Rhinoceros
their horns are worth more than their weight in gold
Although habitat loss is an important consideration, the main threat to rhinos is poaching.
Rhino horn is a time-honored component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practiced in China, Vietnam and other parts of East Asia. For thousands of years, TCM has credited rhino horn with the potency to cure an unusually wide array of maladies, from headaches to pus-filled boils – and even devil possession.
Although modern science has proven that aphrodisiacs, traditional medicines and beauty treatments made from rhino horn have absolutely no effect what so ever and that you may as well use your toe nail clippings, Chinese and Vietnamese demand for rhino horn has elevated the price of rhino horns to new levels and is responsible for rampant rhino poaching in Africa and Asia.
Since the start of the poaching epidemic in 2008 South Africa has lost over 1400 rhinos - a figure that increases daily.
Rhino horn is a time-honored component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practiced in China, Vietnam and other parts of East Asia. For thousands of years, TCM has credited rhino horn with the potency to cure an unusually wide array of maladies, from headaches to pus-filled boils – and even devil possession.
Although modern science has proven that aphrodisiacs, traditional medicines and beauty treatments made from rhino horn have absolutely no effect what so ever and that you may as well use your toe nail clippings, Chinese and Vietnamese demand for rhino horn has elevated the price of rhino horns to new levels and is responsible for rampant rhino poaching in Africa and Asia.
Since the start of the poaching epidemic in 2008 South Africa has lost over 1400 rhinos - a figure that increases daily.
The illegal rhino horn trade is responsible for decimating the
world’s rhino population by more than 90 percent over the past 40 years.
The 2009 report African and Asian Rhinoceroses–Status, Conservation and Trade (IUCN/TRAFFIC) -- see document below -- revealed that illegal trade in rhino horn, particularly in southern Africa, had become progressively worse since 2006.
“The combined loss of horns from poaching, thefts from natural mortalities, government stocks and other private collections, abuse of legal trophy hunting and illegal private sector sales suggests that a minimum of 1,521 rhino horns were destined for illegal trade in this time period. Compared to the six-year period 2000-2005 when a minimum of 664 horns were acquired for illicit trade purposes, this figure represents a two-fold increase in the annual illegal rhino horn trade in less than four years,” the report states.
“The combined loss of horns from poaching, thefts from natural mortalities, government stocks and other private collections, abuse of legal trophy hunting and illegal private sector sales suggests that a minimum of 1,521 rhino horns were destined for illegal trade in this time period. Compared to the six-year period 2000-2005 when a minimum of 664 horns were acquired for illicit trade purposes, this figure represents a two-fold increase in the annual illegal rhino horn trade in less than four years,” the report states.
Illegal rhino horn trade shifts from Yemen to China and Vietnam
In addition to the increase in trade, the 2009 study found that the majority of African rhino horns were now headed for traditional medicine markets in China and Vietnam. This indicated a shift from the previous destination of Yemen, for the purpose of crafting dagger handles known as jambiyas.
“Currently, most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for end-use markets in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam and China; available evidence does not (at this time) implicate Yemen, another traditional end-use market in this trade,” says the IUCN/TRAFFIC report.
There had been a similar increase in illegal rhino horn movement from Nepal and India during the same time period.
“The major trade route for horns is from Assam to Kathmandu in Nepal, via Siliguri, and then on to Tibet. The ultimate destination for this horn is believed to be other markets in China.”
Rhino horn is a time-honored component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). For thousands of years, TCM has credited rhino horn with the potency to cure an unusually wide array of maladies, from headaches to pus-filled boils–and even devil possession.
Today, decades of conservation efforts are at risk of being undermined by what appears to be a reinvigorated TCM market in China and Vietnam.
But does rhino horn really have any useful medicinal properties?
Rhino horn ‘prescribed for nearly everything’
Rhino horn has been an essential ingredient in traditional chinese medicine for centuries. An unfortunate proximity to China explains why the combined total of the three Asian rhino species (Javan, Sumatran, and greater one-horned rhino) is still smaller than Africa’s critically endangered black rhino population.
Despite China being a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and banning trade in rhinoceros horn and its derivatives in 1993, current rhino poaching levels suggest that the use of rhino horn continues unabated in traditional medicine markets.
According to Bernard Read’s 1931 translation of Li Shih-chen’s 1597 materia medica Pen Ts’ ao Kang Mu, rhino horn was prescribed for nearly everything: “To cure devil possession and keep away all evil spirits and miasmas. For gelsemium poisoning. To remove hallucinations and bewitching nightmares. Continuous administration lightens the body and makes one very robust. For typhoid, headache and feverish colds. For carbuncles and boils full of pus. For intermittent fevers with delirium. To expel fear and anxiety, to calm the liver and clear the vision. It is a sedative to the viscera, a tonic, antipyretic. It dissolves phlegm. It is an antidote to the evil miasma of hill streams. For infantile convulsions and dysentery. Ashed and taken with water to treat violent vomiting, food poisoning, and overdosage of poisonous drugs. For arthritis, melancholia, loss of the voice.”
Ironically, it seems the only condition rhino horn is not prescribed for is a lagging libido.
