Africa Wild

Thanks for the clarification about the time frame, Duke

But why is there no word about where the rhinos were sold to,
aka re-assurement that they went to a safe haven.

(And I'm a bit baffled at the style in which that article is written.
Rather repetitive structures in those paragraphs referring to the rhino sales. )

The white rhino have been sold to generate income for the Kruger National Park.

OK! I can understand that even if I do not agree at the present stage of the number of rhinos being slaughtered.

The second reason was to improve the conservation status of white rhino in the country by establishing rhino population on private ranches.

To keep them safe or to get better prices for rhinos being hunted? (I do not understand the phrase.)

I hope these 170 Rhinos will keep their horns

Hope they do not get shot by a trophy hunter nan

They not saying who they selling to

Ja, 'private ranches' is a bit of a far stretching term to me.

already so much problems... and then sold... to be shot

There was a long discussion two years ago, by now, I think?

They have always gone to game farmers, at a good price, sort of like KZN auctions.

One or two destinations were found to be suspect, but in general the original idea was before the holocaust going on now. But it's in the budget!

To me the point is: Are they safer where they go or is it better to leave them where they are??? If the latter, no sum of money can excuse the selling of rhinos!

South Africa selling white rhinos to save them

Monday, September 09, 2013, 19:37

Cape Town: In an effort to curb rhino poaching, the South African government is taking a different approach - selling them.

The Kruger National Park (KNP) has sold 170 white rhinos to private ranches over the last two years, Xinhua quoted the country's Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa as saying Monday.

This was necessary to improve the conservation status of white rhinos in the country by establishing rhino populations on private ranches, Xinhua reported citing the minister.


KNP has been a target of rhino poaching because of its long international boundary. It has lost 381 rhinos, official statistics reveal.

Selling rhinos could also generate income for the KNP, Molewa said.

She, however, said no black rhinos have been sold.

Black rhinos are a critically endangered species, of which fewer than 5,000 remain in the wild worldwide.

South Africa is home to more than 70 percent of the world's rhino population. But illegal poaching stoked by growing demand for rhino horns has diminished South Africa's rhino population, which currently stands at about 10,000.

So we are led to believe that selling them to private ranches who I presume already have rhino is going to save them or are these being sold to new ranchers who do not have rhino? If they all got wiped out in the KNP, would Sanparks be buying them back to establish them in the park again? Why would they also be sold to new owners, why can't they be moved there as an interim measure?

My other question would, if this is to save them, why no black rhino sales as they are a critically endangered species, do we not want to save them.

Sanparks now are scoring on both sides, they get money from the sales and the more poaching that takes place and the more the numbers drop, the more money people are throwing at them for anti poaching.

How do they gauge the value of the rhino, is it done as an animal or by the value of the horn? If it is sold to a private reserve at x and they remove the horn (to protect it obstensibly) which has a greater value than what the animal is sold for and just goes into a stockpile waiting for trade in horn to be legal. The private buyers are scoring big time then.