographic]](http://www.rhinoconservation.org/wp-content/plugins/special-recent-posts/lib/phpimage.php?width=100&height=100&rotation=no&file=L2hvbWUyL2Jpb2RpdmUxL3B1YmxpY19odG1sL3dwLWNvbnRlbnQvdXBsb2Fkcy8yMDEyLzA1L1JoaW5vVHJvcGhpZXNIb3Juc0luZm9ncmFwaGljVGh1bWJuYWlsLmpwZw==)
There is hardly any punishment for crimes committed against humans in SA.
So what chance is there for any real justice where animals are concerned??!!
The African Government’s know that rhino horn & ivory are mostly used by the Chinese, and yet they invite the Chinese into our countries with open arms….
Makes you wonder…..
We need help from outsiders to try tackle this dilemma. The majoritie of our government and police force are doing nothing or are involved. No disrespect to the people that are doing something. As a private game reserve owner we do not have the sufficient funds to form our own policing force to protect the Rhino. If nothing is done right away then we all lose because the African rhino will no longer be there for us 2 see. Approximately 340 rhino shot in South Africa alone in 2010, and two already in 2011. It is actually just very sad. The question is do you want your family to grow up having seen a live rhino? What are you doing to help!