Putting rhino horn to the test
In an effort to educate the public about the alleged curative properties of rhino horn, several scientific studies have been commissioned.
Testing was carried out in 1983 by researchers at Hoffmann-LaRoche, and followed up 25 years later with a study at the Zoological Society of London. Both studies arrived at the same conclusion: Rhino horn contains no medical properties.
Additionally, research conducted in 1990 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong was unable to produce evidence to support the wild claims of rhino horn’s curative power.
Rhino horn ‘is of no use to anyone except the original owner’
In1983 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published the results of a pharmacological study conducted by researchers at Hoffmann-LaRoche in The Environmentalist. - see embed document below -
The study “found no evidence that rhino horn has any medicinal effect as an antipyretic and would be ineffective in reducing fever, a common usage in much of Asia.”
“Rhino horn, like fingernails, is made of agglutinated hair.”
Testing also confirmed that “rhino horn, like fingernails, is made of agglutinated hair” and “has no analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmolytic nor diuretic properties” and “no bactericidal effect could be found against suppuration and intestinal bacteria.”
The above text is an excerpt of an article published in the National Geographic. To read the entire article, please go to the link.
In addition to the increase in trade, the 2009 study found that the majority of African rhino horns were now headed for traditional medicine markets in China and Vietnam. This indicated a shift from the previous destination of Yemen, for the purpose of crafting dagger handles known as jambiyas.
“Currently, most rhino horns leaving southern Africa are destined for end-use markets in southeast and east Asia, especially Vietnam and China; available evidence does not (at this time) implicate Yemen, another traditional end-use market in this trade,” says the IUCN/TRAFFIC report.
There had been a similar increase in illegal rhino horn movement from Nepal and India during the same time period.
“The major trade route for horns is from Assam to Kathmandu in Nepal, via Siliguri, and then on to Tibet. The ultimate destination for this horn is believed to be other markets in China.”
Rhino horn is a time-honored component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). For thousands of years, TCM has credited rhino horn with the potency to cure an unusually wide array of maladies, from headaches to pus-filled boils–and even devil possession.
Today, decades of conservation efforts are at risk of being undermined by what appears to be a reinvigorated TCM market in China and Vietnam.
But does rhino horn really have any useful medicinal properties?
Rhino horn ‘prescribed for nearly everything’
Rhino horn has been an essential ingredient in traditional chinese medicine for centuries. An unfortunate proximity to China explains why the combined total of the three Asian rhino species (Javan, Sumatran, and greater one-horned rhino) is still smaller than Africa’s critically endangered black rhino population.
Despite China being a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and banning trade in rhinoceros horn and its derivatives in 1993, current rhino poaching levels suggest that the use of rhino horn continues unabated in traditional medicine markets.
According to Bernard Read’s 1931 translation of Li Shih-chen’s 1597 materia medica Pen Ts’ ao Kang Mu, rhino horn was prescribed for nearly everything: “To cure devil possession and keep away all evil spirits and miasmas. For gelsemium poisoning. To remove hallucinations and bewitching nightmares. Continuous administration lightens the body and makes one very robust. For typhoid, headache and feverish colds. For carbuncles and boils full of pus. For intermittent fevers with delirium. To expel fear and anxiety, to calm the liver and clear the vision. It is a sedative to the viscera, a tonic, antipyretic. It dissolves phlegm. It is an antidote to the evil miasma of hill streams. For infantile convulsions and dysentery. Ashed and taken with water to treat violent vomiting, food poisoning, and overdosage of poisonous drugs. For arthritis, melancholia, loss of the voice.”
Ironically, it seems the only condition rhino horn is not prescribed for is a lagging libido.
Putting rhino horn to the test
In an effort to educate the public about the alleged curative properties of rhino horn, several scientific studies have been commissioned.
Testing was carried out in 1983 by researchers at Hoffmann-LaRoche, and followed up 25 years later with a study at the Zoological Society of London. Both studies arrived at the same conclusion: Rhino horn contains no medical properties.
Additionally, research conducted in 1990 at the Chinese University of Hong Kong was unable to produce evidence to support the wild claims of rhino horn’s curative power.
Rhino horn ‘is of no use to anyone except the original owner’
In1983 the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) published the results of a pharmacological study conducted by researchers at Hoffmann-LaRoche in The Environmentalist. - see embed document below -
The study “found no evidence that rhino horn has any medicinal effect as an antipyretic and would be ineffective in reducing fever, a common usage in much of Asia.”
“Rhino horn, like fingernails, is made of agglutinated hair.”
Testing also confirmed that “rhino horn, like fingernails, is made of agglutinated hair” and “has no analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmolytic nor diuretic properties” and “no bactericidal effect could be found against suppuration and intestinal bacteria.”
The above text is an excerpt of an article published in the National Geographic. To read the entire article, please go to the link.
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Rhino poaching in South Africa reaches all-time
The yearly total is the highest ever experienced in South Africa and nearly triple 2009
when 122 rhinos were killed in the country.
when 122 rhinos were killed in the country.
Posted on 12 January 2011
The yearly total is the highest ever experienced in South Africa and nearly triple 2009 when 122 rhinos were killed in the country.
