Rhino Poaching 2017-2023

Information & discussion on the Rhino Poaching Pandemic
User avatar
Lisbeth
Site Admin
Posts: 67237
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
Country: Switzerland
Location: Lugano
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Lisbeth »

Rhino poaching in Namibia down

Posted on December 20, 2019 by News Desk in the NEWS DESK post series.

Image

NEWS DESK POST with information sourced from Reuters

Rhino poaching in Namibia has reduced significantly, to 41 in 2019 compared to the 72 killed in 2018, says the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET).


Namibia has the second largest population of white rhinos in the world after South Africa and, according to NGO Save the Rhino, it holds one-third of the world’s remaining black rhinos.

Rhino poaching in Namibia has fluctuated over the years – from 95 in 2015 to to 60 in 2016, 36 in 2017 and 72 in 2018. These statistics are measured from January to December each year.

Despite the horn comprising mostly of keratin – a protein that makes up your hair and nails – the demand for rhino horn continues to be high in East Asia where it is considered a medicine for multiple ailments, and is also prized by business elites as trinkets because of its rarity.

While cracking down on rhino poaching, Namibia is also lobbying against the rules that govern the global trade in endangered species, after other countries rejected proposals to relax restrictions on legal hunting and exporting of its white rhinos. Namibia wants to allow more trophy hunting of rhinos and export of live animals, arguing that the funds it would raise would help it to protect the species, an argument rejected in August of this year by countries that are party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). For further information about this topic read this opinion post by a conservation specialist justifying the hunting of black rhinos.


"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75834
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Richprins »

\O \O


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
Klipspringer
Global Moderator
Posts: 5862
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 12:34 pm
Country: Germany
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Klipspringer »

https://www.news24.com/Green/News/big-d ... s-20200204



Big drop in rhino poaching as SA govt tackles syndicates
2020-02-04 11:44
Duncan Alfreds



Rhino poaching in South Africa is on the decline as the government makes a concerted effort to battle the scourge that threatens a critically endangered species.

The decline in poaching has become an established trend as law enforcement agencies cooperated to take down syndicates operating in SA and neighbouring countries.

"A decline in poaching for five consecutive years is a reflection of the diligent work of the men and women who put their lives on the line daily to combat rhino poaching, often coming into direct contact with ruthless poachers," said Environment, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Barbara Creecy.

In 2018, 769 rhino were killed for their horns, but that was reduced to 564 in 2019 – a reduction of 26%.In particular, most of the provinces saw reductions in rhino poaching. Only Limpopo and Gauteng registered increases.

Cost of rhino horns

At least 327 rhino were lost in the Kruger National Park alone as a result of 2 014 recorded "incursions and poacher activities".

According to the department, rhino poaching peaked in 2014 when 1 215 rhino were killed for their horns.

Only 13 rhino were poached in 2007, the lowest number recorded since 2006.

Most of the rhino horns are illicitly shipped to east Asian markets where it commands a price higher than gold per kilogram.

On the black market in SA, rhino horn costs about $6 000 per kilogram, according to National Geographic, and up to 10 times that in Asian black markets.

This means that one of the main drivers of rhino poaching is organised crime networks.

"Because wildlife trafficking constitutes a highly sophisticated form of serious transnational organised crime that threatens national security, the aim is to establish an integrated strategic framework for an intelligence-led, well-resourced, multidisciplinary and consolidated law enforcement approach to focus and direct law enforcement’s ability supported by the whole of government and society," said Creecy.

The department highlighted the successes law enforcement entities - including the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit of SAPS, the Hawks, SANParks, provincial park authorities and Environmental Management Inspectors (Green Scorpions) and Customs as well as the National Prosecuting Authority – in combating rhino poaching and working to secure convictions.

In 2019, 178 poachers were arrested for rhino poaching in the Kruger Park. And nationally, 332 were arrested for both poaching and rhino horn trafficking.

Law enforcement officials confiscated 85 guns in the year and secured a number of high-profile convictions.

Syndicates busted

In April, the Hawks arrested two men near Hartbeespoort for being in possession of 181 rhino horns. They remain in jail, pending the finalisation of their trial.

In November, three members of a syndicate were also arrested in Klerksdorp and Hartbeesfontein. They were found in possession of 100 rhino horns, as well as tiger carcasses, several weapons and ammunition.

In terms of convictions, 145 people were sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to more than 15 years.

South African law enforcement agencies have also received cooperation from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan to assist in combating wildlife trafficking.


