Africa Wild

RP is right of course, but it is not only a question of education in the sense of convincing the population of the importance of income from tourism. The survival problem is even more important and definitely much more difficult and complicated to explain. The ecosystem is the most delicate basis of survival and not only of the rhino, but also of the humans. Until people do not understand the importance of this fundamental system of survival, from the ant to the whale, Man will aggravate his possibility of survival and will most likely disappear in a not so far away future.....here I am not talking about hundreds of years, but most likely thousands. Life will get more difficult every year; there will be less to eat because the animals that used to eat the harmful insects etc. will be extinct and so on and so forth.
The more immediate problem of the rhinos, lions, leopard, cheetahs, elephants a.s.o. is not very different. Take one species away and something will go wrong in the alimentary chain and ecological system. Not easy to explain to someone who sees the animals as food or means of profit!

Fence needs to go up, more troops on ground and if Mozambique doesn't want to co-operate, close border so no trade goes through to or from port, all finances going to Mozambique from all their citizens employed here is stopped. Holiday makers are encouraged not to go to Mozambique.

As a start this will be useful, but as it is a political question It will not be done before the cows come home i.e. when the rhinos will be extinct........

It always comes down to the same problem: How can you put pressure on a government which is sitting firmly in the saddle without any serious opponents?? Until the majority of the population does not understand that they need an opposition party, nothing is going to change IMO

And we don't have the luxury of time. Our rhino will be gone before we can get the education thing to show results.
As much as I hate to say it, I don't think we will ever stop the poaching, and we need to have a Plan B to cater for this.

The only solution to saving some rhino is to move them to smaller conservancies where they can be effectively protected and these animals can then form the nucleus of breeding groups so that the species avoids extinction.

Some good stuff Lisbeth

At my work pace we work with a consumable that is more than 1 million rand per 3 kg - more or less equal to rhino horn. How do we transport it and where to we keep it. Quite simple - definitely not by road, but by air in a helicopter and keep in a safe with code protection with more than 2 people needing to crack the code.

I don't suggest the same for rhino, but first is the fences to protect it even if you need to de zone Kruger in different rhino protected areas. Keep track on the presence of the rhino by a tracker system with lots of password security and modified GPS locations so information cannot leak out.

Still thinking more, but I know its just wishful thinking.

I agree with you iNdy and BJ. Perhaps it's time to start moving the rhinos out of Kruger or into fenced enclosures with continuous protection. A costly exercise for sure, but worth it IMO!

Guys

I have some info if you would like to become involved in protrack.

Drop me a email and i'll forward it on........ joekin69@gmail.com

Are you involved with them Joe?

Flutterby wrote:Are you involved with them Joe?

I wanted to, but at the moment its a bit difficult, I have 3 dogs and the accommodation they provide wont have space i believe.

Here is an open letter from Earth Afrika to the Parliamentary Monitoring Group on rhino Poaching.

They are also making a case for terrorism Here

I think Mozambique and Vietnam should stop the poaching or pay the price. I am talikng sanctions - see here

There are people in the black community doing the education thing - we need a lot more of this for the medium to long term but more drastic measures in the short term

here