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FORESTERS ON LEAVE AS POACHERS TARGET RHINOS
JALPAIGURI: While poachers' guns were being trained on a rhino in Jaldapara, senior forest officers charged with protecting the wildlife in this sanctuary known for its biodiversity were holidaying this festive season.
Om Prakash, the Cooch Behar divisional forest officer, has been away on a training programme for the past two and a half months. Silvand Patel, the chief conservator of forests, wildlife (North Bengal) and V K Sood, the chief conservator of forests, wildlife, were also on leave. As a result, the vulnerable sanctuary has been left in the hands of acting DFO Dharmaraj Rai, a new recruit with little experience in North Bengal.
The results were obvious: with senior officers away, the monitoring of junior staff and patrolling suffered over the past few days, claimed local environmental organizations. Well aware of this crucial gap in vigil, poachers shot the bull rhino, which stumbled out of the forest and drowned in the Torsha river after allegedly being chased by local villagers and some forest staff on Saturday morning.
The two rhino deaths a female rhino was found dead deep inside the forest a few hours later has rung the alarm bells. Patel cut his holiday short and returned to Jaldapara on Sunday to hold a meeting with officials. S B Mondol, the principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife, is scheduled to reach Jaldapara on Monday to investigate how poachers managed to enter into the sanctuary and open fire on the rhino. "I will conduct a preliminary investigation and submit the report to the department," Mondol told TOI.
Initially, the foresters had tried to pass off the bull's death as a case of drowning. But a post-mortem late on Saturday evening revealed a bullet lodged between the ear and the jaw of the carcass. The incident would probably have gone unnoticed if the rhino had not stumbled out of the forest and been seen by scores of villagers.
Over the past week, two leopards have died at the Khairbari leopard rehabilitation centre a pointer to how wildlife conservation in North Bengal has suffered because of the absence of senior officers. The forest department though has claimed that the leopards died of age-related problems.
The bodies of all the eight rhinos killed by poachers in Jaldapara since 1996 have been found in the Chilapata range near the Mendabari and Kodalbustee areas. Forest workers believe that poachers prefer to camp in these two areas as a number of villages are located very close to the forest here giving poachers ample cover to plan their moves. But little has been done to increase the vigil in these villages.
"Even six months back, things were much better at Jaldapara. But there has been a steady decline as mismanagement and a lax vigil has left the animals in peril," alleged Animesh Basu, coordinator of Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, an environmental organization.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Foresters-on-leave-as-poachers-target-rhinos/articleshow/5113730.cms
DUDHWA RHINOS FIGHT FOR TURF
IANS
DUDHWA (Uttar Pradesh): A fierce turf war is raging among rhinos in the Dudhwa National Park. With the rhino population rising to 29 with the birth of another calf in mid-September, the fight over food and territory has become intense, say concerned forest officials.
With their area restricted to a 27-sq km enclosure, located in the South Sonaripur range of the park, the increasing number of the huge animals is literally pushing them to the edge.
Bankey, the oldest male rhino at 27 years, was brought to the park around two decades ago from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam in 1984. He and another male along with three females was brought to the park, located in the Lakhimpur-Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, as part of a plan to reintroduce the species in the Gangetic plains.
Today, Bankey can be proudly called the "great granddaddy" of the rhinoceros population in the park. There are three generations now after him - six adult males, 15 females and seven calves in the enclosure, protected with electrified fencing. Rhinos live up to 60 years.
The enclosure was built to acclimatise the rhinos with the environs before their release into the wild.
However, their rising number has led to deadly fights over food, territory and females, said a forest official. The bull rhinos stage lethal attacks on their rivals in the race for prospective female partners.
"We have to plan for their future. Either the fenced-in area should be increased or the fence opened," P.P. Singh, deputy director of the park, told IANS.
"How long can one keep the animals inside the fence? Also a big chunk of the rhino area is blocking the movement of other wild animals in the park. They have to go around the enclosure," Singh said.
Two proposals are currently being considered by the forest department - to create a separate enclosure and/or to expand the existing area. However, both may prove short-term as the electric fencing around the enclosure blocks the movement of other wild animals.
