World Rhino Day

September 22, 2013

They are one of the Big Five, putting them on every tourist's "must see" list when they come to Africa for a safari. And yet they could become extinct during our lifetime. 

And so, rhinos have their own special day to promote awareness and conservation on a global scale. Being in South Africa, where apparently 73% of the world's population of wild rhinos live, World Rhino Day is a big deal. I received a company-wide email at work promoting the day and encouraging support, and have seen posters and campaigns all over the country advertising the poaching statistics and the bleak future of these animals. Having had the opportunity to see many-a-rhino throughout southern Africa over the course of the last six months, I thought for my contribution to World Rhino Day I would dedicate a post to them. This one's for all the rhinos of the world.  

A few of the rhinos we've seen around southern Africa: Madikwe Game Reserve (South Africa), Pilansberg National Park (South Africa), Etosha National Park (Namibia) and Mkhaya Game Reserve (Swaziland); Centre image source: World Rhino Day

Alright, so why are they going extinct? Everything I read lately seems to tell the same story: rhino horn is believed in China and Vietnam to have medicinal properties, and when ground into a powder the horn is believed to be a cure for everything from bewitching nightmares, fever, dysentery and anxiety all the way to an antidote for poison (side note: contrary to popular belief, it is not considered to be an aphrodisiac). As a result, rhino hunting has been around for centuries in order to supply this highly saught-after medical ingredient. The sad part is that these beliefs are based on tradition Chinese medicine (TCM) practices dating back to the 1600's, and research has never been able to prove that rhino horn is actually effective.  

In order to address decreasing populations of rhinos worldwide, in 1987 the 100+ member countries of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) agreed to shut down trade completely of all rhino products. However; the belief in the horn's healing properties created a huge market for poaching and illegal trading of the horn. The significant increase in poaching over the last five years is believed to be the result of illegal trade routes established through increased globalization. Given the steadily declining number of these creatures left on the planet, the market price per kilo of rhino horn is currently estimated to be more than double the going rate for gold (making poaching that much more appealing during economic hardships). 

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has added all five remaining species of rhinos to the "redlist" of highly threatened species, with three of the five species being classified as critically endangered. If the poaching continues at the rate it is going, it is believed that the number of deaths will overtake the number of births in the next three to five years, meaning that rhinos could very well become extinct in the near future.*   

*Source of graph, facts and statistics: Save the Rhino (data published by South African Department of Environment Affairs in 2013)

While this post was initially meant to be a tribute to the rhino, it also turned out to be a startling reality check for me of the very real possibility that if things do not change, and soon, these animals will only be found in photos.