Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine » Malaysia

Romance for Rare Borneo Rhinos?

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:00:44 +0000

The recent capture of a female Borneo rhino may help save the species.

Experts are hoping that the recent capture of an extremely rare subspecies of Sumatran rhino can save these ancient mammals from extinction.

Fewer than 200 Sumatran rhinos are left on Earth, and only 40 of these are of the subspecies Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni, also known as the Borneo rhino.

Of these 40 or so individuals, just a few are believed to be breeding females.

Puntung and Tam

Puntung, a female Borneo rhino, was captured on Christmas Day 2011 and is estimated to be between 10 and 12 years old.

Veterinarians at Malaysia’s Borneo Rhino Sanctuary are hoping to introduce her to 20-year-old Tam, a male Borneo rhino residing at the Sanctuary. The average life span is between 30 and 40 years.

At the moment, the two rhinos are in neighboring enclosures. The introduction will take place in several months, and in the meantime, Puntung seems to be adjusting to her new environment and consuming more than 60 kg (132 lb) of leaves every day.

The Borneo rhino is the world’s smallest rhino species, weighing 500 to 600 kg (1,100 to 1,322 lb) and standing around 1.3 metres tall (4.3 feet).

Video of Puntung and Tam at the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary:

How to help

To find out how you can help Borneo rhinos, check out the Borneo Rhino Alliance — and you can also see more photos of Puntung and Tam.

Video via Reuters.

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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New Year Sees Positive Start for Asian Rhinos

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 20:25:29 +0000

Syndicated via Planetsave.

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#WorldRhinoDay Scenes from UK, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Nepal, Australia, USA and More!

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 21:54:29 +0000

All in for Rhinos: World Rhino Day 2011 Highlights

World Rhino Day was September 22^nd – and from Australia to Zimbabwe, the message was loud and clear: Rhino horn is NOT medicine!

“All in for Rhinos” features both offline and online activities and events that were held on World Rhino Day.

Enjoy the video!

Thank you for providing content/photos for this very unique production and/or otherwise participating in World Rhino Day:

Chishakwe Ranch, Zimbabwe
Save the Rhino International, UK
Rhino Africa Safaris, South Africa
Partnership for Rhino Conservation, Nepal
Asian Rhino Project, Australia
Fossil Rim Wildlife Center, USA
TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Malaysia
Education for Nature-Vietnam
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya
International Rhino Foundation, USA
human.kind Advertising Agency, South Africa

Find out more at World Rhino Day FAQs.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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World Rhino Day: Southeast Asian NGO Focusing on Rhino Awareness for September

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 01:07:08 +0000

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia joins the celebration!

The World Rhino Day excitement continues to grow: Critically endangered Javan and Sumatran rhinos are being featured for the month of September as part of TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s “Twelve in Trouble” online awareness campaign.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia will be celebrating World Rhino Day and raising awareness by providing informational articles about rhinos and rhino horn trade, along with a fact sheet/poster, on their Facebook® page at facebook.com/Trafficsea.

The articles are also translated into Vietnamese and Chinese (Mandarin).

Southeast Asia is major hub for wildlife trade, acting as a consumer, supplier, and transit point. However, thanks to TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, awareness and support for wildlife conservation is growing.

The region is home to Javan and Sumatran rhinos; both species are Critically Endangered.

Approximately 48 Javan rhinos inhabit Ujung Kulon National Park in Indonesia. This is the last viable population of Javan rhinos on Earth.

Sumatran rhinos can only be found in a few fragmented areas of Indonesia and Malaysia. The population of this species is estimated to be less than 200, and it is in decline.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia monitors wildlife trade in Cambodia, Brunei, Timor Leste, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam.

Learn more about TRAFFIC Southeast Asia here and connect with them on the TRAFFIC Southeast Asia page on Facebook®.
Help support TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s awareness campaigns by shopping at their online store, Jungle Boutique.
Got questions about World Rhino Day? Check out the FAQs and connect with us on the World Rhino Day 2011 page on Facebook®.

Photo credit: Yayasan Badak Indonesia, photographer Dedi Candra (courtesy of Dr. Susie Ellis, International Rhino Foundation)

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Photo Gallery: Rhino Horn and Ivory Recently Seized in Thailand

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 00:34:04 +0000

Photo gallery of the rhino horn and ivory bust in Bangkok.

