Rhinoceros horn is not up for sale

Rhinoceros poaching is officially out of control, as if we didn’t know this already. The press are only reporting on poaching and what if’s, along with the pro trade lobbyists idea’s of how they truly believe the Rhinoceros is going to survive with it’s horn removed just above the growing point.

The Rt Honourable Edna Molewa has simply bypassed all talks from others and technologies that have been presented to her in blue print and other formalities that are still awaiting patent pending. Both from ourselves International Animal Rescue Foundation© along with two proven security technologies that we are ready to put to use within the fields of Africa and upon ranches and farms.

Proven at a cost over e17,000 from our own pockets. The press though seem to only want to drivel on about the dehorning of our 50 million year old prehistoric realm with very few mentions locally and internationally of the Rhinoceros treatment programme that has been proven to work time again and not one single Rhinoceros has been poached to date with this security implementation in place.

The Trans-frontier fence that was protecting around 89% all species of Rhinoceros and other fauna still hasn’t been erected from which International Animal Rescue Foundation© are now pushing for the dividing fence to be re-erected and electrified within the next two to three months before we completely lose all the Kruger Rhinoceros. Deputy Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Honourable Rejoice Mabudafhasi and Vietnam’s Deputy Agriculture and Rural Development Minister, Honourable Ha Cong Tuan, on Monday May 6th 2013 signed an agreement to now take furthering action to curb the epidemic of Rhinoceros poaching thus preserving our African and international heritage protecting both ours and our children’s future. However we have yet to see these actions implemented to even put into practice. The date for these 26 proposals have been stated to be released within a year.

Early last week June 2013 Minister Molewa and Minister Carvalho Muaria met to speak on working together on tackling the cross border insurgencies of mainly Mozambique’s crossing into South Africa illegally with talks also focusing on the (MOU) Memorandum of Understanding, and the village that we call (Little Mayfair) that once hosted around 1,200 underprivileged individuals.

The village is now soon to be moved (apparently). The village no longer hosts 1,200 poor and non-working individuals, it holds millionaires that have pocketed from poaching the Rhinoceros thus selling the horn on for around $65,000 to $75,000 a kilogram. Both ministers have still done nothing to take action, with no dates, other than a (2016) promise deadline. 2016 will see most of the 15,000 (estimated) rhinoceros pushed into nearing extinction.

Please note that the 15,000 is not an accurate number as we simply do not know how many Rhinoceros there are within Southern Africa. Observing poaching rates though and mathematically calculating gestation rates, the number of Rhinoceros poached a day and populations of the last census (2010) we have come to the conclusion that this is all we have in the way of Rhinoceros left within Southern Africa that hosts the world’s largest populations with ¼ owned to private owners. No census has still be undertaken so that it can be assessed if the Rhinoceros needs to be moved up from vulnerable on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Red List of Threatened Species to endangered.

The (IUCN) have quoted that the White Rhinoceros was listed from 1994 as vulnerable to then hitting (NT) from 2002-2011 as near threatened. So how can these numbers be increasing if there hasn’t been a census undertaken? As of 31ST December 2010, there were an estimated 20,170 White Rhinoceros in the wild. As of December 2008 there were an estimated 750 in captivity worldwide. The majority (98.8%) of White Rhinoceros occur in just four countries (South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya).

This doesn’t make sense though as the Department of Environmental Affairs stated to us (2012 Jan) that the populations of White Rhinoceros for 2010 was in fact 22,800. Hence why we need a census sooner rather than later. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES) and the Department of Environmental Affairs both confirmed that when the Vietnamese hunting permits were banned (2012), there was a 100% increase in hunting permits from continents within Europe.

Them continents were in fact Poland, the old Yugoslav Republic, Russia, Estonia, Serbia, and the Ukraine. Both parties agreed that pseudo hunting was still ongoing yet not one department has actually acknowledged this professionally nor have they still implemented a temporary Rhinoceros hunting moratorium that would then prove we did have pseudo hunters deriving from non-European states. By placing a temporary ban on Rhinoceros hunting too this would make evident if their would be any change on the market.

In March 2013 the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna confirmed that Europe was the key supplier of “resins” to Asia that was in fact flooding the Asian black market with a colossal 90% fake Rhinoceros horn material. INTERPOL and Cites have still yet to locate the suppliers of these resins that would if they were banned cut demand and reduce poaching of our majestic species the Rhinoceros identified by Dr Burchell in 1817. Companies and organisations are moving as fast as they can to preserve the Rhinoceros both on ranches and within the wild exhausting every type of security method that can be used.

However no sooner after the Conference of Parties meetings took place Minister Molewa then decided that the “taboo” subject of legalising the Rhinoceros horn trade had to be on the agenda for CoP 17 that coincidentally is to be held within South Africa.

Coincidentally poachers are back to using hunting rifles and old school techniques which we knew would happen when the Department of Environmental Affairs in (2012) banned farmer’s and any other individuals unless they were a veterinary officer from using (Entorphine) more commonly known as M99. This fact doesn’t seem to have been raised though as to why poachers are back to using guns and not tranquilising darts.

