Rhinos: The Modern Dinosaur

Professor Ludeker

ENG 121 R173

16 November 2013

“They’re gone.” On November 6, 2013 Western African Black rhinos, one of the five species of rhinos, have been declared extinct. The final living Western African Black rhino in the wild was believed to be seen in 2006. In addition, in May of this year, the only surviving rhino of Mozambique was confirmed dead. Poaching is believed to be the predominant cause of their extinction. Poaching is the unlawful hunting, killing, or catching of animals. This may also include the removal of an animal’s body part either dead or alive. Methods of poaching include attracting ducks by bait then shooting them, hunting deer in the evening with the aid of a spotlight, or fishing using a fish trap. It is a practice that can occur in several ways. The poaching of wild animals is a problem that has led to the decline and disappearance of hundreds of species, specifically Rhinos. The hunting and killing of rhinos has increased drastically, particularly in Asia and Africa. Almost all of the rhinos discovered dead are found with their horns chopped off. For centuries, rhinos have been slaughtered for their horns because of its value and medicinal uses.

There are five species of rhinos existing; three located in Asia and two located in Africa. Of the three Asian populations, the Sumatran and Javan rhinos are on the brink of extinction. Prior to 2006, only a handful of rhinos were illegally killed. However, over the past few years, the poaching of rhinos has skyrocketed. In 2008, the number of rhinos killed soared to 87 from just 13 in 2007 (Beech). Annually, the figures have been increasing. An environmentalist for Zimbabwe, Raoul du Toit, compares poaching to a bush fire and explains “It starts small, but it spreads and turns into a conflagration very rapidly” (qtd. in Beech). According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, between 2011 and 2012, rhino poaching has increased by 43%. Moreover, at the end of September 2013, the number of rhinos killed by poachers has hit a new record. The environmental affairs ministry reports poachers have killed 704 rhinos, the highest number in two decades and exceeding the record of 668 from the previous year (McGrath). The ministry believes that it if poachers continue killing at this pace, rhino deaths may exceed a thousand in 2014.

The killing of rhinos is nothing new. About fifty million years ago, there was a vast variety of rhino species throughout the world. Before they were extinct, relatives of the Sumatran rhinos lived throughout eastern Asia and northern Europe. Human hunters were believed to have been the cause of their deaths. In the late 1800s, the sport of hunting and the demand for the animal’s horn almost finished the white rhino population and left them facing probable extinction. Conversely, in 1952, the Indian rhino population began to climb when anti- poaching measures were put into place by the governments of India and Nepal. Despite this, in 1970, it was determined that throughout history, the total population of all the five species of rhinos had dropped ninety percent. The increased demand for their horns was believed to be the leading cause of the decline (“Rhinos: Past and Present”).

Rhino poaching increased almost immediately in 2008 after South African officials began limiting each hunter to just one rhino kill per year. Nations such as Kenya and South Africa have increased security, invested in sniffer dogs and unmanned drones but have failed to put a stop to the rising rhino slaughters. Rhino poaching is being taken to a whole new level by crime syndicates. Poachers now hunt by “military grade helicopters, night vision equipment, and guns with stealth silencers” (Oliver). Gideon Van Denter, who is known as South Africa’s most prolific rhino poacher for killing 22 rhinos, describes several techniques to rhino poaching. He states a rhino will collapse on its chest when putting a “300-grain bullet six inches behind the eye and two inches in front of the ear”. He also mentions another technique which experts believe is an indication of an expert. He explains that prying of a rhino’s horn can be done with little effort by slicing a pocketknife around the “seam at the horn’s base.” Van Denter reveals “You don't need a saw. It's quick, and the entire horn comes off clean, just like a bottle cap" (qtd in Gwin). In addition, it is also reported that in China to get around the trade ban, rhinos are being farmed. It has reached the point that rhino horns are being stolen from museums in Europe (Oliver; Gwin).

The killings have been fueled for the medicinal use and value of their horns. In traditional Asian medicine, rhino horn is highly prized. Its horn is ground into a fine powder and is used to treat a variety of illnesses such as fevers, arthritis, nosebleeds, and strokes. Horns can reach a selling price double the price of gold. Horns can sell from $33- $137 a gram or $65,000-100,000 a kilogram. Furthermore, Vietnam’s demand for rhino horn has significantly increased in the mid-2000s after a rumor swept that rhino horn powder has cured the cancer of a Vietnamese politician (Guilford). To this day, that rumor continues. With its high demand in the black market, the Rhinos worldwide face extinction.

Three quarters of the world’s rhino population is located in South Africa. A neighbor of South Africa, Mozambique, is where numerous poachers originate from. South Africa’s largest wildlife reserve, Kruger National Park, is where majority of the deaths are taking place. The park, which boarders Mozambique, is about the size of Israel. The area is incredibly large for authorities to cover allowing poachers’ easy access and to go about their jobs without being detected. (Herscovitz).

Due to their body structure, scientists find it difficult to track rhinos. Placing monitors around their neck would just cause the monitor to fall off. They have attempted tracking chips but discovered that majority of the poaching occurs at night when the monitors are not being used. Recently, they have developed a GPS system that can be placed into a rhino’s horn which allows real- time monitoring. This will allow them to monitor rhino locations at all times. In addition, in Kenya, microchips will be implanted in every rhino. Two microchips will be given to each rhino, one in its horn and one in an undisclosed part. The microchip can be barely traced by poachers as its size reported to be less than two inches. It will take up to four months to complete the fitting process (Karimi). These chips will enable wildlife officers to locate the animal and trace any poached horns. The process is a time consuming and costly. According to the director of the World Wildlife Fund communications for southern and eastern Africa, Robert Magori, "The rhinos have to be tracked, identified, sedated, fitted with two chips each (on the horn and on the animal), revived and finally released" (qtd. in Karimi).

Furthermore, rhino horns are being dyed pink and tinted with nonlethal chemicals by officials in South Africa to prevent consumers from buying them. The process involves putting the rhino to sleep, drilling a hole into its horn, and then injecting the pink dye. The substance injected contains parasticides, it is toxic to humans and is typically used to control ticks on animals such as sheep, horses, and cows. Humans consuming this substance risks suffering nausea, stomach ache, and diarrhea. Airport scanners can also detect the die even when the horn is in powder form (“Rhino Horns Being Poisoned and Painted Pink…”). South Africa’s oldest private game reserve, Sabi Sand, is spending half of its annual maintenance budget on protecting the endangered rhinos. Andrew Parker, a conservationist of the reserve, expressed his concern of these defense costs becoming “unaffordable” (Oliver).

Despite increased security and conservation efforts over the last decade, there has been little success in putting a halt to the murders. Financial gains outweigh the negative impact on wildlife. In order to look after these endangered animals, a more disciplinary and stern process is in great need for future generations to have the opportunity to experience these creatures.

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