World Rhino Day: Time to reflect
September 23, 2012 in Environment
YESTERDAY was World Rhino Day and Zimbabwe, like the rest of the world,
joined in the celebrations.
Report by Chipo Masara
As much as it is commendable that we should recognise the day, the
rhinoceros is under threat and there is need for serious reflection on the
matter.
The small-eyed, three-toed, mud-rolling mammal characterised by a broad
chest, thick legs and a great sense of hearing, used to be at home in
Zimbabwe.
Not anymore.
The rhino, the second biggest land mammal, is endangered and faces an
uncertain future. Like South Africa, Zimbabwe’s battle with poachers seems
to be escalating, with the rhinoceros proving to be their number one target.
Although Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority have been
continually putting in place measures designed to make it very hard for the
poachers to get to the animals, so far it does not look like it has been
enough to deter the poachers.
The poachers appear to have upped their game and are getting more
well-organised by the day. Their activities prompted the authority’s late
director-general, Vitalis Chadenga, to admit that rhino tusks were being
removed “quickly, clinically and professionally”.
What has become apparent is that rhino poaching has become a well-funded,
highly profitable trade and the demand for illegal rhino horn has surged.
China blamed for promoting poaching
In 2008, at a workshop organised by the Global Association for People and
the Environment (Gape) and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (Ifaw),
Yemen and China were accused of fuelling rhino poaching in Africa.
A year later, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
(Cites)’s report noted: “Currently, most rhino horns leaving southern Africa
are destined for end-use markets in southeast and east Asia, especially
Vietnam and China.”
It added: “The continued involvement of Vietnamese and Chinese nationals in
the acquisition of rhino horns within Africa needs to be addressed from the
standpoints of collective and collaborative law enforcement action involving
authorities both in Africa and Asia.”
Sadly, the rhino poaching problem has not ended but has grown to alarming
levels, making the threat of the rhinoceros extinction more real than
before.
In Yemen, rhino horns are in demand and are used to make ornamental handles
for ceremonial jambiyas (daggers). in China, they have been used in
traditional medicines for centuries.
As the animals’ numbers continually decline, the horns are reportedly in
demand more than ever, as the Chinese continue to consider them a cure for
basically “everything”.
This is however in spite of the fact that scientific evidence has since
proven that rhino does not, in actual fact, contain any medicinal
properties.
Unfortunately, the Chinese have such belief in their myths that they are
reportedly prepared to part with as much as US$60 000 for one kilogramme of
rhino horn.
Considering this, what is left of the rhino in the country is very much a
target of the poachers, and unless stricter, harsher measures are
immediately put in place, we risk losing them all.
‘Parks authority intensifying measures to protect rhinos’
Caroline Washaya-Moyo, Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority
spokesperson, said her organisation had stepped up efforts to protect the
rhino by creating intensive protection zones (IPZ) for the animals and
intensifying anti-poaching activities.
“Zimbabwe has just over 700, both black and white, rhinos left and to date
we have lost 17 rhinos,” said Washaya-Moyo.
While these figures show that poaching might be on the decline, it is
worrying to note that at independence in 1980, the country boasted of 2 000
black rhinos.
Although poaching is undoubtedly the main threat, habitat loss has also
posed as a major impediment to the animals’ thriving. The wildlife
sanctuaries in the country have since been invaded under what has been
termed the wildlife-based land reform programme, an exercise that exposes
the animals to poachers.
Extensive logging, both legal and illegal, has also created a problem.
Political instability in the country has not made the situation any better.
Zimbabwe is ranked among the countries in which normal law and order has
broken down, with political conflict having been matched by a rise in
poaching.
In attempts to save the fast-depleting species, government introduced a
dehorning policy. This method however has been viewed by some as not only
ineffective, but cruel. There have been cases where the dehorned rhinos have
still been killed by poachers.
So while we “celebrate” World Rhino Day, it is good that we reflect on the
fate that befalls the animal, which happens to be one of the Big Five.
The truth of the matter is that if nothing is done to make things right,
rhinoceros in Zimbabwe will one day be nothing but a memory.