A rhino has died while undergoing a controversial procedure.

An experimental procedure meant to protect rhinos in South Africa by inserting insecticide into the horns sadly went wrong during a media demonstration, and instead resulted in a rhino’s death.

Spencer, a 22-year-old rhino bull, died during the controversial treatment which is performed while the animal is sedated.

Spencer was unable to be revived from the anesthesia.

According to the developers of the rhino horn treatment at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in Krugersdorp, the insecticide would serve as a poaching deterrent by rendering the horn unsafe for human consumption.

Additional information about this tragic incident can be found here.

Photo: “Spencer” © & courtesy Pam Krzyza

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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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See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

“Forewarned, forearmed; to be prepared is half the victory.” — Miguel de Cervantes

Warning signs: Disturbing developments in Namibia could be edging the country’s rhino population closer to danger.

Although Namibia has so far remained unscathed by the rhino crisis, the situation could change, if alarm bells go unheeded.

Vietnamese ‘rhino hunters’

In November 2011, a Vietnamese national was granted a permit to kill a rhino at Otjiwa Safari Lodge in Namibia.

This is disconcerting because several Vietnamese nationals have already been implicated in schemes which use South Africa’s “hunting safaris” as a front to run rhino horn to Vietnam.

The scam has been going on since at least 2003 (escalation began in 2006), with South African safari hunt operators as willing participants.

To find out more about the Vietnamese rhino hunting scam, check out:

• 2011: “Mules Hunting Rhinos? Sinister Scam Unfolds in South Africa“
• 2010: “Illegal Trade in Rhino Horn: The Vietnamese Connection“

Rhino horn trade speculation

A recent article in The Namibian claims there is a “legalized trade” movement afoot in the country, and suggested that horns be removed from rhinos and stored in “National Banks similarly to gold and diamonds and packaged in varying quantities and qualities at set prices”.

These profiteers obviously have no qualms about encouraging seriously ill people to use rhino horn, instead of seeking medical treatment. (South Africa even authorized the export of more than 100 rhinos to China for a multimillion-dollar rhino horn harvesting scheme.)

This notion of rhino horn as a “commodity” continues to fuel demand for rhino horn, thanks to speculative claims made by rhino horn suppliers in South Africa.

It was noted that Dr. Kalumbi Shangula, Namibia’s Ministry of Environment and Tourism Permanent Secretary, was skeptical about the “legalized trade” scheme.

Learn more about rhino horn suppliers:

• 2011: “Concern Grows Around Role of Rhino Horn ‘Suppliers’ in South Africa“
• 2010: “Are Insiders Intentionally Fueling the Demand for Rhino Horn?“

Chinese footprint in Africa

The Husab Uranium Project is located in Namibia and it is the world’s fourth largest uranium deposit. At the moment, it is owned by Extract Resources.

However, a market update is expected within the next 24 hours regarding the potential takeover of Extract Resources by China Guangdon Nuclear Power Corporation.

Rhino horn and ivory trade expert Dr. Tom Milliken of TRAFFIC recently told The Guardian that African wildlife is paying the price of “China’s investment drive” across the continent.

We’ve reached a point in Africa’s history where there are more Asian nationals on the continent than ever before. They have contacts with the end-use market and now they are at the source in Africa.

This is all adding up to an unprecedented assault on elephants and other wildlife.

Check out the effects of China’s increased presence in Africa:

• 2011: “Asian Demand for Ivory Leads ‘Unprecedented Assault’ on African Elephants“
• 2010: “Demand for Rhino Horn Now Dangerously Close to the Supply“
• 2009: “Kenya Fears Link Between Elephant Killings and Chinese Construction Projects“
• 2008: “How China’s taking over Africa and why the West should be very worried“

Rhinos in Namibia

Namibia is home to the world’s largest population (nearly 1,500) of the unique desert-adapted black rhino subspecies Diceros bicornis bicornis.

Black rhinos are classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN, with fewer than 5,000 surviving worldwide.

Last year, the Western black rhino subspecies Diceros bicornis longipes and Javan rhino subspecies Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus were confirmed extinct.