"We also need to have a security arrangement in place in case the rhinos stray outside, and damage crops and property. Adequate compensation has to be given to the affected people," he said.
The rhino reintroduction was carried out by the Asian Rhino Specialist Group (now Species Survival Commission) of the global NGO International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Besides the overcrowding, the grasslands the giant herbivores feed on are also threatened with sedimentation from the Suheli river that flows along the southern boundary of the park.
This problem started some five years ago due to large-scale stone quarrying upstream in Nepal. Said Singh, "From time to time we have to carry out desiltation work on the river", which requires additional manpower and money.
"The regular sedimentation changes the pattern of the grass", while the rising riverbed poses the danger of floods and destruction of the grasslands, he added.
The forest department had planted 14 kinds of plants that rhinos love, apart from what was naturally available. In addition, the area inside the enclosure has seven tubewells to supplement the water supply.
The Dudhwa National Park, spread over 680 sq km, is also home to tigers, leopards and different species of deer, among other animals.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/Dudhwa-rhinos-fight-for-turf-/articleshow/5112677.cms
MISSING RHINO FOUND IN JALPAIGURI
JALPAIGURI: Forest officials have been able to locate the rhinoceros found missing from the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary near Siltorsha river in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district.
The forest officials saw the rhinoceros roaming near the Siltorsha river on Friday.
The rhino had fled the sanctuary's monitoring camp at night on Thursday, where it was being given medical aid for the injuries caused in fight with other rhinos.
The rhino had hurt his left leg, horn and left eye and was being kept under observation by the sanctuary veterinarians, when it fled the camp.
After conducting a rigorous search for the animal in the vicinity, the forest officials found the rhino roaming near Siltorsha river.
The rhino appeared to have strayed into a village and the villagers had pelted stones on it, prompting the animal to flee towards the river.
"This rhino was injured due to infighting among themselves. We could detect it three days back. Then we were tracking it and monitoring it constantly," said Manindra Chandra Biswas, forest conservator, Jalpaiguri.
The officials later pressed in the elephants to drive the rhino away from the river into the forest area.
According to the officials, it is the breeding season for the rhinos and such fights are a common occurrence as male rhinos compete to win over the female.
The endangered animal, whose number has been rising in Nepal and India, is found mostly in Assam and in Nepal.
Poaching is the main threat to the survival of rhino, which is illegally killed for its horn and other body parts.
Rhino horns are believed to have aphrodisiac qualities and are sold for a high price in China and other Southeast Asian countries.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Missing-rhino-found-in-Jalpaiguri-/articleshow/5110117.cms
RHINO, TIGER FOUND DEAD IN KAZIRANGA
GUWAHATI: A rhino and a tiger were found dead in Kaziranga on Wednesday, barely a fortnight after the national park suffered three casualties. With the latest deaths, the tiger toll has reached 12 since November 2008 while the rhino toll has risen to six this year alone.
The rhino carcass, with its horn missing, was found floating in a water body in the Bagori forest range. "The carcass was a few days old. The horn might have dropped off as the flesh started rotting,'' said Bagori range officer D Kalita. The animal was fished out from near Bimoli camp of Bagori range.
The carcass of a female tiger was retrieved from the Mikirjan area in the Kohra forest range of the national park. Preliminary investigations revealed that the tiger was suspected to be poisoned by villagers residing on the park fringes. The postmortem report is awaited.
On September 19, a rhino was shot dead by poachers in the Burapahar forest range and a tiger was killed, allegedly in a retaliatory attack by residents at Mohpara, outside the Kohra range. On the same day, at Dolamara in Karbi Anglong, a tusker was killed by poachers, who chopped of its trunk and tusks. Three poachers involved in the rhino killing were later arrested.
Park officials said poachers were not directly involved in the latest rhino death. "This is not a case of poaching as no bullet or any other injury marks were found on the body during examination. The rhino was old and might have died of age. Its carcass was found inside the core area where poachers don't tread. Hunters generally target rhinos when they come out of the core area,'' said Kaziranga DFO D D Gogoi.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rhino-tiger-found-dead-in-Kaziranga/articleshow/5099168.cms
JALPAIGURI: While poachers' guns were being trained on a rhino in Jaldapara, senior forest officers charged with protecting the wildlife in this sanctuary known for its biodiversity were holidaying this festive season.
