The African Wildlife Foundation (AWF) has released a shocking report showing that rhino poaching in Africa increased by 9,000 percent in the seven year period between 2007 and 2014 — from 13 animals slaughtered in 2007, to a massive 1,215 in 2014. In the last nine years combined, over 6,100 rhinos have been slaughtered.
In particular, the research focuses on South Africa, which has the largest remaining population of rhinos in the world. The majority of the illegal poaching occurs in the famous Kruger National Park, over nearly 19,500 km2 of protected land. This area has now received increased funding and resources in an effort to save its important population of rhinos.
In spite of the dramatic increase over previous years, there has been a slight decrease in poaching over the last two years, showing the increased efforts are paying off. But in contrast to this, there has been an increase in these activities outside of this protected area, with poachers targeting areas that have less protection, such as KwaZulu-Natal.
Bonne de Bod, a filmmaker documenting the poaching industry, says, “If we exclude Kruger’s dramatic decrease this year it tells us another story, which is we have had a huge increase in rhino poaching nationally, up by over 50%.”
Although the poaching of elephants in recent years has made global headlines, rhinos receive less attention as well as less legal protection. This is in spite of the fact that data from AWF shows that three rhinos are poached for every elephant. Add to that the fact that there are only around 30,000 rhinos left in the world, compared to 475,000 to 740,000 elephants, and it is clear that rhinos are in trouble.
There are five different rhinoceros species left in the world today: the black and white rhino in Africa; and from Asia, the Greater one-horned rhino found in Nepal and India, the Sumatran rhino and the Javan rhino. Numbers for the Javan are as lower than 70, and the Sumatran rhino is also critically endangered, with only around 100 individuals left in the wild.
Rhino horn is highly valued for its medicinal values, particularly in China and Vietnam.
In spite of the grim figures, many organisations are fighting hard to save rhinos throughout the world. Save the Rhino is one of these, working with groups worldwide to protect these precious animals.
Horrendous! Bravo to the Vets who are fighting these really bad, nasty [email protected]
a shoot to kill policy intro is the answer, if your prepared to kill these animals illegally then be prepared to be shot dead by security forces
When humans have slaughtered innocents ????????????????for horns, tusks etc for medical reasons, sorry, I mean superstitious practices, killed everything from a pig to a dog for skin & fur, then what, oh yes I know we could carry on slaughtering whales, sharks, dolphins, porpoises etc. So it goes on & on & on!!!! We are all doomed, Greedy, selfish, heartless & cruel !!
This is horrible to see surely there’s a way it can be stopped. I would happily cut the the nosesxof these evilmpoachers????
these damn bastards have to be caught and killed, thats the only way this will stop, kill all poachers,hunters,all animal abusers all over the world.
I read somewhere that rhino horn is made up of same material as finger nails. The Chinese and Vietnamese really believe it will help stem a cold or get their you know whats harder! I think I’ll start saving my nail clippings and start selling over there to these ignorant subhumans. Can’t they just chew their own nails? Wow.
Stiffer penalty’s PLEASE.
Just shoot these horrible people when and where they are found. No questions asked and no excuses heard. Let’s stop them now.
These pouches should be shot and left to Nature. Perhaps even just tie them to the ground
Responsibility on the British. Royals – simple!
Let’s end poaching for good! Shoot every poacher that is caught. The smart ones will stop poaching and the stupid ones will be eliminated…
There are no smart ones, but I like your process of elimination!! 🙂
YES! And I would add to your idea all those who buy those products too or partake in the practice!
This means that ignorance is up 9,000 % and I go along with that
Il faut laisser les animaux tranquille en liberté
Old Chinamen think eating powdered Rhino horn will give them a boner. What a bunch of peckerheads. All those years of eating dogs and cats made them stupid.
Yes Thomas, men in China, and a few other countries ignorantly believe certain things like the adrenaline in a poor dog who was beaten to death make them more virile, and cooler in summer, it’s so BEYOND ignorant, and so BEYOND civilized, it’s truly sickening, and feels impossible to stop, but we must not EVER give up!!! It’s not just their ignorant beliefs we must fight, but even harder to combat is what is within them that makes them so easily capable of doing such harm to living creatures without an ounce of compassion, but actually with pride, THAT to me is the hardest part of this battle, something laws alone will not change! Our best hope is the younger generation who sees it’s wrong, and is doing their part to bring an end to it, and that day can’t come too soon!!!
Demand for the ivory tusks of the rhino and the elephant needs to be stopped otherwise they wont be around much longer and future generations will not be able to enjoy and appreciate them. The bastard(s) that did this to this poor rhino need to be punished.
THESE FIGURES ARE HORRIFIC WE MUST DO ALL WE CAN TO SEE OUR FELLOW CREATURES SURVIVE . THIS MUST BE STOPPED BEFORE WE HAVE NONE OF THEM LEFT . WE OWE IT TO FUTURE GENERATIONS
So SAD I know how to stop this slaughter if I had the money to start it up
Demand from superstitious and soulless countries like China fund this
One good way to stop this stupid poaching is by deterring demand for rhino horns/ elephant tusks. If people would stop buying them demand for them and poaching would reduce significantly.
Seriously I wish I could kill these fuckin bastards from killing defensless animals.
David, I love your comment. Well said!
The same thing needs to be done to them. Justice needs to be served.
I agree, you can only stop poaching but stopping demand for wildlife products, this is now possible via social media, see http://www.socialarmy.net/
Seeing photos like this sickens me..love to have a gun and shoot those bastards who do this. Or better still, chop off their hands and leave them thrash about like this poor beast probably did.