"The success of the operations demonstrates government’s ability to work together in fighting wildlife trafficking in South Africa," said Creecy.
fig 1.jpg
fig 1.jpg (53.09 KiB) Viewed 697 times
fig 2.jpg
fig 2.jpg (37.85 KiB) Viewed 697 times


Klipspringer
Global Moderator
Posts: 5862
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 12:34 pm
Country: Germany
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Klipspringer »

https://www.environment.gov.za/mediarel ... statistics

Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries report back on rhino poaching in South Africa in 2019
03 February 2020

Rhino poaching in South Africa continues to decline as additional steps are taken by government to ensure the crime is effectively dealt with.

The Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Ms Barbara Creecy, says the steps to address rhino poaching and wildlife crime across the country are presently aligned to the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros as well as the principles set out in the draft National Integrated Strategy to Combat Wildlife Trafficking (NISCWT), which will be taken to Cabinet for consideration in the first half of this year.

The NISCWT was a recommendation of the Committee of Inquiry into whether South Africa should table a recommendation for the legal trade, or not, of rhino horn to the 17th Conference of Parties to the Convention on the Illegal Trade in Wild Fauna and Flora in 2016. It aims to strengthen the law enforcement aspects of the successful multi-disciplinary approach – the Integrated Strategic Management of Rhinoceros – and broadens the scope to combat other wildlife trafficking, not only rhino poaching.

“Because wildlife trafficking constitutes a highly sophisticated form of serious transnational organised crime that threatens national security, the aim is to establish an integrated strategic framework for an intelligence-led, well-resourced, multidisciplinary and consolidated law enforcement approach to focus and direct law enforcement’s ability supported by the whole of government and society,” said Minister Creecy.

The Minister has also paid tribute to rangers who battle poaching in the conservation areas on a daily basis.

In 2018, 769 rhino were killed for their horn in South Africa. During 2019, rhino poaching continued to decline, with 594 rhino poached nationally during the year.

This decline can be attributed to a combination of measures implemented in line with government’s strategy, including improved capabilities to react to poaching incidents linked to better situational awareness and deployment of technology; improved information collection and sharing amongst law enforcement authorities; better regional and national cooperation and more meaningful involvement of the private sector, NGOs and donors.

“A decline in poaching for five consecutive years is a reflection of the diligent work of the men and women who put their lives on the line daily to combat rhino poaching, often coming into direct contact with ruthless poachers,” said the Minister.

Despite the two thousand and fourteen incursions and poacher activities recorded in the Park during the year, a total of 327 rhino were lost as a result of poaching in the Kruger National Park during 2019.



With regard to elephant poaching, the Department can report that 31 elephant have been poached in South Africa in 2019 – 30 animals in the KNP and 1 in Mapungubwe National Park. This is a decrease in the number of elephant poached in 2018, when 71 were killed for their tusks.

During 2019, a number of successes have also been recorded through the number of arrests and convictions linked to rhino poaching and the illicit trade in rhino horn which reflects the joint and integrated work of law enforcement entities, including the Stock Theft and Endangered Species Unit of SAPS, the Hawks, SANParks, provincial park authorities and Environmental Management Inspectors (Green Scorpions) and Customs as well as the National Prosecuting Authority.

From January to December 2019, 178 alleged poachers were arrested within the Kruger National Park. At a national level, 332 arrests were effected in respect of both rhino poaching and rhino horn trafficking and in excess of 57 major investigations were undertaken across the country.

A total of 85 firearms were recovered during the year.

The arrests have resulted in a number of convictions as well as various high profile cases presently before the courts. For the period 1 January to 31 December 2019 the following sentences resulted from convictions related to rhino cases:


Among the successes of the past year are:

Arrest of two Chinese nationals and a South African man for alleged rhino horn trafficking in March 2019 with the trial due to begin in March 2020. During the arrest, five rhino horns, 14 pieces of abalone, three sea horses, two sea cucumbers, vehicles, weighing and processing equipment allegedly used in rhino trafficking operations were confiscated.
Arrest of two men by the Hawks near Hartebeespoort in North West in April 2019 for possession of 181 rhino horns, the transporting of the rhino horns without a permit and for the possession of an undisclosed amount of money. This case is due back in court on 31 January 2020.
Arrest of three alleged masterminds in a rhino poaching syndicate following a year-long investigation. They were arrested during an integrated operation led by the Hawks in Gauteng in August 2019. Two rhino horns, two vehicles and R70 000 in cash was seized during a raid on three premises. The accused remain in custody pending the finalization of their trial.
Arrest of three people during a rhino horn trafficking operation in Klerksdorp and Hartbeesfontein in November 2019. The first suspect arrested at a farm near Klerksdorp was found in possession of a hunting rifle, shotgun, revolver, pistol and a large quantity of empty cartridges and live ammunition. Further investigations led the team to a farm in Hartbeesfontein where two additional suspects were arrested after an assortment of firearms and ammunition was found. A total of 100 rhino horns, four tiger carcasses and one thousand US dollars were also seized. The accused will appear in court again in February 2020.
“The success of the operations demonstrates government’s ability to work together in fighting wildlife trafficking in South Africa,” said the Minister.