Om Prakash, the Cooch Behar divisional forest officer, has been away on a training programme for the past two and a half months. Silvand Patel, the chief conservator of forests, wildlife (North Bengal) and V K Sood, the chief conservator of forests, wildlife, were also on leave. As a result, the vulnerable sanctuary has been left in the hands of acting DFO Dharmaraj Rai, a new recruit with little experience in North Bengal.
The results were obvious: with senior officers away, the monitoring of junior staff and patrolling suffered over the past few days, claimed local environmental organizations. Well aware of this crucial gap in vigil, poachers shot the bull rhino, which stumbled out of the forest and drowned in the Torsha river after allegedly being chased by local villagers and some forest staff on Saturday morning.
The two rhino deaths a female rhino was found dead deep inside the forest a few hours later has rung the alarm bells. Patel cut his holiday short and returned to Jaldapara on Sunday to hold a meeting with officials. S B Mondol, the principal chief conservator of forests, wildlife, is scheduled to reach Jaldapara on Monday to investigate how poachers managed to enter into the sanctuary and open fire on the rhino. "I will conduct a preliminary investigation and submit the report to the department," Mondol told TOI.
Initially, the foresters had tried to pass off the bull's death as a case of drowning. But a post-mortem late on Saturday evening revealed a bullet lodged between the ear and the jaw of the carcass. The incident would probably have gone unnoticed if the rhino had not stumbled out of the forest and been seen by scores of villagers.
Over the past week, two leopards have died at the Khairbari leopard rehabilitation centre a pointer to how wildlife conservation in North Bengal has suffered because of the absence of senior officers. The forest department though has claimed that the leopards died of age-related problems.
The bodies of all the eight rhinos killed by poachers in Jaldapara since 1996 have been found in the Chilapata range near the Mendabari and Kodalbustee areas. Forest workers believe that poachers prefer to camp in these two areas as a number of villages are located very close to the forest here giving poachers ample cover to plan their moves. But little has been done to increase the vigil in these villages.
"Even six months back, things were much better at Jaldapara. But there has been a steady decline as mismanagement and a lax vigil has left the animals in peril," alleged Animesh Basu, coordinator of Himalayan Nature and Adventure Foundation, an environmental organization.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata-/Foresters-on-leave-as-poachers-target-rhinos/articleshow/5113730.cms
DUDHWA RHINOS FIGHT FOR TURF
IANS
DUDHWA (Uttar Pradesh): A fierce turf war is raging among rhinos in the Dudhwa National Park. With the rhino population rising to 29 with the birth of another calf in mid-September, the fight over food and territory has become intense, say concerned forest officials.
With their area restricted to a 27-sq km enclosure, located in the South Sonaripur range of the park, the increasing number of the huge animals is literally pushing them to the edge.
Bankey, the oldest male rhino at 27 years, was brought to the park around two decades ago from the Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam in 1984. He and another male along with three females was brought to the park, located in the Lakhimpur-Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh, as part of a plan to reintroduce the species in the Gangetic plains.
Today, Bankey can be proudly called the "great granddaddy" of the rhinoceros population in the park. There are three generations now after him - six adult males, 15 females and seven calves in the enclosure, protected with electrified fencing. Rhinos live up to 60 years.
The enclosure was built to acclimatise the rhinos with the environs before their release into the wild.
However, their rising number has led to deadly fights over food, territory and females, said a forest official. The bull rhinos stage lethal attacks on their rivals in the race for prospective female partners.
"We have to plan for their future. Either the fenced-in area should be increased or the fence opened," P.P. Singh, deputy director of the park, told IANS.
"How long can one keep the animals inside the fence? Also a big chunk of the rhino area is blocking the movement of other wild animals in the park. They have to go around the enclosure," Singh said.
Two proposals are currently being considered by the forest department - to create a separate enclosure and/or to expand the existing area. However, both may prove short-term as the electric fencing around the enclosure blocks the movement of other wild animals.