Image © iStockphoto.com

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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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See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

Greed!

Why does the demand for rhino horn persist? After all, rhino horn has no proven medicinal value.

However, China (using rhinos imported from South Africa) is engaged in a profit-seeking scheme that depends on sick people using rhino horn instead of taking medicine.

Check out the ‘Bogus Medicine’ video:

Want more?

See “Revealed: China’s ‘Rhino Horn Cancer Treatment’ Scheme” — and be sure the read the timeline articles.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

In July 2010, we published the first in a series of articles which connected the surging demand for rhino horn to a timeline of developments in China’s traditional medicine industry. And during that time, more than 100 live rhinos were supplied to China by South Africa.

Although it has been widely thought that the rumor of rhino horn’s alleged “cancer-curing” power started in Vietnam, we now strongly suspect that this rumor originated with (or was propagated by) China’s Longhui Pharmaceutical “rhino horn harvesting” project.

Market demand for a ‘cancer cure’

The Longhui Pharmaceutical Company publicly claims that it plans to sell rhino horn as a cancer treatment (among other things) on a “rhino horn biological medicine industrialization project” information page located on the Fularji District People’s Government website (http://flej.gov.cn), as well as in a similar document obtained elsewhere. Both sources appear to have been published between 2005 — 2006.

Rhino horn is very important in the Chinese medicine field because of its effects: detoxication and anti-cancer, eliminating pathogenic heat from the blood, removing eczema. Rhino horn resources are rare because rhino are protected by [World Organization] and nobody can catch or kill them or trade in rhino horns. The Chinese government encourages people to develop a new substitute for rhino horn, but without substantial progress.

Therefore, the market demand for rhino horn will be great.

‘Products with rhino horns’

Longhui Pharmaceutical’s project is described as a “complete business chain of raw material extraction, processing, deep development and utilization” and the company’s main products are “products with rhino horns, Chinese proprietary medicines or health products”.

According to the document, the company’s projected annual profit is 178.86 RMB (28.24 million USD) from 390.99 RMB (61.74 million USD) in annual sales.

It was further noted that because rhino horn is “natural and without side effects, traditional Chinese herbal medicine containing rhino horn will be easily accepted by the market and the price will be higher.”

Cornering ‘the market’

Longhui Pharmaceutical also hopes to control the entire “rhino horn market” by breeding its own rhinos.

The rhino horn will be supplied by the company itself, so there will be no market restraints or competitors, with the company’s raw materials providing an obvious advantage. The price of the medicine and its cost will be stable.

Forestry departments aware of the scheme

The horn-harvesting plan has been moving forward with the approval of the National Forestry Bureau.

Longhui Group’s “shaving alive rhino horn technology” was approved by the National Forestry Bureau and Ma Jianzhang, professor at Northeast Forestry University and Wild Animal Management academician. He is the leader of this project.

And the State Forestry Administration appears to be in on the scheme, too.

When the project was brought forward, much attention was paid by leaders in the State Forestry Administration.

It is considered to be a good project which can [inherit and] develop traditional Chinese herbal medicine. The development of this project will surely promote the cause of traditional Chinese medicine.

‘Unproven use’ of rhino horn as cancer treatment

In August 2011, Lixin Huang, the President of the American College of Traditional Chinese Medicine (ACTCM) and Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (CCAOM) released a statement opposing the use of rhino horn in medicines.

There is no evidence that rhino horn is an effective cure for cancer and this is not documented in TCM nor is it approved by the clinical research in traditional Chinese medicine.

Huang suggested that the escalation of rhino killings in South Africa, along with the involvement of organized crime, is driven by the “non-traditional and unproven use” of rhino horn as a cancer treatment.

Peddling bogus cures

The “cancer rumor” is a gimmick to peddle bogus cures — and it’s being used to sell other species: Manta rays and pangolins.

Writer John Platt of Scentific American covered the Manta ray situation earlier this month.

TCM practitioners are marketing the rakers — known locally as peng yu sai — as an ingredient for soup that they claim boosts the immune system by reducing toxins and enhancing blood circulation.