High-profile cases that remain on the court roll include:

State v Groenewald and 8 others (Pretoria High Court) Trial date: 1 – 12 February 2021
State v Ras and 9 others (Pretoria High Court) Trial date: 30 Jan to 3 March 2023
State v Gwala and others (Mtubatuba Regional Court) Trial date: 7th of February 2020 case has been remanded, Mtubatuba Regional Court
State v Nyalungu and 9 others (Nelspruit Regional Court). Provisional date for trial: 25 May 2020.
State v Landela (Skukuza Regional Court) Trial date: 19 February 2020
State v Petrus Sydney Mabuza, Nozwelo Mahumane, Moshe Thobela and Romez Khoza. Trial date in High Court, Mbombela: 27 July 2020 – 14 August 2020.
State v Petrus Sydney Mabuza & Jospeh Nyalunga. Trial date in High Court, Mbombela: 25 May 2020 – 19 June 2020.
State v Mandla Mashele and Kelvin Malapane (Daveyton Magistrates Court) Trial date: 12 February 2020
Since the last report on the rhino poaching situation and efforts being made to address the crime, rhino horn samples have been received for analysis from Vietnam to determine if the horns confiscated are linked to crimes in South Africa. The Hawks have also received very good co-operation from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan in their efforts to combat wildlife trafficking.

While acutely aware that criminal elements within our society will continue to take advantage of the socio- economic pressures and drive demand for illegal wildlife products, the Department, working with a number of communities, NGO’s and donors, identified various community developmental programmes, including awareness programmes in Provinces such as Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Kwazulu Natal and North West through the integrated strategies adopted and facilitated in collaboration with its partners, SANParks, Provinces and neighbouring countries.

** Members of the public can report any suspicious activities around wildlife to its environmental crime hotline which is 0800 205 005 or the SAPS number 10111.

For media inquiries contact:
Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871


Klipspringer
Global Moderator
Posts: 5862
Joined: Sat Sep 14, 2013 12:34 pm
Country: Germany
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Klipspringer »

Helping rhinos.jpg


User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75834
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Richprins »

This is largely nonsense. There are simply fewer rhino, and the only way to disprove that would be via a comprehensive Kruger rhino and elephant census. 0-

Nyalunga was arrested in 2011, for example, and is still awaiting finalisation. So STFU. :evil:


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
User avatar
Lisbeth
Site Admin
Posts: 67237
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
Country: Switzerland
Location: Lugano
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Lisbeth »

One thing seems to have improved: The number of arrests \O With all the means that they have now it would be incomprehensible if not O**


"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
User avatar
RogerFraser
Site Admin
Posts: 6000
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2013 9:36 pm
Country: South Africa
Location: Durban
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by RogerFraser »

Latest rhino poaching stats: shades of grey

https://africageographic.com/blog/lates ... _11vwISnRg

Image

Kruger National Park southern white rhinos ©Susan Scott

Yesterday South Africa’s government released the 2019 rhino poaching statistics via an update to the website of the Department of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries (DEFF).

We interrogate the stats, with revealing graphs and intriguing questions.

During the time of former Minister of Environmental Affairs Dr Edna Molewa (now deceased), the department used to hold several press briefings a year, allowing us to study the stats and ask questions directly to the Minister and her assembled panel of experts and ministers from the security cluster. The rhino poaching crisis isn’t just for DEFF to handle; our government has defined rhino poaching as a trans-national crime, requiring all aspects of enforcement to be involved.

These press briefings do not happen anymore. Now, all we get is a brief press release surreptitiously loaded onto the DEFF website. And so, in the absence of direct communications with relevant experts, we are forced to ask questions in this manner and to speculate about what is going on. Amanda Watson, who has been reporting on rhino matters for The Citizen for many years, wrote an article outlining how serious this speculation has become. Simon Espley, CEO of Africa Geographic, expressed a similar sentiment last year when he publicly challenged Minister Barbara Creecy to reveal how many rhinos we have left. She did not reply.