An additional five rhinos have been lost to poaching since the new year.
Kruger National Park, the world famous safari destination, was hardest hit losing 146 rhinos to poaching in 2010, authorities said. The park is home to the largest populations of both white and black rhinos in the country.
Rhinos constitute one of the much-revered “Big 5” of African wildlife tourism, including elephants, lions, leopards and Cape buffalo.
Rhino poaching across Africa has risen sharply in the past few years, threatening to reverse hard-won population increases achieved by conservation authorities during the 20th century.
The first alarming yearly spike occurred in 2008 when 83 rhinos were lost. South Africa has responded by intensifying its law enforcement efforts, and made approximately 162 poaching arrests last year.
“Many more successful convictions, backed up by appropriately daunting penalties will significantly demonstrate the South African government’s commitment to preventing the clouding of the country’s excellent rhino conservation track record that it has built up over the past several decades,” said Dr. Morné du Plessis, CEO of WWF South Africa.
The current wave of poaching is being committed by sophisticated criminal networks using helicopters, night-vision equipment, veterinary tranquilisers and silencers to kill rhinos at night while attempting to avoid law enforcement patrols.
“The criminal syndicates operating in South Africa are highly organised and use advanced technologies. They are very well coordinated,” said Dr. Joseph Okori, WWF African Rhino Programme Manager. “This is not typical poaching.”
The recent killing increase is largely due to heightened demand for rhino horn, which has long been prized as an ingredient in traditional Asian medicine. It has been claimed recently that rhino horn possesses cancer-curing properties, despite there being no medical evidence to support the assertion.
“Only a concerted international enforcement pincer movement, at both ends of the supply and demand chain, can hope to nip this rhino poaching crisis in the bud,” said Tom Milliken, Director of TRAFFIC’s East and Southern Africa programme.
Milliken pointed to recently established coordination links between officials in South Africa and Vietnam, the country heavily implicated in the recent poaching surge.
South Africa is home to approximately 21,000 rhinos, more than any other country in the world.
Black rhinos are listed as critically endangered with only about 4,200 remaining in existence, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Approximately 1,670 black rhinos were believed to be living in South Africa in 2009. The country's other resident species, white rhinos, are classified as near threatened on IUCN’s Red List of threatened species.
“The recovery of African white rhinos from less than 100 in the late 19th century to more than 20,000 today is a phenomenal conservation success story that can largely be attributed to the combined efforts of South Africa’s state and private conservation authorities.
Consumers of rhino horn across Asia, and in Vietnam in particular, are now seriously compromising this achievement by motivating criminal groups to kill rhinos. In order to halt this massacre, substantial resources need to go into law enforcement, both in Africa and in Asian consumer countries where all trade in rhino horn is illegal," said Dr. du Plessis.
Source
Britain urges Asia to act over surging trade in rhinoceros horn
Belief it can cure cancer has led to a huge rise in poaching of endangered animals
Monday, 15 August 2011
Britain is to ask China, Vietnam and other Asian countries to tell their citizens that rhino horn has no medicinal value, in an attempt to halt a wave of rhino poaching that may drive the endangered animals to extinction.
Although long known as a powdered ingredient in traditional Asian medicine, a recent belief in its power to cure cancer has seen prices for rhino horn surge to £50,000 a kilogram – more than the price of gold or cocaine.
The sky-high price has sparked a spate of museum burglaries in Britain and Europe, with mounted rhino trophy heads being targeted for the value of the horn. More significantly, it has directly produced a substantial surge in rhino poaching in southern Africa.
Between 2000 and 2007, South Africa saw about 12 rhinos poached each year, but by 2010 it had reached 333. This year, more than 200 have already been killed and conservationists are increasingly alarmed about the future of the species, with most of its populations already classified as critically endangered.
Now Britain is putting forward a request on behalf of the European Union for Asian nations to mount "appropriately targeted" awareness-raising campaigns for their citizens, highlighting the lack of evidence in support of the horn's alleged medicinal properties. British officials will speak at a week-long meeting, beginning in Geneva today, of the committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
"The demand for rhino horn in traditional Asian medicine is driving a new wave of poaching and the decline of rhino populations," Richard Benyon, the UK Wildlife minister, said. "The price is now very high. But rhino horn is basically keratin, which is the same stuff as our hair and fingernails, and it has no healing properties.
"The world community cannot sit back and just watch these species disappear, and we want to help debunk the myth of rhino horn's healing powers."
Mr Benyon denied the request would be seen as interfering in the internal affairs of countries such as China and Vietnam. "I don't think it is preachy – it's just asking these counties to recognise that there is a problem within their borders," he said.
The proposal, which Britain sponsored through the EU, also asks all member states of Cites to tighten up controls on the trade in rhino horn and seeks the establishment of a working group to make recommendations for the next full meeting of Cites in two years.
Commerce in the world's five species of rhino – white, black, Indian, Javan and Sumatran – is banned by Cites, except for populations of the southern white rhino in South Africa and Swaziland, whose products can legally be traded with permits. It is possible the next Cites meeting will change this.