Without accusing a single individual here it’s blatantly obvious that the farming community was heavily involved within the 2011 horrific murders of almost 500 Rhinoceros.

So lets take a recap of the Rhinoceros poaching numbers from 2010 to 2013 to date for June 24th;

2010 - 330 Rhinoceros poached 1 poached a day

2011 - 448 Rhinoceros poached 1-2 poached a day

2012 - 668 Rhinoceros poached 2-3 poached a day

2013 June 24th 436 Rhinoceros poached - 3 poached a day

2013 - Saw all the Limpopo Rhinoceros pushed to extinction 2013 - In one week alone we lost twenty four Rhinoceros

The poaching statistics stand at - 11.5 hours a Rhinoceros is poached, however this is no longer factual and we are losing Rhinoceros faster than we are losing water from leaking manholes.

The pro trade lobbyists argue that a dehorning the Rhinoceros will cease the poaching. We and others have known this to be non-factual as even if there is a stub at around six inches from the base to the growing point this will still place the Rhinoceros in more danger.

Please view the May 2013 link http://showme.co.za/nelspruit/news/poachers-strike-pro-trade-advocate/

The pro trade lobbyists may argue that whilst the Rhinoceros is de-horned then this will most certainly preserve their life. We disagree.

The Rhinoceros is also placed in more danger of extinction. Whilst there is a stub of horn and there is also a farm containing Rhinoceros then the poacher will have to kill more Rhinoceros to gain the “full horn”. So one 6 inch stub simply is not enough. 3-4 Rhinoceros would have to be poached and that is exactly what happened in May on Mr and Mrs Hume’s farm of de-horned Rhinoceros.

This is not the only case of Rhinoceros that have been poached with horns partially removed too.

6th March 2012 - Two de-horned Rhinoceros were poached http://m.looklocal.co.za/looklocal/content/en/lowveld/lowveld-mobile-news?oid=5070537&sn=Mobile-Detail&pid=4732825&Dehorned-rhino-poached-in-Onderberg

Then another hit dating 2012 - http://safaritalk.net/topic/9394-dehorned-pregnant-rhinos-killed-zululand/

ZWF HOTLINE - Dehorned, pregnant rhinos killed - Zululand Observer 08/10/12 Story Dave Savides Plus two more in Sabi Game Reserve adjoining Kruger Despite strict security and the fact that they had already been dehorned last year, two pregnant white rhinos were found dead at Bonamanzi Game Reserve on Friday.

The poachers got away with barely a few centimetres of newly-grown horn after shooting the animals. Well aware of the poaching threat, the private reserve outside Hluhluwe employs round-the clock security, all their rhino are equipped with GPS tracking devices and all but one had been dehorned last November. ‘The last of the Bonamanzi rhinos to be dehorned, will undergo the painless procedure on Tuesday and is currently under the protection of eight armed guards,’ said a spokesperson.

It is unfortunate that this was set to be done two weeks ago but was postponed. The practice is conducted under the supervision of an experienced and qualified wildlife veterinarian, the district conservation officer and attending wildlife practitioners. ‘Horns are stored off the property in a secure vault.’ Bonamanzi said all horns are micro-chipped, enabling tracing. ‘Aeroplanes all over the country are tracking the culprits as we speak. ‘Owners and management of the reserve will spare no expense to create an idyllic, safe sanctuary for a healthy breeding population of rhino on the reserve.’ End of news update 2012 ——

De-horning does not work and one can do their own investigations into this should they wish too and then view more Rhinoceros that have been dehorned only to be poached for a mere few centimetres.

What do we do then? Well we have the many technologies that are currently being developed, two of which International Animal Rescue Foundation© have already developed one of them we are awaiting patent pending. The security is vast, affordable, and only requires a small team to secure 100 hectares of land or more.

There is though of which we will speak more on at a later date the Rhinoceros Horn Treatment Programme an excellent and proven technology that has now many new introductions.

This we recommend 100% and NO Rhinoceros have been slaughtered by poachers since being treated. You can read more about the Rhinoceros treatment programme within the link below; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2335274/Rhino-horns-poisoned-painted-PINK-poachers-away-revolutionary-scheme-South-Africa.html

Please note the Rhinoceros horn is not actually painted pink as the headlines in the Daily Mail have stated, they do though have a pink dye injected that will show up on Airport Scanners. Most if not all customs officers have been briefed on this and what to spot.

For now we leave you and will be bringing you some excellent updates on the new updates that we are working on and others have already placed with the field.

Say no to Rhinoceros horn trade and please vote below on whether you want Rhinoceros horn legalised or not legalised until all other options are exhausted.

Please sign our petition to which we require only 1,500 signatures to now enforce the trans-frontier fence to be erected within the next 2-4 months or at least a response to state that this will be undertaken and not just empty promises.

https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/rt-hon-edna-molewa-rt-hon-carvalho-muaria-erection-of-the-transfrontier-border-fence#share

Failure is not within our vocabulary and we will break the back of poaching. Please watch out for our upcoming documents on Poaching and Terrorism. Director International Animal Rescue Foundation

If not you then WHO? - If not now then WHEN?