Rhino Poaching 2013

[Penga Ndlovu]

It is confirmed by the DEA.

It is 96.

[Toko]

DEA: Update on rhino poaching statistics


13 February 2013

Anti-poaching units, supported by the SA Police Service, the Hawks and the SA National Defence Force, have arrested 13 people linked to poaching in the past week.

The arrest of 9 alleged poachers in the Kruger National Park, three alleged couriers in Johannesburg and one alleged poacher in Limpopo in the past weeks brings the number of people arrested to 34. Four alleged poachers were fatally wounded in the Kruger National Park.

The successful arrests came as the number of rhino poached since January 1, 2013, rose to 96. Of the rhino poached, 66 rhino were killed in the Kruger National Park, 11 in North West, 10 in KwaZulu-Natal.

The total number of alleged poachers arrested in the Kruger National Park has risen to 23 from 14 last week.

In a separate development, the Minister of Water and Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa, has welcomed the recommendation by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)’s Secretariat that Kenya’s proposal to the upcoming 16th Conference of Parties (COP16) to halt the trade in rhino trophies and rhino products until COP18 be rejected.

“We welcome the CITES Secretariat’s recommendation and its endorsement of South Africa’s rhino management and conservation practices. We also welcome CITES’ acknowledgement of the recent significant steps taken to improve the management of rhino hunting,” said Minister Molewa.

The Department of Environmental Affairs implemented norms and standards for the marking of rhino horn, the collection of rhino data for a national database, and for the hunting of rhinos for trophies in 2012 as a tool to curb rhino poaching, publishing and implementing revised norms and standards for the marking of rhinoceros horn and for the hunting of rhinoceros for trophy hunting purposes. These norms and standards have put in place stricter controls for the issuing of rhino hunting permits, hunting of rhino and the transportation of the horn, which resulted in a significant reduction in the number of hunting applications received.

The proposal by Kenya to the CITES COP16, to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, in March 2013, requests that members amend the annotation for white rhino populations in South Africa and Swaziland by placing a zero export quota on hunting trophies until at least COP 18.

This would mean that hunting trophies from South Africa would be subjected to a “zero quota until at least COP18” and that trade in all other rhino specimens be strictly regulated.

In its response the CITES Secretariat has stated that the proposed amendment would result in a trade regime for hunting trophies from the Appendix-II listed white rhino (Ceratotherium simum simum) populations of South Africa and Swaziland that would be more restrictive than for other range states whose rhino are already listed under Appendix I.

The CITES Secretariat states: “It would prevent South Africa and Swaziland from a using a management option that can be sustainable and beneficial for the conservation of the species; discourage the involvement of private landowners in the conservation of white rhinoceroses and undermine national and local rhino management strategies.”

South Africa has recently taken significant steps to improve its management of rhino hunting and the supporting statement does not show that trophy hunting, as currently regulated and enforced in South Africa, is negatively impacting the populations of white rhino in the country, the Secretariat said.

South Africans are urged to report any information or tip offs that they may have in relation to rhino poaching to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005.



For media queries contact:

Albi Modise on 083 490 2871

[PennyinSA]

Un bloody believeable - its war - we have incursions into our country on a daily basis. We are losing our heritage and still the spin doctors just talk and talk - bloody hell - this is disgusting - at this rate the rhino will go extinct far sooner than we ever believed possible as we still do not know how many there are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Sprocky]

Penny, I hear what you are saying, but our .gov invites refugees into the country for safety, at the same time they are loosing qualified citizens to other countries. That don't try and keep the ones that could uplift our rapidly degrading country, but accept the low class that can't make it across the borders in neighbouring countries with open arms???

What chance is there that they would remove these infiltrators human rights, by denying them access to cash flow at the expense of an animal???

Sorry, this is bordering on politics but how do we steer past it???

[iNdlovu]

South Africa has recently taken significant steps to improve its management of rhino hunting and the supporting statement does not show that trophy hunting, as currently regulated and enforced in South Africa, is negatively impacting the populations of white rhino in the country, the Secretariat said.

Ahem.......excuse us gents, but the so called legal hunting is still a loophole for illegal horn trafficking, and corruption. Why must we hear this constant drivel about not affecting populations? If we are going to stop poaching, all avenues have to be blocked. Geez, these people had better stop pussyfooting around and get serious. (0)

[Richprins]

It is war, and the killings of poachers confirms that. But I must say those on the ground are doing their best, it's like a locomotive that has to be stopped when a car could have been stopped in the first place.

[iNdlovu]

The guys on the ground are the real heroes in the war RP, but it must be frustrating as hell for them to know that they put their lives on the line daily whilst the .gov and Cites leave the barn door open in other areas. Kind of like the little oke with his thumb in a hole in the dyke.

[Bushcraft]

This is damn shocking and I agree RP, all have woken up late

[PennyinSA]

Sprocky whilst we all know that this is a political matter whichever way you look at it, its nevertheless worrisome that our SA soil can be crossed from virtually any one of our neighbouring countries with impunity. These poachers are running slick operations and are camping out in the bush till they get the call from their informants that a rhino is coming into the area in which they are camped - the deed is done and the horn is over the border within the flick of a donkey's tail BUT what if their presence is discovered, what if there is a heavy fire exchange, what if an overseas tourist or a SA one for that matter happens to be caught up in this. How far does it go - the runaway train is a good analogy as this train could have been stopped in its tracks a long time ago. Hunting has not helped the plight of the rhino specifically trophy hunting with all the corruption involved - mention Thai prostitutes and hunting on the other forum and immediately you are referred to as a Bunny Hugger. Trophy hunting is also out of control in SA and the Hon Edna wants to "grow" the industry and put the checks and balances under the auspices of one department - methinks this is also a runaway train that will not be reined in.

[Flutterby]

SA opposes total ban on rhino trophy exports
2013-02-13 22:21


Cape Town - South Africa announced its opposition to a total ban on rhino trophy exports, saying it has beefed up hunt rules amid a poaching crisis that has killed 96 animals this year.

The government backed a recommendation by the UN wildlife trade regulator Cites secretariat that a proposal halting trade in rhino trophies and products be rejected at an upcoming meeting.

"We also welcome Cites’ acknowledgement of the recent significant steps taken to improve the management of rhino hunting," said Environment Minister Edna Molewa in a statement.

Kenya has proposed that a zero export quota be put in place in Swaziland and South Africa, which has the world's biggest white rhino population and allows legal hunts.

It is one of dozens of proposals on the global wildlife trade that will be voted on at next month's meeting of the 176-member country body in Bangkok.

The Cites secretariat said that South Africa had taken "significant steps to improve its management of rhino hunting".

Rather than trophy hunting having a negative impact on white rhino population, it said "available information suggests the contrary".

South Africa overhauled its rhino hunt rules amid a scandal over abuse of permit system that saw prostitutes organised to pose as marksmen to smuggle horns to the international market.

Rhino management strategies

The stricter rules had "resulted in a significant reduction in the number of hunting applications received", the environment ministry said.

The proposed ban, of several years, would halt a potentially sustainable and beneficial management model, said the Cites secretariat.

It would also "discourage the involvement of private landowners in the conservation of white rhinoceroses and undermine national and local rhino management strategies", it added.

The proposal would also apply more restrictions than in other countries where rhino populations were classified in the most endangered category.

An unprecedented 668 rhino were slaughtered last year for their horns, which some people in Asia believe have medicinal properties. The claim is widely discredited.

South Africa has had a moratorium on rhino horn sales since 2009.

- SAPA