Traditional Asian medicine has been blamed for forcing the decline of other endangered species through poaching, notably the tiger, whose body parts are prized.
The demand for rhino horn is based on what is considered a modern urban myth, widely circulating in Asia – that a senior politician in Vietnam who was allegedly dying of liver cancer was cured after taking a dose of powdered rhino horn.
Although the story is frequently repeated, no one can actually put a name to the politician, supposed to be a former Vietnamese prime minister. Yet this has not stopped it from driving the price to unprecedented levels.
Britain tightened its own regulations on the export of rhinoceros horn last year after wildlife-trade officials noticed that horn and other rhino products – such as antique trophy heads – were beginning to fetch huge sums at auction and were often being re-exported to the Far East.
Now it is virtually impossible to get a permit to export rhino horn from Britain. Earlier this year, the Government persuaded the EU to bring in a similar tightening of regulations across its 27 member states.
Yet, at the same time, a series of targeted burglaries began in museums holding rhino heads in Britain and in continental Europe. Last month burglars broke into Ipswich Museum and sawed off the 18in horn of Rosie, the head of an Indian rhino that had been there since 1907.
In February, the mounted head of a black rhino was taken from Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. And in May a similar head was taken from the Educational Museum in Haslemere, Surrey.
In Belgium, there have been three such raids on museums in less than two months, the most recent being 10 days ago at the Africa Museum in Namur.
Rhinos at risk
There are five species of rhinoceros. All except the southern species of the white rhino are regarded as threatened.
* The white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) is split between two sub-species. The southern white is the most abundant type, with more than 17,000 known worldwide, of which the majority are in South Africa. By contrast, the northern white rhino is probably extinct in the wild; four were last seen in 2006 in the Democratic Republic of Congo but no further signs have been seen since then, despite intensive surveys. A small number of the animals survive in captivity.
* The black rhino (Diceros bicornis), which is found in southern Africa, is listed as critically endangered; about 5,000 remain.
* The great Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) is found only in India, Bhutan, Burma and Nepal and is listed as 'vulnerable'; fewer than 3,000 remain.
* The Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is found only in Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam and is listed as critically endangered; perhaps fewer than 300 animals remain.
* The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is found only in Indonesia and Malaysia, is critically endangered and is perhaps the rarest large mammal on earth, with fewer than 50 of the creatures remaining
Source: The Independent
Britain is to ask China, Vietnam and other Asian countries to tell their citizens that rhino horn has no medicinal value, in an attempt to halt a wave of rhino poaching that may drive the endangered animals to extinction.
Although long known as a powdered ingredient in traditional Asian medicine, a recent belief in its power to cure cancer has seen prices for rhino horn surge to £50,000 a kilogram – more than the price of gold or cocaine.
The sky-high price has sparked a spate of museum burglaries in Britain and Europe, with mounted rhino trophy heads being targeted for the value of the horn. More significantly, it has directly produced a substantial surge in rhino poaching in southern Africa.
Between 2000 and 2007, South Africa saw about 12 rhinos poached each year, but by 2010 it had reached 333. This year, more than 200 have already been killed and conservationists are increasingly alarmed about the future of the species, with most of its populations already classified as critically endangered.
Now Britain is putting forward a request on behalf of the European Union for Asian nations to mount "appropriately targeted" awareness-raising campaigns for their citizens, highlighting the lack of evidence in support of the horn's alleged medicinal properties. British officials will speak at a week-long meeting, beginning in Geneva today, of the committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites).
"The demand for rhino horn in traditional Asian medicine is driving a new wave of poaching and the decline of rhino populations," Richard Benyon, the UK Wildlife minister, said. "The price is now very high. But rhino horn is basically keratin, which is the same stuff as our hair and fingernails, and it has no healing properties.
"The world community cannot sit back and just watch these species disappear, and we want to help debunk the myth of rhino horn's healing powers."
Mr Benyon denied the request would be seen as interfering in the internal affairs of countries such as China and Vietnam. "I don't think it is preachy – it's just asking these counties to recognise that there is a problem within their borders," he said.
The proposal, which Britain sponsored through the EU, also asks all member states of Cites to tighten up controls on the trade in rhino horn and seeks the establishment of a working group to make recommendations for the next full meeting of Cites in two years.
Commerce in the world's five species of rhino – white, black, Indian, Javan and Sumatran – is banned by Cites, except for populations of the southern white rhino in South Africa and Swaziland, whose products can legally be traded with permits. It is possible the next Cites meeting will change this.
Traditional Asian medicine has been blamed for forcing the decline of other endangered species through poaching, notably the tiger, whose body parts are prized.
The demand for rhino horn is based on what is considered a modern urban myth, widely circulating in Asia – that a senior politician in Vietnam who was allegedly dying of liver cancer was cured after taking a dose of powdered rhino horn.
Although the story is frequently repeated, no one can actually put a name to the politician, supposed to be a former Vietnamese prime minister. Yet this has not stopped it from driving the price to unprecedented levels.
Britain tightened its own regulations on the export of rhinoceros horn last year after wildlife-trade officials noticed that horn and other rhino products – such as antique trophy heads – were beginning to fetch huge sums at auction and were often being re-exported to the Far East.