Last week, 118 elephant tusks and three rhino horns were confiscated by Thai customs officials at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport. The shipment originated from Nigeria and arrived in Thailand after passing through Doha, Qatar, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Thanks to the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, we’ve compiled a photo gallery of this encouraging step in the battle against illegal wildlife trade. Next >>

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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Bangkok Bust Nets Over 1 Tonne of Smuggled Ivory and Rhino Horn

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 00:43:08 +0000

A positive step in the battle against illegal rhino horn and ivory trafficking.

Customs officials at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, Bangkok, have seized 118 elephant tusks and three rhino horns from a shipment originating from Nigeria. The contraband arrived in Thailand after passing through Doha, Qatar, and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Apparently destined for a company in Central Thailand, the cargo – comprised of eleven cases marked “craft work” – were left unclaimed.

While the source country for the ivory and rhino horns has not yet been determined, we were informed by a wildlife trade investigator in Thailand that the rhino horns did not appear to be freshly taken. They were described as “old and dried out”, which suggests these rhino horns were perhaps sourced from a government or private stockpile.

Thailand and Malaysia smuggling ‘hotspots’

Unfortunately, this week’s shipment was not an isolated incident. According to the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC, both Thailand and Malaysia are smuggling hotspots for illegal rhino horn and ivory.

In July 2009, Kenyan authorities stopped a shipment of 16 elephant tusks and two Black Rhino horns which were scheduled to transit in Thailand before being flown to a destination in Lao PDR.

Last August, five rhino horns and two tonnes of elephant ivory bound for Malaysia was seized by authorities in Kenya raising concerns about the former’s role in the global ivory trade.

However, it’s not just the blatantly illegal trade that is of concern in these two Southeast Asian countries.

Legal trade loopholes

Besides being rhino horn and ivory smuggling transit points, there are indications that Thailand and Malaysia may also be facilitating the exploitation of legal trade loopholes.

For example, TRAFFIC found in 2009 that the laws designed for trade in domestic elephants in Thailand actually serve as loopholes for the thriving trade in wild-caught elephants. Not only is it apparently “easy” to forge elephant documentation to make wild-caught elephants appear as captive-bred elephants (on paper), but Thailand has not demonstrated sufficient effort to follow up on any suspected discrepancies.

In addition, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, also served as a stopover for twelve young rhinos who were shipped from South Africa to a zoo in China. It is suspected that a CITES research loophole was used to facilitate this transaction, and that these rhinos may actually be part of China’s attempts to harvest rhino horn. The incident, along with a subsequent arrival of six more rhinos in China, is currently under joint review by wildlife trade investigators and Saving Rhinos.

Malaysia is also home to one of the world’s most notorious wildlife smugglers, Anson Wong, whose dealings were chronicled in The Lizard King. Wong was sentenced to five years in jail last year, but is apparently trying to appeal his case.

Raising awareness

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia’s Regional Director, Dr. William Schaedla, said that his organization has teamed up with Thai customs officials to address the urgent need for clamping down on the illegal trade in rhino horn and ivory.

The authorities involved are to be congratulated. This successful seizure highlights, once again, a flow of illegal ivory through Thailand and Malaysia. Customs authorities from both these countries must work with their counterparts in Africa to stem the tide of elephant and rhino poaching.

Airport seizures are welcome, but there must also be a concerted long-term effort to investigate and shut down the criminal networks that enable the illegal ivory and rhino horn trade in the region.

Dr. Schaedla noted that a series of successful raids at Suvarnabhumi Airport had been conducted since raising awareness of the issue among airport customs personnel.

‘Disastrous combination’ for rhinos and elephants in Africa

The escalation in illegal killing of rhinos and elephants in recent years have been attributed to a disastrous combination of increased wealth in China and the spreading Chinese footprint on the African continent.

Illegal rhino horn is sought after in China as an ingredient for Traditional Chinese Medicine, despite the fact that rhino horn has been thoroughly analyzed and actually contains no medicinal properties.

Regarding elephant ivory, many Chinese consider it a symbol of wealth and status, and are eager to acquire as much as possible.

For more information about TRAFFIC’s latest wildlife seizures and other reports, visit their website at traffic.org.

TRAFFIC Southeast Asia on Facebook®
TRAFFIC on Facebook®

Image #1: istockphoto.com; image # 3: Wikimedia Commons

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Doctor in Malaysia Speaks Out Against Use of Rhino Horn as Medicine

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 23:42:43 +0000

A well-known oncologist in Malaysia rejects the notion of rhino horn as a remedy.