Other supposed medical benefits include curing cancer, chickenpox, throat and skin ailments, male kidney issues and, as we often see with TCM, fertility issues.

And at Project Pangolin, we found that the China Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine website states that leopard bone, antelope horns, pangolins, bears, and rare snakes are “necessary raw ingredients” for the treatment of “coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, coma, cerebral vascular disease, fever-induced delirium and shock, infectious diseases, cancer treatment.”

(Pangolins are also being farmed for “medicinal use” in China, which is a significant contributing factor to the flourishing illicit pangolin trade.)

Ethics vs. greed

Encouraging cancer-stricken people to consume rhino horn instead of seeking medical treatment?

It seems ethics have sunk to an all-time low — and greed is flying at an all-time high.

Timeline and background

For the timeline and background on this disturbing situation, see:

• “Suspicions Confirmed: China Investing Millions in Rhino Horn Scheme.” Rhino Horn is Not Medicine. 02 June 2011.
• “In Plain Sight: China’s Rhino Horn Scheme.” Rhino Horn is Not Medicine. 12 June 2011.
• “Reports of More Rhinos Arriving in China from South Africa.” Rhino Horn is Not Medicine. 19 December 2010.
• “Chinese Researchers Hope to Turn Rhino Horn Cultivation into Thriving Enterprise While Avoiding CITES Scrutiny.” Rhino Horn is Not Medicine. 17 November 2010.
• “Concern Grows Over Possible Links Between Rhino Horn Demand and China’s State-Funded TCM Research.” Rhino Horn is Not Medicine. 05 October 2010.
• “Chinese News Reports Arrival of 12 Rhinos From South Africa.” Rhino Horn is Not Medicine. 03 August 2010.
• “Revealed: Location of China’s Rhino Farm and ‘Horn Harvesting’ Experiments.” Rhino Horn is Not Medicine. 20 July 2010.

Image via Wikimedia Commons; caption added by author.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

#rhinohearing

Public hearings have just commenced in Cape Town in hopes of finding a solution to the skyrocketing rate of rhino killings that have gripped South Africa. Use the hashtag #rhinohearing to follow breaking news and developments.

According to the Parliamentary Monitoring Group website, the discussion will lead off with an explanation of the “achievements and challenges” of the current rhino situation, given by the Department of Environmental Affairs and “other relevant government state holders”.

This will be followed by public comments, speaking from submissions selected by the Committee.

Excerpt from the Parliamentary Monitoring Group website:

The modus operandi being utilised both locally and internationally in the illegal killing of rhino and the smuggling of their horns in recent years clearly indicates the increasing involvement of highly organised and well structured crime syndicates that are operating in a lucrative international enterprise. In addition to the loss of horns through increased poaching, concerns have also been raised regarding ‘leakage’ of South African horns onto the illegal international markets from stocks in the public and private sector. These syndicates are also involved in the ‘legal/unethical’ hunting of rhino in the country.

Our outcome ‘wish list’

At a minimum, here is what we at Saving Rhinos would like to see:

• Rooting out corruption from top to bottom.
• Destruction of all government and privately owned rhino horn stockpiles.
• Immediate moratorium on trophy hunting of rhinos.
• Immediate moratorium on rhino exports to China and other rhino horn-consuming countries.
• Mandatory jail time for all rhino-related crimes — especially trade/hunting loophole abuse — regardless of citizenship (so far, mainly shooters and foreigners are going to jail and there’s something very unsavory about that).
• Full disclosure requirements on all rhino sales, exports, hunts, and auctions, i.e., all names available to the public. (Who sold those rhinos to China?)

Last year, 448 rhinos were killed in South Africa, up from 333 in 2010.

At least 24 rhinos have been victims of the illegal trade in this first month of 2012.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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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See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

A gang of rhino killers received a taste of their own medicine.

A rhino killing attempt was thwarted by Kaziranga National Park security forces, who shot three gang members during a deadly five hour encounter.

Authorities confiscated a rifle, ammunition, and an axe from the gang.

Check out the CVB News video:

Last weekend, a suspect was arrested when he sneaked into the Assam State Zoo, with the intention of killing at least one of the zoo’s nine greater one-horned rhinos.