"We also need to have a security arrangement in place in case the rhinos stray outside, and damage crops and property. Adequate compensation has to be given to the affected people," he said.
The rhino reintroduction was carried out by the Asian Rhino Specialist Group (now Species Survival Commission) of the global NGO International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Besides the overcrowding, the grasslands the giant herbivores feed on are also threatened with sedimentation from the Suheli river that flows along the southern boundary of the park.
This problem started some five years ago due to large-scale stone quarrying upstream in Nepal. Said Singh, "From time to time we have to carry out desiltation work on the river", which requires additional manpower and money.
"The regular sedimentation changes the pattern of the grass", while the rising riverbed poses the danger of floods and destruction of the grasslands, he added.
The forest department had planted 14 kinds of plants that rhinos love, apart from what was naturally available. In addition, the area inside the enclosure has seven tubewells to supplement the water supply.
The Dudhwa National Park, spread over 680 sq km, is also home to tigers, leopards and different species of deer, among other animals.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/Dudhwa-rhinos-fight-for-turf-/articleshow/5112677.cms
MISSING RHINO FOUND IN JALPAIGURI
JALPAIGURI: Forest officials have been able to locate the rhinoceros found missing from the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary near Siltorsha river in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district.
The forest officials saw the rhinoceros roaming near the Siltorsha river on Friday.
The rhino had fled the sanctuary's monitoring camp at night on Thursday, where it was being given medical aid for the injuries caused in fight with other rhinos.
The rhino had hurt his left leg, horn and left eye and was being kept under observation by the sanctuary veterinarians, when it fled the camp.
After conducting a rigorous search for the animal in the vicinity, the forest officials found the rhino roaming near Siltorsha river.
The rhino appeared to have strayed into a village and the villagers had pelted stones on it, prompting the animal to flee towards the river.
"This rhino was injured due to infighting among themselves. We could detect it three days back. Then we were tracking it and monitoring it constantly," said Manindra Chandra Biswas, forest conservator, Jalpaiguri.
The officials later pressed in the elephants to drive the rhino away from the river into the forest area.
According to the officials, it is the breeding season for the rhinos and such fights are a common occurrence as male rhinos compete to win over the female.
The endangered animal, whose number has been rising in Nepal and India, is found mostly in Assam and in Nepal.
Poaching is the main threat to the survival of rhino, which is illegally killed for its horn and other body parts.
Rhino horns are believed to have aphrodisiac qualities and are sold for a high price in China and other Southeast Asian countries.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Missing-rhino-found-in-Jalpaiguri-/articleshow/5110117.cms
RHINO, TIGER FOUND DEAD IN KAZIRANGA
GUWAHATI: A rhino and a tiger were found dead in Kaziranga on Wednesday, barely a fortnight after the national park suffered three casualties. With the latest deaths, the tiger toll has reached 12 since November 2008 while the rhino toll has risen to six this year alone.
The rhino carcass, with its horn missing, was found floating in a water body in the Bagori forest range. "The carcass was a few days old. The horn might have dropped off as the flesh started rotting,'' said Bagori range officer D Kalita. The animal was fished out from near Bimoli camp of Bagori range.
The carcass of a female tiger was retrieved from the Mikirjan area in the Kohra forest range of the national park. Preliminary investigations revealed that the tiger was suspected to be poisoned by villagers residing on the park fringes. The postmortem report is awaited.
On September 19, a rhino was shot dead by poachers in the Burapahar forest range and a tiger was killed, allegedly in a retaliatory attack by residents at Mohpara, outside the Kohra range. On the same day, at Dolamara in Karbi Anglong, a tusker was killed by poachers, who chopped of its trunk and tusks. Three poachers involved in the rhino killing were later arrested.
