Rhino Horn is NOT Medicine » Rhino Horn

Controversial Rhino Horn Treatment Ends in Tragedy

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:49:21 +0000

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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Rhinos at Risk: Is Namibia Next?

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:19:03 +0000

“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

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‘Bogus Medicine: China’s Rhino Horn Scheme’ [Video]

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 02:43:44 +0000

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

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Revealed: China’s ‘Rhino Horn Cancer Treatment’ Scheme

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 04:59:42 +0000

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

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India: Three Rhino Killers Shot Dead in Kaziranga National Park [Video]

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:15:51 +0000

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

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Record-Breaking Rhino Death Toll in South Africa

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:13:23 +0000

Syndicated via Planetsave.

South Africa: 448 Rhinos Killed in 2011 [Warning: Graphic] (via Planetsave)

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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India: Suspect Arrested for Attempting to Kill Rhinos in Zoo

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:42:47 +0000

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.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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South Africa’s Rhino Death Toll ‘At Least’ 443 for 2011

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:53:36 +0000

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.

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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South African Court Sentences Chinese National to Jail for Rhino Horn Possession

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:48:46 +0000

Check out the video of China’s ‘rhino horn farm’ at the end of the article.

The Germiston Regional Court has reportedly sentenced Chinese national Hsu Hsien Lung to six years in jail after he was found in possession of two rhino horns.

According to The Citizen Online, Lung was arrested in May 2011 in Bedfordview, Johannesburg. Col. McIntosh Polela was quoted as saying that the “jail sentence sends a strong message to other would-be offenders”.

South Africa’s rhino death toll has passed 400 this year, driven by demand from China and Vietnam, where rhino horn is believed to have medicinal properties, despite scientific evidence proving otherwise.

Rhino horn ‘suppliers’ fueling demand

However, it’s not only the citizens of rhino horn consumer countries who are responsible for the surging demand.

The crisis has been exacerbated by rhino horn suppliers in South Africa, who continue to fuel the illegal trade by attempting to garner support for a “legal” rhino horn trade, in hopes of profiting from medicinal myths about rhino horn.

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

Video of China’s “rhino horn farm” (populated with rhinos from South Africa):

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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US Launches Campaign to Increase Conviction Rates for Rhino Crimes in Southern Africa

Rhishja Cota-Larson — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 17:35:10 +0000

IRF is leading a new campaign to help put rhino horn traffickers and rhino killers in jail.

The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) is standing up to the rhino crisis in Southern Africa through the Operation: Stop Poaching Now initiative.

Funds donated in support of the campaign will go toward providing rangers with training in investigative techniques, intelligence gathering, evidence collection, communications, and rhino identification and monitoring.

Rangers will also receive crime scene kits containing a camera, metal detector, GPS, finger-printing materials, and sealable evidence bags.

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.

But there are thousands of dedicated, passionate rangers in South Africa, Zimbabwe and other range countries trying to stand in between the rhinos and the poachers.

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

Source: International Rhino Foundation

Rhishja Cota-Larson

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