Greater one-horned rhinos

One of the three Asian rhino species, greater one-horned rhinos (Rhinoceros unicornis) were once widespread throughout the northern floodplains and nearby foothills of the Indian sub-continent between Indo-Myanmar border in the east, and Sindh River basin, Pakistan in the west.

Today, the remaining 2,949 greater one-horned rhinos are found only in a few protected areas in northeastern India and lowland Nepal.

Traditional medicine myths continue to threaten rhinos

Although the greater one-horned rhino population is steadily increasing, these rhinos remain under threat of being killed for their horn.

Despite the fact that extensive scientific analysis has confirmed that rhino horn has no medicinal value, myths and superstitions about rhino horn persist throughout China and Vietnam, where rhino horn is considered a key ingredient of traditional Chinese medicine.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

Syndicated via Planetsave.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

An extremely disturbing incident.

Police in Guwahati have arrested a man identified as Chin Khansong after he sneaked into the Assam State Zoo with a .303 rifle, ammunition, an axe, and a machete. The suspect confessed he was planning to kill “as many rhinos as possible” in order to sell their horns.

Nine greater one-horned rhinos reside at the zoo.

According to the Hindustan Times, Khansong is from the Churachandpur district of Manipur.

He had apparently scaled the zoo’s wall during the night, hoping the facility would be empty during Magh Bihu (Assam’s harvest festival).

Last year, the Thoiry zoo and wildlife park near Paris placed its rhinos under camera surveillance for added security.

Tiger killed inside zoo

In August 2009, a Sumatran tiger was killed and skinned inside her enclosure at Rimbo Zoo in Indonesia.

The tiger’s skin, along with the various body parts in demand for traditional Chinese medicine, were taken from the tiger’s enclosure.

Two people identified as Akmamul Mukminin and Samsudin alias Udin Bolu were later arrested for killing the tiger. Samsudin was sentenced to 46 months in jail.

Photo © iStockphoto.com

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

What were the most popular rhino stories of 2011? Find out here.

For the second year in a row, we’ve compiled the Top Ten Rhino Stories of the year. And while many of the stories are unpleasant, all of them must be told.

In 2011, mainstream media took more notice of the rhino crisis, but there is still much work to be done to thwart the “perfect storm” of myths, greed, and corruption.

Starting with #10 and counting down to #1, here are the Top Ten Rhino Stories of 2011:

#10. Rhino killings in South Africa linked to antique rhino horn market

The buzz about “rhinoceros horn cups” in 2011 finally put the connection between antique rhino horn and rhino killings in the spotlight, and our closer look at yet another trade loophole became a popular topic.

Read it: Disturbing Connection Between Antique Rhino Horn Activity and Rhino Killings in South Africa

#9. Zimbabwe rhino conservationist wins Goldman Prize

Zimbabwe rhino conservationist Raoul du Toit was awarded the prestigious Goldman Prize for his work in initiatives that have helped to develop and maintain Zimbabwe’s largest remaining black rhino populations.

Read it: Prestigious Environmental Prize Awarded to Zimbabwe Rhino Conservationist

#8: A positive step from the Chinese medicine community

The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine (RCHM) in the UK issued a statement condemning the use of rhino horn in Chinese medicine.

Read it: Chinese Medicine Organization Speaks Out Against Use of Rhino Horn

#7: South African game farmer laundering rhino horn with Thai “prostitutes”

Safari operator/game farmer Marnus Steyl was named by South African media in the rhino horn trading racket involving Thai national Chumlong Lemtongthai. (Steyl was unsurprisingly granted bail.)

Read it: South African Hunting Safari Operator Linked to Illegal Rhino Horn Trade and Thai Strippers

#6: Revisit the shocking events that exposed the world’s most famous (alleged) rhino horn syndicate to the world

In preparation for the “Groenewald gang” April 2011 court date, we compiled a list of the scandalous revelations that made headlines around the world. (The next court appearance is slated for April 2012.)

Read it: Court Date Approaches for South African ‘Groenewald Gang’ Rhino Horn Syndicate Suspects

#5: Antique rhinoceros horn cups create media frenzy

The “record-breaking” appraisal of Chinese antique rhinoceros horn cups created a big media hubbub.

