http://www.iol.co.za/news/letter-only-o ... -9eSWflrcd
Ian Player finds it difficult to understand why there continues to be resistance to legalising the sale of rhino horn that has been gathered through natural mortality.
The recent killing of yet another black rhino in the Ozabeni area of Lake St Lucia highlights the serious situation we are facing. The area probably has the best protection in the country.
With 620 rhino killed so far this year and some 2 700 since 2008, it should be clear to everyone that even with the best protective measures, we are losing rhino at an unacceptable rate.
I was the officer at Umfolozi Game Reserve with Hendrik van Schoor and we did the first aerial count of the white rhino in 1953. There were 437.
In 1958 I was appointed senior ranger in charge of Umfolozi and, thanks to dedicated protection services, by 1962 the rhino population had risen to more than 600.
This enabled me and my wonderful team of men, among them Nick Steele and Magqubu Ntombela, to launch Operation Rhino, and the distribution of rhino to former habitats and overseas destinations. The full story is told in the new edition of The White Rhino Saga and Graham Linscott’s biography Into the River of Life.
In 1970, the rhino were put back on the hunting list and this led to an explosion of game ranches and the rhino population.
Today, the number of white rhino worldwide is probably in the region of 18 000. About 85 percent of all rhinos are in South Africa, which puts us in the forefront of rhino conservation.
All this has come at a cost, emotionally and physically. In my particular case, because of bad falls, drugs in the eyes and other accidents, my 87-year-old body is in constant pain. I bear the pain without regret because I believe we did a service to the world of conservation.
To be continually apprised of the incessant killing and the terrible maiming with chainsaws cutting deep into the heads of live rhino causes me distress, which words will never adequately describe.
The poor white rhino is an innocent animal and unaggressive. It is no wonder the early people at Mapungubwe made a golden statue of it and buried it in the grave of one of their chiefs. It was a god to them because of its peaceful disposition.
I find it extremely difficult to understand why there continues to be resistance to legalising the sale of rhino horn that has been gathered through natural mortality.
I give full marks to Dr Bandile Mkhize and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife for their efforts to legalise the sale. I am sure that it would be welcomed by the Chinese people who have to bear the stigma, along with Vietnam, of being the biggest poachers.
When is common sense going to take precedence over prejudice, where those against legalisation do not come up with any alternative or at least allow a trial? It is not only the rhino that is suffering, but local communities adjacent to the parks who could benefit from the money made through legal sales.
* Letter written by Ian Player in Durban.
** The opinions expressed here do not necessarily represent those of Independent Newspapers.
The Mercury
AND THE REPLY! (Posted on Oscap today)
Dear Mr Player,
I am responding to your letter published on I.O.L titled *Only one way to save the rhino*.
I find it so difficult to understand why a man with your experience with the white rhino would endorse trading the horn .
First of all, until this week we honestly had no idea of how many of these iconic beasts remained in Kruger. There is a margin for error in what has been calculated as the number which is a far cry from the previous estimates of the government. So to push trade with inflated figures was just damnably wrong.
While you have given more to the rhino and taken the least from them you must understand that you are not the only one who feels the pain of the current situation. We, too, feel angst and impotence at the sight of these poor rhino hacked to death, horns removed from living beings, the lucky few dead before their horns are removed.
What you have failed to grasp is that it is greed which drives the market and to this end there will never be enough horn available. As with the one off sales of elephant tusks demand will increase and the poachers will kill.
Legalising the sale of horn gathered through natural mortality will not cure poaching
a) it will increase poaching, look at how the poaching has escalated since the govt suggested trade might be an option.
b) there is no way that anyone will be able to keep illegal horn off the market should trade be opened altogether
c) it will encourage the push for a legal market in horn and even if this is forthcoming poaching will increase
d) it may reduce the price for a small period of time but like gold, platinum, diamonds the price will rise because the sellers will demand their prices!
e) should it be legalised and after a drop in price it begins to rise once more the buyers will go outside the market knowing that they can get poachers to sell for less than market price.
f) nowhere have the chinese or vietnamese been accused of being the poachers. The poachers and accused poachers are african; mozambican, south african, zimbabwean, from the border states. The BUYERS and USERS are chinese and vietnamese, illegal HUNTERS and pseudo hunters were south african, vietnamese and vietnamese prostitiutes whilst chinese have been the movers of horn from the continent
To allow rhino to be hunted in 1970 did nothing for the conservation of the species in the wild. Farming rhino for hunting is big business and that is all it is, a business. A way of making money off the backs of these innocent and gentle creatures. They are bought and/or bred for the hunt and that is all they are, just a commodity to be used and abused.
The 70's possibly were a tad different in that there was more walking and tracking than today. The rifles were not as advanced as today and the scopes certainly were not, if they even had then back them. The hunters had to work for their trophies.
The resistance to legalising sale of anything to do with rhino is because the folks wanting legalisation are only in it for the money. Some do not even know what a rhino looks like - take the minister of the dea who tweeted that she doesn't like a rhino without horns because it looks just like a hippo. 'Nuff said.
The resistance to legalisation is because no matter what government, sanparks, the dea, all those folks high up in those institutions and farmers say, we know that any money from sales of horn will not be poured back into conservation. There is an amount of R598 million available to sanparks right now for the specific purpose of protecting rhino and fighting poaching - where is it and how has it been used? No-one will answer the questions. How can one trust any institution which is not accountable and does not see itself responsible to the South African public.
The resistance to legalisation is very strong because the government, the dea and sanparks has not shown any WILL TO PROTECT the rhino. Yes, there have been a few additions to augment those fighting poachers but NOT nearly enough. There are not enough people on the ground to fight the war. There is no committment from government to properly man the affected areas nor is there any will from government to equip those who are on the ground now. The long drawn out process of drawing up and finally signing MoUs of INTENTION to sign something else is a waste of taxpayer money and government time.
The resistance to legalisation is strong because there is no legal deterrent to really halt the poaching. There may be some laws on the books but all poachers are allowed bail, unless they are mozambicans. The south africans get bail. It is a minimal amount too!
Mr Player, common sense has prevailed. There are organisations working in the consumer countries to educate the people about the uselessness of rhino horn as a remedy for anything except perhaps prestige. They are working on that too. THAT is what needs to be changed the mindset of those who believe that horn is worth anything to them. Common sense is NO SALE.
Finally I fail to see why people believe that legalising sale of horn is going to solve the poaching problem and the killing. I do not understand how people with a vested interest in horn sale and touting how good it will be, can actually believe what they are saying without looking at their bank balances and visualising the increase in them!
Mr Player, you were my hero for many years but you have not convinced me that legalising horn is the way to go. How is it that YOU cannot see what will happen if there is trade, either one-off or full blown?
You did wonderful things for the rhino, even amazing things back in the fifties. Yes, in those days you did a service to the world of conservation but most of all to the rhino. Why not do that one more time and put your name behind the fight AGAINST legalisation?