Now it is virtually impossible to get a permit to export rhino horn from Britain. Earlier this year, the Government persuaded the EU to bring in a similar tightening of regulations across its 27 member states.
Yet, at the same time, a series of targeted burglaries began in museums holding rhino heads in Britain and in continental Europe. Last month burglars broke into Ipswich Museum and sawed off the 18in horn of Rosie, the head of an Indian rhino that had been there since 1907.
In February, the mounted head of a black rhino was taken from Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers in Stansted Mountfitchet, Essex. And in May a similar head was taken from the Educational Museum in Haslemere, Surrey.
In Belgium, there have been three such raids on museums in less than two months, the most recent being 10 days ago at the Africa Museum in Namur.
Rhinos at risk
There are five species of rhinoceros. All except the southern species of the white rhino are regarded as threatened.
* The white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) is split between two sub-species. The southern white is the most abundant type, with more than 17,000 known worldwide, of which the majority are in South Africa. By contrast, the northern white rhino is probably extinct in the wild; four were last seen in 2006 in the Democratic Republic of Congo but no further signs have been seen since then, despite intensive surveys. A small number of the animals survive in captivity.
* The black rhino (Diceros bicornis), which is found in southern Africa, is listed as critically endangered; about 5,000 remain.
* The great Indian rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) is found only in India, Bhutan, Burma and Nepal and is listed as 'vulnerable'; fewer than 3,000 remain.
* The Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is found only in Indonesia, Malaysia, Burma, Thailand and Vietnam and is listed as critically endangered; perhaps fewer than 300 animals remain.
* The Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is found only in Indonesia and Malaysia, is critically endangered and is perhaps the rarest large mammal on earth, with fewer than 50 of the creatures remaining
Source: The Independent
An eight-pound rhino horn like this one can reap up to $360,000 on the black market.
Photograph by Brent Stirton
2012 - the Rhino is being hunted into extinction!
Shocking new statistics show 440 rhinos were brutally killed last year in South Africa alone -- a massive increase on five years ago when just 13 had their horns hacked off.
Rhino under threat
The film investigates what is driving the demand for rhino horn in Asia and the powerful measures being taken by national authorities to fight this crime. The film graphically illustrates the impact that illegal killing of rhino and trading in rhino horn is having on the survival of the species in the wild and on the people who rely upon the rhino for their livelihoods.
From the massive parks in South Africa and Swaziland, to the crowded streets of Hanoi in Viet Nam, the film shows the brutality of the current spike in illegal killing and the impact it is having on local communities. « If the current trends in illegal killing continue, we will drive the rhino, this iconic species, to extinction in the wild » said Mr John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. « We need to work together at national and international levels to stop the poaching, stop the smuggling and stop the consuming. It will be tough, but if we manage to work together, we will win this fight », he added. It is clear that the increased levels of rhino poaching and rhino horn thefts has an impact on several continents and that a well coordinated law enforcement response, as well as high-level political responses, will be required to effectively addresses this trend.
Produced and directed by Andrew Martin CITES/UNTV.
From the massive parks in South Africa and Swaziland, to the crowded streets of Hanoi in Viet Nam, the film shows the brutality of the current spike in illegal killing and the impact it is having on local communities. « If the current trends in illegal killing continue, we will drive the rhino, this iconic species, to extinction in the wild » said Mr John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. « We need to work together at national and international levels to stop the poaching, stop the smuggling and stop the consuming. It will be tough, but if we manage to work together, we will win this fight », he added. It is clear that the increased levels of rhino poaching and rhino horn thefts has an impact on several continents and that a well coordinated law enforcement response, as well as high-level political responses, will be required to effectively addresses this trend.
Produced and directed by Andrew Martin CITES/UNTV.
Geneva/Rio de Janeiro, 18 June 2012 – The United Nations TV (UNTV), and the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) launched today at Rio + 20 the film Rhino under threat.
From the massive parks in South Africa and Swaziland, to the crowded streets of Hanoi in Viet Nam, the film shows the brutality of the current spike in illegal killing of rhino and the impact it is having on local communities. The film investigates what is driving the demand for rhino horn in Asia and the powerful measures being taken by national authorities to fight this crime. UNTV obtained exclusive access to the Environmental Crime Investigation and Air Services of South Africa and to black markets in Hanoi.
In 2007, poachers killed 13 rhino in South Africa. In 2011, this number has risen to 448 and the number of rhinos killed so far this year is 245, while 161 arrests have been made. The CITES/UNTV film Rhino under threat shows the role of organised syndicates in wildlife crime, and the need for a tough coordinated enforcement response - from work in the field, to the use of DNA technology, to effective prosecutions, and the need for severe penalties.
"If the current trends in illegal killing continue, we will drive the rhino, this iconic species, to extinction in the wild" said Mr John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. "We need to work together at national and international levels to stop the poaching, stop the smuggling and stop the consuming. It will be tough, but if we manage to work together, we will win this fight", he added.
"Success in rhino conservation has been a function of political will and significant field effort to protect rhinos on the ground as well as gathering intelligence. It is clear that today we need to redouble our efforts. That's why IUCN stands ready to support the range States, conservation groups, CITES and its partners to ensure future survival of the rhino in the wild," says IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre.