Dr. Albert Lim Kok Hooi, a consulting oncologist based in Kuala Lumpur, has taken the bold initiative to speak out publicly against the use of rhino horn as a medicine.

Malaysia is infamous for being a trafficking point for the illegal wildlife trade – and is home to one of the most notorious wildlife smugglers of all time, recently-incarcerated Anson Wong.

And like many regions in southeast Asia, a significant portion of the population still adheres to folkloric remedies, such as the use of rhino horn, instead of science-based medicine.

The lingering cultural belief in traditional medicines (most are based on TCM) is why Dr. Hooi’s recent article in Malaysia’s most popular online news portal, The Star Online, is especially welcome. The following is an excerpt from the article.

Li Shih Chen’s 1597 materia medica (translated by Bernard Read in 1931) listed the following ailments, amongst others, where the rhino horn is useful, “devil possession, keep away evil spirits and miasmas, gelsemium poisoning, hallucinations, bewitching nightmares, intermittent twitches with delirium, loss of vision, calming the liver, fear, anxiety, arthritis, loss of voice, typhoid, headache, fever”.

To all this, I say that something that works for everything usually works for nothing. I also say that something that has been used for hundreds or thousands of years does not make it right.

Dr. Hooi continues by refuting the claims made about rhino horn by pointing out that it has been scientifically tested and found to be of no medicinal value.

Several scientific tests have been commissioned to educate the public about the alleged curative properties of the rhino horn. Testing by researchers at Hoffmann La Roche and the Zoological Society of London arrived at the same conclusion: rhino horn contains no medicinal properties.

To quote from the conclusion of the second study … “rhino horn, like fingernails, is made of agglutinated hair and has no analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmolytic nor diuretic properties. No bactericidal effect could be found against suppuration and intestinal bacteria. Essentially, ingesting rhino horn is the same as chewing your own fingernails.”

The oncologist sums it up in a compassionate statement underscoring the fact that rhino horn contains no curative properties.

The whole sad story of killing the rhino for its horn is not only criminal, it is cruel, immoral and unforgivably, without any scientific basis.

And this isn’t the first time Dr. Hooi has courted controversy about traditional medicine beliefs.

Many patients ‘have no idea’ how the human body works

In January 2009, Dr. Hooi stated his dismay with doctors who appeal to their patients’ beliefs in folkloric cures in an article that was published by AsiaOne.

It amazes me to think how old I am. I grew up in a time when notions like “wind” (angin, hong, foong to use the vernacular) and “heatiness” (panas, yeet hei) were all pervasive.

Things moved on with a better understanding of the human body and what causes disease. Or so I thought. Listen in today on any doctor consulting a patient in a typical Malaysian clinic. Many patients have really no idea what a human body is made up of and how it works. Knowledge of the causation of diseases is even more abysmal.

Sadly, a handful of doctors readily agree to concepts like “wind” and “heatiness” to be in step with their patients’ cultural beliefs. They do not wish to alienate and upset them.

To educate patients about their bodies and how and why their bodies can malfunction is surely one of the most important roles of a doctor.

Although Dr. Hooi comes from a generation whose medical knowledge was shaped by myths about the alleged magical powers of animal parts, he realized that these notions have no place in modern medicine.

He has even taken it upon himself to educate and inform the public – and that is appreciated.

Perhaps Dr. Hooi could pay a consultative visit to the hospital in Hanoi, Vietnam, where the staff is known to offer rhino horn to terminally ill patients.

Sources: The Star Online and AsiaOne

Image: Wikimedia Commons

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Book of the Month: ‘The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers’ by Bryan Christy

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:54:29 +0000

This month’s book is The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers by Bryan Christy.

Book Summary: The Lizard King takes the reader on a thrilling journey into the heart of the reptile smuggling world.

Infamous animal trafficker Anson Wong – who was recently arrested in Malaysia – is just one of the real-life villains portrayed in this shocking organized crime exposé.

The book chronicles the intimate details of U.S. federal agent Chip Bepler’s global pursuit to track down and convict the kingpins of the world’s most notorious reptile trafficking syndicates.

Fighting an uphill battle against the traffickers’ exploitation of legal trade loopholes and forged paperwork, Agent Bepler is also at odds with a court system that seems at times to have little sympathy for the helpless, scaly victims of this organized crime subculture.

Why this book is important: The Lizard King is the ultimate example of how legal trade in rare and endangered species actually serves as a smokescreen for illegal trafficking.