Park officials said poachers were not directly involved in the latest rhino death. "This is not a case of poaching as no bullet or any other injury marks were found on the body during examination. The rhino was old and might have died of age. Its carcass was found inside the core area where poachers don't tread. Hunters generally target rhinos when they come out of the core area,'' said Kaziranga DFO D D Gogoi.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Rhino-tiger-found-dead-in-Kaziranga/articleshow/5099168.cms
FRANTIC HUNT FOR A HORN
- FOREST RANGERS SEARCH FOR MISSING RHINO PART
A STAFF REPORTER
Guwahati: They may not be looking for a needle in a haystack but finding a horn in a humongous pond isn’t any easier for a group of Kaziranga foresters.
One look at a group of bone- drenched, exhausted forest personnel searching for the rhino appendage in one of the park’s water bodies says it all.
Wading through knee-deep water in torrential rain, the group has been diligently looking for the horn ever since a rhino carcass was found floating in Dimolibeel yesterday.
After initial doubts of poaching were laid to rest and the forest personnel realised the animal had died of old age, they launched a massive search for the missing horn.
“We are sure that the horn has fallen off from the aged rhino which has died a natural death. There is no injury mark for us believe that the rhino had fallen prey to poaching,” the divisional forest official of the national park D. Gogoi said.
The spot from where the rhino carcass was recovered is just 500 metres from Dimoli anti-poaching camp.
“The guards have not heard any gunshots in the past few days. Had the rhino been killed by poachers, our guards would definitely had heard gunshots,” the official said.
“The rhino horn is not deep-rooted and is connected to the nasal bone, unlike the buffalo horn. It is quite common to find horns falling off rhinos, sometimes because of infighting or old age,” Gogoi said.
A rhino, he said, can survive without its horn.
“It is because of profuse bleeding that a rhino dies when poachers remove the horn with a sharp weapon,” he said.
Last year, two rhino horns were recovered from the eastern range of the park.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091009/jsp/northeast/story_11591947.jsp#
- FOREST RANGERS SEARCH FOR MISSING RHINO PART
A STAFF REPORTER
Guwahati: They may not be looking for a needle in a haystack but finding a horn in a humongous pond isn’t any easier for a group of Kaziranga foresters.
One look at a group of bone- drenched, exhausted forest personnel searching for the rhino appendage in one of the park’s water bodies says it all.
Wading through knee-deep water in torrential rain, the group has been diligently looking for the horn ever since a rhino carcass was found floating in Dimolibeel yesterday.
After initial doubts of poaching were laid to rest and the forest personnel realised the animal had died of old age, they launched a massive search for the missing horn.
“We are sure that the horn has fallen off from the aged rhino which has died a natural death. There is no injury mark for us believe that the rhino had fallen prey to poaching,” the divisional forest official of the national park D. Gogoi said.
The spot from where the rhino carcass was recovered is just 500 metres from Dimoli anti-poaching camp.
“The guards have not heard any gunshots in the past few days. Had the rhino been killed by poachers, our guards would definitely had heard gunshots,” the official said.
“The rhino horn is not deep-rooted and is connected to the nasal bone, unlike the buffalo horn. It is quite common to find horns falling off rhinos, sometimes because of infighting or old age,” Gogoi said.
A rhino, he said, can survive without its horn.
“It is because of profuse bleeding that a rhino dies when poachers remove the horn with a sharp weapon,” he said.
Last year, two rhino horns were recovered from the eastern range of the park.
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1091009/jsp/northeast/story_11591947.jsp#
TRADE IN RHINO HORN FUELS MASSIVE POACHING SURGE IN SOUTH AFRICA
South Africa is witnessing a massive surge in rhino poaching, an activity blamed on criminal syndicates striving to meet an "insatiable appetite" for rhinoceros horn in east Asia.
Eighty-four rhinos have been killed by poachers in the country so far this year, a jump from the 13 deaths in 2007.
Kruger Park, a worldwide tourist attraction, has been hardest hit, suffering the loss of 33 rhinos since January. Nineteen have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal province, and some privately owned reserves have lost seven animals.
Conservationists say it is the biggest spike in poaching for 15 years and blame the smuggling trade connected to countries, such as China and Vietnam, where rhino horn can fetch thousands of pounds for its perceived medicinal value.
They say that Asian countries' strengthening trade links with Africa have shortened the illegal supply chain. They also say more sophisticated poaching methods are being used, with organised criminal gangs flying in to game reserves by helicopter to kill rhinos, hack off their horns and make a quick getaway.