Read it: Fuss Over Antique Rhinoceros Horn Cups Fails to Mention Loss of Life

#4: Scientific studies conclude rhino horn is worthless as a remedy

We re-introduced three scientific studies confirming that rhino horn has no medicinal value.

Read it: Busting the Rhino Horn Medicine Myth with Science

#3: China pumping millions of dollars into encouraging the use of rhino horn

Nearly a year after we began raising questions about the connections between China’s traditional medicine industry investments, research proposals about rhino horn harvesting, and live rhino imports, our suspicions were confirmed.

Read it: Suspicions Confirmed: China Investing Millions in Rhino Horn Scheme

#2: World Rhino Day 2011

From Australia to Zimbabwe, the message was loud and clear: Rhino horn is NOT medicine!

Visit the World Rhino Day 2011 page here.

#1: Vietnamese Javan rhino declared extinct

The world’s last Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus was murdered for her small horn.

Vietnam’s tiny rhino population struggled against several formidable obstacles, including the traditional medicine trade, questionable government funding decisions, and habitat loss.

If only the recommended conservation programs had been implemented and supported by the relevant authorities within Vietnam, the impact of these obstacles could have been lessened.

Read it: Gone Forever: Javan Rhino Declared Extinct in Vietnam

Special mentions

Four additional stories which were close to the Top Ten and worthy of mentioning here:

• Extinction of Western Black Rhino Confirmed
• Critically Endangered Black, Sumatran Rhino Horns Confiscated in China; Four Arrested
• Rhino Horns Seized in Hong Kong; Shipment Arrived from South Africa
• Concern Grows Around Role of South Africa’s Rhino Horn Suppliers

Criteria

The Top Ten list was compiled using a combination of the following:

• Web traffic – number of visits (overall and spikes)
• Social media engagement (Facebook®, StumbleUpon, discussion forums, etc.)
• Additional media activity (news websites, traditional media, other blogs)

Thank you for taking time to read Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine, for visiting our website at savingrhinos.org, and joining us on Facebook®.

Check out last year’s “Top Ten Rhino Stories of 2010“.

All images © Saving Rhinos LLC, except photo: © Michelle Gadd/Goldman Environmental Prize

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.

Myths, greed, corruption.

It’s mid-December 2011 and South Africa has lost at least 443 rhinos to the illegal rhino horn trade this year, surpassing 2010′s death toll of 333.

This shocking figure, reported last week by National Geographic, is likely to climb higher by the end of year. (Sources outside the media say that the number has already surpassed 460.).

Myths, greed, corruption

The killing is driven by the demand for rhino horn from China and Vietnam, where rhino horn is believed to cure a number of ailments (including cancer), despite rhino horn’s lack of medicinal properties.

Rhino horn suppliers in South Africa continue to cater to the demand by exploiting existing trade loopholes (trophy hunting and live exports), while they attempt to gather support for a “legal trade” in rhino horn.

South Africa has also exported over 100 live rhinos to China, where a multimillion-dollar rhino horn farming scheme has apparently been established by exploiting CITES research loopholes.

How to help: Operation Stop Poaching Now

US-based International Rhino Foundation (IRF) has partnered with security experts in South Africa to increase conviction rates for rhino crimes and improve anti-poaching operations in eleven highly threatened rhino habitats in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Dr. Susie Ellis, Executive Director of IRF, notes that the conviction rate for rhino crimes is appallingly low.

Authorities estimate that fewer than five percent of rhino poachers are convicted – they are literally getting away with murder.

Find out how you can help fight rhino crimes in South Africa and Zimbabwe at Operation: Stop Poaching Now.

Image © Saving Rhinos LLC

Rhishja Cota-Larson

I am the founder of Saving Rhinos LLC, which publishes news and information about the global rhino crisis. I am the Editor of Rhino Horn is Not Medicine and Project Pangolin, author of the book Murder, Myths & Medicine, 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.

Website - Twitter - Facebook - More Posts

See Rhino Horn is Not Medicine for more information.