"The recent increase in rhino poaching can be reversed if governments in both Africa and Asia prioritise law enforcement, prosecutions and demand reduction. Illegal wildlife trade is a serious crime that compromises national security and people's safety. To secure a future for rhinos, leadership is needed from Viet Nam, the biggest current destination for rhino horn," said Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International.
A GEF-funded project was recently approved to strengthen law enforcement capacity in South Africa's protected area system through forensic-based technologies focused on the rhinoceros. GEF funding will be used by the Government of South Africa for a dedicated forensic laboratory. This facility will provide timely DNA analysis of forensic evidence for the prosecution of wildlife crimes, and enhance the existing coordination and information sharing among all actors involved in the law enforcement and anti-poaching efforts in the country and the region.
Commenting on the approval of the GEF rhino project, Ms Monique Barbut, GEF CEO and Chairperson declared: "The poaching of endangered species is a serious threat to the world's biodiversity and it warrants the deployment of all methods at our disposal: better engagement with local communities, improved management of protected areas, and the latest anti-poaching technology to catch those responsible." "The GEF is pleased to be working with CITES and the Government of South Africa to protect the rhinoceros," she added.
Rhinoceroses are poached to supply an extremely profitable but poorly understood market. Based upon available information, the demand for rhino horn comes principally from Asia, with the major destination appearing to be Viet Nam. There, according to a report commissioned by the CITES Secretariat, increasing levels of demand have been fueled by rumours of rhino horn being a cure for cancer, and being increasingly used in a manner akin to a recreational drug, such as 'rhino wine,' to improve male sexual performance, and to treat hangovers and other ill-effects of the over-consumption of food, drugs or alcohol. None of these uses is recognized in traditional medicine.
In addition, theft of rhino horns from museums, auction houses or at antique or taxidermist shops has occurred in the European Union. Since 2011, EUROPOL has recorded 56 successful and 10 attempted thefts. Criminals stole horns from museums and private collections in 15 countries, with many of the thefts believed to be linked to an organized criminal group, who are known to use intimidation and violence to achieve their ends. The group is believed to be active in Asia, North and South America and Europe.
In the United States, seven people were arrested on charges of trafficking in endangered black rhinoceros horn in February 2012, as part of "Operation Crash," a multi-agency effort to investigate and prosecute those involved in the black market trade of endangered rhinoceros horn.
In South Africa, persons from Mozambique and Viet Nam caught trying to smuggle rhinoceros horn out of the country were given long prison sentences – sending out a powerful message to those who seek to engage in illegal wildlife trade. These convictions reflect the combined efforts of enforcement officials, prosecutors and the judiciary in South Africa where the whole system worked to bring these criminals to justice.
It is clear that the increased levels of rhino poaching and rhino horn thefts has an impact on several continents and that a well coordinated law enforcement response, as well as high-level political responses, will be required to addresses this problem effectively.
Background on rhinoceroses
There are five species of rhino, all included in the CITES Appendices. The Javan, Sumatran and Indian rhinos are found in Asia and are listed in Appendix I. The first two are considered to be as critically endangered and Indian rhinos as vulnerable in the IUCN's Red List. The Javan rhino subspecies in Viet Nam was declared extinct by WWF on 25 October 2011. A small population of Javan rhinos still exists in Indonesia, which has prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to declare 5 June 2012 the start of the International Year of the Rhino.
The number of black rhinos in the wild is estimated at 5,000 individuals and that of white rhinos at 20,000. Both are found in Africa and their range and numbers declined very significantly in the past. Populations then recovered, particularly in Southern Africa which has its recovered white rhino population listed in CITES Appendix II. A fresh wave of poaching in the past few years, however, is posing a significant threat to this recovery. The western black rhino was also declared extinct in November 2011.
Source
From the massive parks in South Africa and Swaziland, to the crowded streets of Hanoi in Viet Nam, the film shows the brutality of the current spike in illegal killing of rhino and the impact it is having on local communities. The film investigates what is driving the demand for rhino horn in Asia and the powerful measures being taken by national authorities to fight this crime. UNTV obtained exclusive access to the Environmental Crime Investigation and Air Services of South Africa and to black markets in Hanoi.
In 2007, poachers killed 13 rhino in South Africa. In 2011, this number has risen to 448 and the number of rhinos killed so far this year is 245, while 161 arrests have been made. The CITES/UNTV film Rhino under threat shows the role of organised syndicates in wildlife crime, and the need for a tough coordinated enforcement response - from work in the field, to the use of DNA technology, to effective prosecutions, and the need for severe penalties.
"If the current trends in illegal killing continue, we will drive the rhino, this iconic species, to extinction in the wild" said Mr John E. Scanlon, CITES Secretary-General. "We need to work together at national and international levels to stop the poaching, stop the smuggling and stop the consuming. It will be tough, but if we manage to work together, we will win this fight", he added.
"Success in rhino conservation has been a function of political will and significant field effort to protect rhinos on the ground as well as gathering intelligence. It is clear that today we need to redouble our efforts. That's why IUCN stands ready to support the range States, conservation groups, CITES and its partners to ensure future survival of the rhino in the wild," says IUCN Director General Julia Marton-Lefèvre.