South Africa has about 1,490 black rhinos, more than a third of the world population of this critically endangered species. There are about 16,275 southern white rhinos, 93% of the global total.
Yolan Friedmann, chief executive of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, said the number of rhinos lost to poaching had altered from an average of 10 a year to 100. "There has been a rampant increase in South Africa," she said. "Poaching figures for this year have already surpassed the whole of last year. It's probably the worst it's been for 15 years. There's a lot more money going into poaching and it's becoming more hi-tech. It's no longer just a man with a bow and arrow wading through the bush. These guys are using helicopters and AK-47 rifles."
She warned that initiatives used previously could not meet the new threat. "Despite the once successful Save the Rhino project, rhinos are under siege. South Africa is facing a crisis. We've done extremely well in rhino conservation, but something has changed in the past 18 months, there's an insatiable appetite for rhino horn in the far east."
Ground up and added to liquids, rhino horn has been used for millennia in traditional Asian medicine to treat fevers and other ailments.
Rumours have recently been circulating on the internet that a Vietnamese government official claimed rhino horn cured his cancer, potentially fuelling demand.
Last year a Vietnamese diplomat was caught on camera taking delivery of contraband rhino horn outside the Vietnamese embassy in Pretoria.
There is also a lucrative market in Yemen and Oman for daggers with rhino-horn handles‚ frequently given to boys during rites of passage.
Poaching gangs, often from nearby countries, are believed to earn about $200 (£125) a horn but once the material has been transported, ground and mixed with other substances it can sell for thousands of pounds on the black market. Poachers' sentences and fines are usually negligible.
Friedmann said that seemingly legitimate parties also exploited loopholes. "Their hunting permits say they are only allowed to mount the rhino horns on the wall but we're finding they use the byproducts to sell illegally. Price is not an issue. A hunt was sold last year to Vietnamese hunters for more than R1m [£84,000]. That's a record price for white rhino."
Luxury private game reserves seem to have been caught out by the upsurge; many employ guards but the men tend to lack training in wildlife protection.
In July a meeting in Geneva of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species warned that rhino poaching around the world was set to reach a 15-year high, and there was growing evidence of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai nationals' involvement in the illegal procurement and transport of horn out of Africa.
The South African government has been criticised for disbanding the police's endangered species protection unit in 2003. But Buyelwa Sonjica, the environmental affairs minister, recently announced the formation of a special investigations team to tackle poaching.
South African National Parks has said it will spend R2m (£165,000) to provide an additional 57 game rangers in Kruger Park and equip them with motorbikes. Patrols along the park's 280-mile South Africa and Mozambique border, where all 33 poached rhinos were killed, are also set to resume after being suspended three years ago.
At least 14 poachers, all Mozambican, have been arrested and several illegal firearms seized in Kruger this year. Nationwide, 22 poachers were caught. In January an international rhino-smuggling ring was smashed and 11 people were arrested.
Rhino numbers have been increasing worldwide thanks to various governments and NGOs. But Cathy Dean, director of the UK-based Save the Rhino International, warned: "The gains of the last decade are in real jeopardy. The underlying concern is that this upsurge in rhino poaching – a major issue in Zimbabwe as well as South Africa – is no longer opportunistic poaching by individuals but carried out by … highly sophisticated criminal gangs."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/07/rhino-horn-poaching-south-africa
Eighty-four rhinos have been killed by poachers in the country so far this year, a jump from the 13 deaths in 2007.
Kruger Park, a worldwide tourist attraction, has been hardest hit, suffering the loss of 33 rhinos since January. Nineteen have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal province, and some privately owned reserves have lost seven animals.
Conservationists say it is the biggest spike in poaching for 15 years and blame the smuggling trade connected to countries, such as China and Vietnam, where rhino horn can fetch thousands of pounds for its perceived medicinal value.
They say that Asian countries' strengthening trade links with Africa have shortened the illegal supply chain. They also say more sophisticated poaching methods are being used, with organised criminal gangs flying in to game reserves by helicopter to kill rhinos, hack off their horns and make a quick getaway.
