Some good news from South Africa: Despite Tragic Losses Hope is on the Horizon for Rhinos in KwaZulu-Natal The region of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa has seen almost 10% of the country's reported 289 rhino poachings this year, including the most recent killings at Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and iSimangaliso Wetland Park. Despite this, Ezembelo KZN Wildlife CEO Dr. Bandile Mkhize says that he feels hopeful about the future. He has 2 particular reasons for this. 1. At Dr. Mkhize's most recent presentation on the rhino poaching crisis, members of the South African Associations for the Conference Industry (SAACI) pledged financial support for anti-poaching efforts in the KZN parks. 2. On Dec 1st, 18 more field rangers along with anti-poaching equipment were deployed to the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in KZN ... I obviously think the two points above are great news! Financial support, more rangers and more equipment are all much-needed in the fight against rhino poaching in South Africa, especially when poachers are using more and more advanced poaching methods (like aerial attacks and veterinary tranqs). But we need this on a far, far larger scale. Here's hoping this step in the right direction won't be the only one.
Obviously, more field equipment and high tech monitoring tools and manpower are required. Capture and relocation units must be established to enable threatened rhino populations to be ushered away from the insecurity zone. Perhaps even more important than on the ground technical know how IS the intelligence gathering and AT LAST confronting the lax jurisdiction on rhino and elephant poaching in South Africa. More well-known S.A. individuals should PUBLICLY speak out against the poaching and animal trade. The zoo network should be more actively involved. At present, S.A. zoos only have marginal attention towards rhinos (just Pretoria and Joh.burg have rhinos in their collection). People need to be aware in order to make for a blanket ban on rhino trade and poaching. MIND YOU: the current issue is that white white collar and technical criminals are involved in the trade. The latter few have led to a rhino poaching explosion that was not there before. What has not helped either is that the then Minister of the Environment DISBANDED the wild animal trade intelligence section in 2004.
I only just found out today that SANParks made a request that South Africa's military join the battle against rhino poaching, and the military have "signalled their willingness to step in". Info here. Hopefully they will be able to constructively help with the lack of manpower and surveillance, and pit their own high-tech kit against what the poachers are using. Grass roots efforts like those of the Pilots Against Rhino Poaching will also help close the gap in manpower. But, as you say, there are many problems here, and some of them really need government action.