"The recent increase in rhino poaching can be reversed if governments in both Africa and Asia prioritise law enforcement, prosecutions and demand reduction. Illegal wildlife trade is a serious crime that compromises national security and people's safety. To secure a future for rhinos, leadership is needed from Viet Nam, the biggest current destination for rhino horn," said Jim Leape, Director General of WWF International.
A GEF-funded project was recently approved to strengthen law enforcement capacity in South Africa's protected area system through forensic-based technologies focused on the rhinoceros. GEF funding will be used by the Government of South Africa for a dedicated forensic laboratory. This facility will provide timely DNA analysis of forensic evidence for the prosecution of wildlife crimes, and enhance the existing coordination and information sharing among all actors involved in the law enforcement and anti-poaching efforts in the country and the region.
Commenting on the approval of the GEF rhino project, Ms Monique Barbut, GEF CEO and Chairperson declared: "The poaching of endangered species is a serious threat to the world's biodiversity and it warrants the deployment of all methods at our disposal: better engagement with local communities, improved management of protected areas, and the latest anti-poaching technology to catch those responsible." "The GEF is pleased to be working with CITES and the Government of South Africa to protect the rhinoceros," she added.
Rhinoceroses are poached to supply an extremely profitable but poorly understood market. Based upon available information, the demand for rhino horn comes principally from Asia, with the major destination appearing to be Viet Nam. There, according to a report commissioned by the CITES Secretariat, increasing levels of demand have been fueled by rumours of rhino horn being a cure for cancer, and being increasingly used in a manner akin to a recreational drug, such as 'rhino wine,' to improve male sexual performance, and to treat hangovers and other ill-effects of the over-consumption of food, drugs or alcohol. None of these uses is recognized in traditional medicine.
In addition, theft of rhino horns from museums, auction houses or at antique or taxidermist shops has occurred in the European Union. Since 2011, EUROPOL has recorded 56 successful and 10 attempted thefts. Criminals stole horns from museums and private collections in 15 countries, with many of the thefts believed to be linked to an organized criminal group, who are known to use intimidation and violence to achieve their ends. The group is believed to be active in Asia, North and South America and Europe.
In the United States, seven people were arrested on charges of trafficking in endangered black rhinoceros horn in February 2012, as part of "Operation Crash," a multi-agency effort to investigate and prosecute those involved in the black market trade of endangered rhinoceros horn.
In South Africa, persons from Mozambique and Viet Nam caught trying to smuggle rhinoceros horn out of the country were given long prison sentences – sending out a powerful message to those who seek to engage in illegal wildlife trade. These convictions reflect the combined efforts of enforcement officials, prosecutors and the judiciary in South Africa where the whole system worked to bring these criminals to justice.
It is clear that the increased levels of rhino poaching and rhino horn thefts has an impact on several continents and that a well coordinated law enforcement response, as well as high-level political responses, will be required to addresses this problem effectively.
Background on rhinoceroses
There are five species of rhino, all included in the CITES Appendices. The Javan, Sumatran and Indian rhinos are found in Asia and are listed in Appendix I. The first two are considered to be as critically endangered and Indian rhinos as vulnerable in the IUCN's Red List. The Javan rhino subspecies in Viet Nam was declared extinct by WWF on 25 October 2011. A small population of Javan rhinos still exists in Indonesia, which has prompted President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia to declare 5 June 2012 the start of the International Year of the Rhino.
The number of black rhinos in the wild is estimated at 5,000 individuals and that of white rhinos at 20,000. Both are found in Africa and their range and numbers declined very significantly in the past. Populations then recovered, particularly in Southern Africa which has its recovered white rhino population listed in CITES Appendix II. A fresh wave of poaching in the past few years, however, is posing a significant threat to this recovery. The western black rhino was also declared extinct in November 2011.
Source
GONE FOREVER!
Javan Rhino declared extinct in Vietnam
October 25, 2012 - WWF and the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) have confirmed the extinction of the Javan rhino (Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus) in Vietnam.
DNA match
On April 29th, 2010, the body of a female Javan rhino was found in Cat Tien National Park.
DNA analyses conducted at Queen’s University, Canada, determined that the dung samples collected during a 2009/2010 WWF survey belonged to one rhino.
It was the worst possible outcome: The samples matched those taken from the dead rhino.
Traditional medicine trade
Vietnam’s “uncontrolled illegal wildlife trade” and “inadequate protection” led to the extinction of the country’s rhinos, according to a new report released by WWF.
The “increasing demand for wildlife in the traditional medicine trade” in Vietnam, China, and other Asian countries has decimated Southeast Asia’s wildlife populations, and is responsible for killing Vietnam’s last rhino.
Rhino horn is a sought-after ingredient for traditional Chinese medicine, despite the fact it has been rigorously analyzed and contains no medicinal properties. Earlier this year, the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine and TCM educators spoke out against the continued use of rhino horn.