Time and again throughout this book, we are shown the tricks and schemes that wildlife smugglers use to launder their illegal wares. The laws and systems designed to protect threatened species are tragically exploited, as customs agents and wildlife authorities at every level are corrupted by the lucrative rewards of illegal wildlife trade.

However, the book also tells an unforgettable story of determination and triumph – offering hope and heroes when we need them most.

Quotable moment:

Wildlife dealers, zoos, and museums all over the world knew that if they could pay for it, Anson [Wong] could get it for them. Africa, South America – it didn’t matter. Wong could get anything: snow leopard pelts, panda skins, rhino horns. He had operations in Vietnam. He raised tigers to be stuffed and sold as trophies.

Where to purchase The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers

You can purchase The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Passions of the World’s Greatest Reptile Smugglers online at Amazon.com.

Learn more about The Lizard King

To learn more:

Bryan Christy’s website: thelizardkingbook.com
National Geographic: The Kingpin
Anson Wong’s arrest: No Perhilitan Protection for Lizard King

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Lone Borneo Rhino May Soon Enjoy Female Company

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 17:07:26 +0000

Tam, a male Borneo rhino who was rescued two years ago after being injured by a poacher’s snare, could finally have a mate.

Wildlife officials in Malaysia are planning to capture a female Borneo rhino that was spotted by a camera trap, and introduce her to Tam, a male rhino under the care of the Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA).

It is believed that fewer than 40 of these small rhinos still survive in fragmented pockets of forest, but they are isolated from other rhinos. The two main populations, numbering perhaps 13-15 rhinos each, are in Danum Valley Conservation Area and Tabin Wildlife Reserve, with a few other isolated individuals scattered elsewhere.

The Borneo rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) is the world’s smallest rhino, and a subspecies of the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis).

According to CEO of the Borneo Rhino Alliance (BORA), John Payne:

Sabah now represents the last hope of saving the species in Malaysia and in Borneo.

Sen Nathan, rhino conservation programme coordinator noted that poachers are the number one threat to Borneo rhinos.

We have reached a stage now where even habitat loss is not so much the main reason for extinction, rather the ruthless hunting of the last few remaining individuals, to supply ridiculous markets for horns, bones and other body parts.

BORA is assisting with the development of the Borneo Rhino Sanctuary – a 4,500ha reserve protected by an electric fence. Tam, a male Borneo rhino rescued from a palm oil plantation, is so far the first Sanctuary resident. He currently resides in a 2,500ha fenced area, where he will soon be joined by the female, once she is successfully captured.

To learn more about how you can help Borneo rhinos, please visit the Borneo Rhino Alliance website.

Source: AFP

Photo via Borneo Rhino Alliance

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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Borneo Rhinos: World’s Smallest Rhino May Hold Hope for Future

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:50:44 +0000

A camera trap on the island of Borneo has photographed what is believed to be a pregnant Sumatran rhino.

Although only a handful of the Borneo subspecies of the Sumatran rhino still remains, new hope for this species has been discovered: A pregnant Borneo rhino has been captured on film!

According to the Borneo Rhino Alliance, a camera trap set up by the Sabah Wildlife Department and WWF-Malaysia caught the 20-year-old rhino. She is just one of perhaps 30 Borneo rhinos (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) still surviving. They are the world’s smallest species of rhinoceros, with some reaching just three feet high at the shoulder.

Both the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis sumatrensis) and Borneo rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni) are listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and have been included in CITES Appendix I since 1975.

The two principal threats are poaching and reduced population viability. Hunting is primarily driven by the demand for the supposedly medicinal properties of rhino horns and other body parts, and many centuries of over-hunting has reduced this species to a tiny percentage of its former population and range. The species is now so reduced that there are very small numbers in each locality where it still survives. As a result, breeding activity is infrequent, successful births are uncommon in many populations, and there is a severe risk of inbreeding depression (J. Payne pers. comm.).

Sumatran rhinos – along with all rhino species – have been slaughtered to near extinction due to superstitions about rhino horn as an Asian folk remedy. Unfortunately, illegal markets in rhino horn are thriving in southeast and east Asia. Alleged “medicines” comprised of rhinoceros horn are still manufactured by Chinese pharmaceutical companies and touted as a cure for common ailments, such as pain, fever, and acne.

In addition, palm oil plantations are responsible for destroying Sumatran rhino habitat throughout the rhinos’ range and fragmenting already fragile populations.

To learn more, please visit Borneo Rhino Alliance.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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