South Africa has about 1,490 black rhinos, more than a third of the world population of this critically endangered species. There are about 16,275 southern white rhinos, 93% of the global total.
Yolan Friedmann, chief executive of the Endangered Wildlife Trust, said the number of rhinos lost to poaching had altered from an average of 10 a year to 100. "There has been a rampant increase in South Africa," she said. "Poaching figures for this year have already surpassed the whole of last year. It's probably the worst it's been for 15 years. There's a lot more money going into poaching and it's becoming more hi-tech. It's no longer just a man with a bow and arrow wading through the bush. These guys are using helicopters and AK-47 rifles."
She warned that initiatives used previously could not meet the new threat. "Despite the once successful Save the Rhino project, rhinos are under siege. South Africa is facing a crisis. We've done extremely well in rhino conservation, but something has changed in the past 18 months, there's an insatiable appetite for rhino horn in the far east."
Ground up and added to liquids, rhino horn has been used for millennia in traditional Asian medicine to treat fevers and other ailments.
Rumours have recently been circulating on the internet that a Vietnamese government official claimed rhino horn cured his cancer, potentially fuelling demand.
Last year a Vietnamese diplomat was caught on camera taking delivery of contraband rhino horn outside the Vietnamese embassy in Pretoria.
There is also a lucrative market in Yemen and Oman for daggers with rhino-horn handles‚ frequently given to boys during rites of passage.
Poaching gangs, often from nearby countries, are believed to earn about $200 (£125) a horn but once the material has been transported, ground and mixed with other substances it can sell for thousands of pounds on the black market. Poachers' sentences and fines are usually negligible.
Friedmann said that seemingly legitimate parties also exploited loopholes. "Their hunting permits say they are only allowed to mount the rhino horns on the wall but we're finding they use the byproducts to sell illegally. Price is not an issue. A hunt was sold last year to Vietnamese hunters for more than R1m [£84,000]. That's a record price for white rhino."
Luxury private game reserves seem to have been caught out by the upsurge; many employ guards but the men tend to lack training in wildlife protection.
In July a meeting in Geneva of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species warned that rhino poaching around the world was set to reach a 15-year high, and there was growing evidence of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai nationals' involvement in the illegal procurement and transport of horn out of Africa.
The South African government has been criticised for disbanding the police's endangered species protection unit in 2003. But Buyelwa Sonjica, the environmental affairs minister, recently announced the formation of a special investigations team to tackle poaching.
South African National Parks has said it will spend R2m (£165,000) to provide an additional 57 game rangers in Kruger Park and equip them with motorbikes. Patrols along the park's 280-mile South Africa and Mozambique border, where all 33 poached rhinos were killed, are also set to resume after being suspended three years ago.
At least 14 poachers, all Mozambican, have been arrested and several illegal firearms seized in Kruger this year. Nationwide, 22 poachers were caught. In January an international rhino-smuggling ring was smashed and 11 people were arrested.
Rhino numbers have been increasing worldwide thanks to various governments and NGOs. But Cathy Dean, director of the UK-based Save the Rhino International, warned: "The gains of the last decade are in real jeopardy. The underlying concern is that this upsurge in rhino poaching – a major issue in Zimbabwe as well as South Africa – is no longer opportunistic poaching by individuals but carried out by … highly sophisticated criminal gangs."
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/07/rhino-horn-poaching-south-africa
WHY POACHERS TARGET THE RHINO
A combination of ancient Chinese belief and modern financial speculation help to explain why rhinoceros populations are coming under renewed pressure from poachers.
In traditional Chinese medicine, rhino horn is prized as a key ingredient in An Gong Niu Huang Wan, considered one of the three main restorative tonics. Shaved or ground into a powder, the horn is dissolved in boiling water and used to treat fevers, rheumatism and gout.
The Chinese government banned the trade in rhino horn in 1993 at the same time as it imposed a similar prohibition on the sale of tiger body parts. Since the ban, the horn of water buffalo has been used as a substitute, but it is not considered as effective.
On the internet, sales continue of rhino-based An Gong Niu Huang Wan with claims that the product is made with horn stockpiled before the ban.