Lack of political will
The Vietnamese government also contributed to the tragedy by demonstrating “insufficient political support” for protecting its critically endangered rhino population and focusing its funding on “infrastructure development”.
Urban development, conversion to agricultural land, park encroachment by settlers, and explosive human population growth proved to be ongoing issues that were never adequately addressed. By 2010, the range of the Javan rhino in Vietnam decreased to just 6,500ha from 75,000ha in 1988.
Additionally, there was “little or no accountability” within Vietnam’s current protected area management system, which includes rangers, their managers, and protected area managers.
‘Conservation failure’
Although once thought to be extinct, Vietnam’s Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus was rediscovered in 1988.
The small population was estimated at no more than 15 rhinos. Sufficient habitat was available and it was hoped that these rhinos would make a recovery similar to the Southern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) and the greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis ) – both of which were on the brink of extinction 100 years ago.
However, by 2006, probably only three Javan rhinos remained in Vietnam. Despite years of valid recommendations from conservation groups, implementation and law enforcement were both lacking in Cat Tien National Park.
WWF’s report called the Javan rhino’s extinction in Vietnam “a major conservation failure”.
Three subspecies of Javan rhino once existed. Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis, which formerly occurred in northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, is already extinct.
The extinction of Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus leaves just one Javan rhino subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus sondiacus), found only in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park.
There are now less than 50 Javan rhinos remaining on Earth.
Source: Planetsave
DNA match
On April 29th, 2010, the body of a female Javan rhino was found in Cat Tien National Park.
DNA analyses conducted at Queen’s University, Canada, determined that the dung samples collected during a 2009/2010 WWF survey belonged to one rhino.
It was the worst possible outcome: The samples matched those taken from the dead rhino.
Traditional medicine trade
Vietnam’s “uncontrolled illegal wildlife trade” and “inadequate protection” led to the extinction of the country’s rhinos, according to a new report released by WWF.
The “increasing demand for wildlife in the traditional medicine trade” in Vietnam, China, and other Asian countries has decimated Southeast Asia’s wildlife populations, and is responsible for killing Vietnam’s last rhino.
Rhino horn is a sought-after ingredient for traditional Chinese medicine, despite the fact it has been rigorously analyzed and contains no medicinal properties. Earlier this year, the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine and TCM educators spoke out against the continued use of rhino horn.
Lack of political will
The Vietnamese government also contributed to the tragedy by demonstrating “insufficient political support” for protecting its critically endangered rhino population and focusing its funding on “infrastructure development”.
Urban development, conversion to agricultural land, park encroachment by settlers, and explosive human population growth proved to be ongoing issues that were never adequately addressed. By 2010, the range of the Javan rhino in Vietnam decreased to just 6,500ha from 75,000ha in 1988.
Additionally, there was “little or no accountability” within Vietnam’s current protected area management system, which includes rangers, their managers, and protected area managers.
‘Conservation failure’
Although once thought to be extinct, Vietnam’s Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus was rediscovered in 1988.
The small population was estimated at no more than 15 rhinos. Sufficient habitat was available and it was hoped that these rhinos would make a recovery similar to the Southern white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) and the greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis ) – both of which were on the brink of extinction 100 years ago.
However, by 2006, probably only three Javan rhinos remained in Vietnam. Despite years of valid recommendations from conservation groups, implementation and law enforcement were both lacking in Cat Tien National Park.
WWF’s report called the Javan rhino’s extinction in Vietnam “a major conservation failure”.
Three subspecies of Javan rhino once existed. Rhinoceros sondaicus inermis, which formerly occurred in northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, is already extinct.
The extinction of Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus leaves just one Javan rhino subspecies (Rhinoceros sondaicus sondiacus), found only in Indonesia’s Ujung Kulon National Park.
There are now less than 50 Javan rhinos remaining on Earth.
Source: Planetsave
YOU can help the Rhino!
Please share the truth about Rhino horn!
What if we believed
a Panda's nose had health benefits?
Torsten Fehsenfeld of Roots Branding, the designers of the panda advert for WILDSIDE magazine, talk to the rationale for the advert which was driven by their passion for rhino and a desperate desire to see poaching come to an end. Torsten also explains how you can send this advert on and join the process for change – Let’s win the war on poaching demand.YOU CAN HELP – MAKE THE CAMPAIGN GO VIRAL: People want to be part of stopping the poaching and to enable that, you are invited not only to become a Wildside Warrior, but visit the website, download the cause advert by Roots Branding, and send to people in authority, media, embassies, and around the world.
The download is free of charge.“The black and white rhinoceros are an integral part of South African culture. It holds emotional as well as economical value to South Africa. A large part of South African tourism is based on our wildlife and especially the Big 5, of which the rhino is one.
The download is free of charge.“The black and white rhinoceros are an integral part of South African culture. It holds emotional as well as economical value to South Africa. A large part of South African tourism is based on our wildlife and especially the Big 5, of which the rhino is one.
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Please go to the link to continue reading and to download your copy of the Panda Advert and to visit www.wildsidesa.co.za where you have the opportunity to send on this advert in both languages to relevant parties. Social media and the internet are powerful tools and addressed to the right channels can create huge public pressure, thus effecting change!
Thank you!
