rhino files | consumptive tourism
The reality is that the CITES
trade ban has not worked by any
reasonable measure and has on
the contrary helped create a vast
illegal market dominated by
transnational crime syndicates
that remain untouchable.
Like the illegal drugs trade,
will demand go away?
As long as there is money
to be made, the syndicates
will drive any illegal demand,
whether it be for rhino horn,
pangolin scales or evenRhino Poaching Statistics human trafficking.
Graph by Ronelle Oosthuizen
D
espite the introduction of the CITES international trade
ban in 1977, overall rhino populations have suffered
a severe decline. It is estimated that some 100 000
have been poached, that 23 African range states no
longer have rhino, and that certain countries that still have rhino,
have populations of less than 100 animals, and many of those
are declining.
All of this is despite attempts to reduce demand, to improve law
enforcement, and to implement rhino protection projects costing
hundreds of millions of US dollars across Africa.
South Africa was relatively free of poaching until 2008. Since then,
in excess of 8 000 animals have been lost, over 1 300 of which
were poached on private reserves. The annual cost of rhino security
on private, provincial and national reserves is
an estimated R2 billion a year or R112 500 per
animal. From 2014 to end 2017 the value of rhino
has declined by 67%. Thus, if we calculate the
asset loss through poaching, the decline in rhino
values plus the loss of productivity from the
8 000 animals, this comes to a staggering
R9.8 billion loss to South Africa.
Of this figure, private reserves have lost
R1,47 billion EXCLUDING security, feed and
management costs. It must be remembered
that private reserves receive no government
assistance or incentives to assist with this
conservation burden. >>If we calculate the asset
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decline in rhino values plus
the loss of productivity from
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to a staggering R9.8 billion
loss to South Africa.