Chinese and Vietnamese buyers prefer horn from Asian rhinos, which is three to six times more expensive than that of African animals. But poaching and habitat loss mean there are few rhinos left in Asia, which is what could have prompted the dealers to look for supplies in Africa.
Last May, an official of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species visited south-east Asia to appeal to enforcement authorities to pay extra vigilance to rhino horn smuggling.
"The Vietnamese are moving rhino horn from Africa. That's something we haven't seen before," noted an Asia-based conservationist, who asked to remain anonymous. "There is stockpiling. Collectors appear to be holding on to the horn like gold and waiting for the value to increase."
Assessment of the extent of the problem is complicated by the tendency of smugglers to mix rhino horn with elephant tusks. A big shipment of ivory seized in Bangkok last month is believed to have included rhino horn.
While the majority of rhino products are made in China and Vietnam, the animal's horn also fetches a good price in Yemen, Oman and other countries in the Middle East, where it is carved to produce dagger handles.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/07/why-poachers-target-rhino
In traditional Chinese medicine, rhino horn is prized as a key ingredient in An Gong Niu Huang Wan, considered one of the three main restorative tonics. Shaved or ground into a powder, the horn is dissolved in boiling water and used to treat fevers, rheumatism and gout.
The Chinese government banned the trade in rhino horn in 1993 at the same time as it imposed a similar prohibition on the sale of tiger body parts. Since the ban, the horn of water buffalo has been used as a substitute, but it is not considered as effective.
On the internet, sales continue of rhino-based An Gong Niu Huang Wan with claims that the product is made with horn stockpiled before the ban.
Chinese and Vietnamese buyers prefer horn from Asian rhinos, which is three to six times more expensive than that of African animals. But poaching and habitat loss mean there are few rhinos left in Asia, which is what could have prompted the dealers to look for supplies in Africa.
Last May, an official of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species visited south-east Asia to appeal to enforcement authorities to pay extra vigilance to rhino horn smuggling.
"The Vietnamese are moving rhino horn from Africa. That's something we haven't seen before," noted an Asia-based conservationist, who asked to remain anonymous. "There is stockpiling. Collectors appear to be holding on to the horn like gold and waiting for the value to increase."
Assessment of the extent of the problem is complicated by the tendency of smugglers to mix rhino horn with elephant tusks. A big shipment of ivory seized in Bangkok last month is believed to have included rhino horn.
While the majority of rhino products are made in China and Vietnam, the animal's horn also fetches a good price in Yemen, Oman and other countries in the Middle East, where it is carved to produce dagger handles.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/oct/07/why-poachers-target-rhino
TWO RHINOS KILLED IN TEN DAYS
Poachers have killed two rhinos and robbed them off their precious horns in a span of ten days in Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nagarik daily reported.
A male rhino was found in Temple Tiger area on September 2, while a female rhino was found in Krishnasar Community Forest of Nawalparasi on September 12. Both rhinos were without their horns.
CPN management has detained four persons for investigation following the incident.
CNP has become a hub of poaching. Poachers have killed at least nine rhinos since January this year. Till then, there were 408 rhinos in CNP.
Although there are 47 police posts and an army brigade in the CNP premises, which covers and area of 932 sq. km, they have not been able to stop poaching. nepalnews.com
http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/8-news-in-brief/1513-two-rhinos-killed-in-ten-days.html#
Poachers have killed two rhinos and robbed them off their precious horns in a span of ten days in Chitwan National Park (CNP), Nagarik daily reported.
A male rhino was found in Temple Tiger area on September 2, while a female rhino was found in Krishnasar Community Forest of Nawalparasi on September 12. Both rhinos were without their horns.
CPN management has detained four persons for investigation following the incident.
CNP has become a hub of poaching. Poachers have killed at least nine rhinos since January this year. Till then, there were 408 rhinos in CNP.
Although there are 47 police posts and an army brigade in the CNP premises, which covers and area of 932 sq. km, they have not been able to stop poaching. nepalnews.com
http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/8-news-in-brief/1513-two-rhinos-killed-in-ten-days.html#