Conservation bodies, private reserve owners and the public are coming together to wage war against the onslaught of rhino poaching that is taking place within South Africa’s borders. The Wilderness Foundation believes that one of the keys to saving the rhino, one of the country’s Big Five, is an international outcry and a change in laws regarding the importation of rhino horn into foreign countries.
“We need to capture the attention of international governments, particularly those who have influence over China. Through massive public and governmental pressure on the major importers of the horn, we have a chance to save these animals,” says director of the Wilderness Foundation, Andrew Muir. “Escalating poaching figures and continuing brutal attacks on rhinos show that an inter-continental effort is needed to fight back.”
The Wilderness Foundation will be presenting a petition against rhino poaching to the US congress this September. “The petition will be presented to the highest governmental powers and is a vital part of the lobbying campaign which is needed to change the laws regarding the importation of rhino horn into foreign countries,” says Muir.
It is crucial that the petition conveys a powerful message to international authorities. “We need as many signatures as possible to highlight the severity of the issue, and thus secure the full weight of support from the US in joining the fight to save the rhino,” says Muir.
The Wilderness Foundation is a project-driven conservation and leadership organisation that encourages, plans and protects wild lands and wilderness, uplifts the knowledge and lives of citizens and stimulates an environmental ethos among current and future leaders. It envisages a world that has sufficient intact natural ecosystems and wilderness areas that are valued and efectively protected for the benefit of all species.
Rhino poaching may be an African tragedy but it is a global responsibility. Join the fight and help us gather signatures by encouraging people to sign up:
Rhino poaching: Alarming facts and figures:
- One of Africa’s big five is currently facing possible eradication from the world as we know it
- South Africa is home to 80% of the world’s rhino population
- In 2007, South Africa lost 13 rhinos to poaching. In 2010, this figure rose to 335
- So far, over 270 rhinos have been slaughtered in 2011
- Should the current rate of rhino poaching continue, the rhino population growth rate could officially be in decline within a year
- Rhino horn is falsely believed to have medicinal value in some countries – this is fueling its increased demand
- The onslaught of poaching in South Africa is being orchestrated by international criminal networks using helicopters and automatic weapons to wipe out rhinos in nearly every part of the country from both national and privately-owned game parks
- The highly organised nature and frequency of these crimes makes efforts at intervention extremely difficult
The liveeco team