It’s probably uncomfortable for DEFF to address some of the issues at play; but that is the role of the media industry – to get to the real story. This press release was dropped on us with no warning and, predictably, most news media have chanted praise for the perceived success of a “decline” in rhino poaching. Sipho Kings, editor of the Mail & Guardian recently sent out tweets criticising news outlets for just printing press releases as news, and he’s right… some digging needs to be done.

It’s unfortunate that DEFF’s brief press release, which is meant to be a thorough analysis of the past year, omitted several significant developments. Examples include concerning politics surrounding rangers, dismissals of seemingly competent senior members of SANParks staff, the loss of the RhODIS contract, the possible closure of the Skukuza Court, a growing impatience from rhino farmers threatening to sell their horn stock and international gatherings like CITES that took place.

And so, let’s do some digging…

Does the ‘decline’ in poaching reflect success?
“A decline in poaching for five consecutive years…” – Minister Barbara Creecy, DEFF Press Release

Official rhino poaching statistics put the number of rhinos poached in South Africa in 2019 at 594. This is a decline from 769 in 2018. BUT without the census results from the Kruger National Park (home to the largest number of rhinos in the world), we cannot be sure what this means. When Bonné (de Bod) phoned the DEFF spokesperson yesterday to ask about the latest rhino population figures, she was directed to SANParks, who said they would check and get back to us. We know from years prior that SANParks cannot release the results without the Minister’s approval. And let’s not forget that we are still waiting for last year’s census results.

So just to be clear, we have not had population stats since the 2017 census – which we actually filmed, to obtain footage for STROOP! So complicated is the rhino counting procedure in Kruger that we ended up not including our footage in the film, but witnessing the process was humbling. Counting rhinos from the air is hard work, and a dedicated team is performing this tough task. However, something is getting lost from the effort on the ground to the paperwork on the department’s desk. Rumours abound that two recent counts have been done in Kruger National Park and that results reflect a halving of the 2017 numbers. So we did some searching through scientific journals to find Kruger’s white rhino population figures and actual white rhino poached numbers from the last few years of official results to find out whether the reported decline in poaching has any validity.

What do the Kruger white rhino numbers tell us?

Image

Data for this graph sourced from DEFF press releases and from here

Looking at the above graph, the downward spiral in Kruger southern white rhino populations is apparent. Note that DEFF has refused to date to issue figures for 2018 and 2019. The more than 50% decline in our southern white rhino numbers in Kruger over 6 years (10,621 in 2011 to 5,142 in 2017) is massive, and we cannot slow down or pat ourselves on the back.
Image

The above graph tells us that the proportion of rhino poached each year, as a percentage of the remaining population, is increasing. This reality is in stark contrast to the ‘good news’ from DEFF that nominal rhino poaching numbers are down. The DEFF press release ascribed the reduction in rhinos poached to several factors, but failed to mention what is arguably the main reason – that there are fewer rhinos left to poach.

Image

Data for this graph sourced from DEFF press releases and from here

The above graph really highlights the crisis at hand and points to another damaging factor – “collateral damage”. Collateral damage is the knock-on effect of losing a cow to poaching. One rhino cow not only removes her from the population but also all potential future rhinos birthed by her – which could be as many as a dozen. Births of Kruger southern white rhinos are estimated at over 900 per anum for 2013 and 2014; by 2017 they are down to just above 300 … That’s a dramatic drop and an indicator surely that things do not look good. If you factor in the drought that has plagued the region, and the impact that will have had on rhino births and natural deaths, we suspect that the current figures would shock us if they were revealed.

Does releasing rhino numbers benefit poachers?
A senior SAPS officer pulled us aside after a STROOP screening last year and pleaded with us to stop asking for the census results to be released. This person said that census results would educate poachers, and that information like this is, therefore, not for public consumption. Trust us, we get that, and we left a LOT out of STROOP for that very reason. But we also know what convicted poachers tell us – that the poaching syndicates have their tentacles stretching way into government’s bureaucratic system – they have full knowledge of how many and where the rhinos are. Also, it’s absurd to think that the public shouldn’t know living rhino numbers for safety reasons, because the IUCN’s African Rhino Specialist Group publishes living rhino numbers every three years and so do scientific journals on the internet, which is where this information is from.

“Rhino conservation targets are set around rhino population sizes and growth rates; it is important to survey populations frequently to detect statistical changes… and assessing the effectiveness of current management.” – Dr Sam Ferreira, Large Mammal Ecologist, SANParks – read more here.

What concerns us is the general perception that the DEFF announcement attempts to create and that major news media outlets and social media commentators broadcast without any research – that we can ease off the accelerator now that we are “winning the war on poaching”. We most certainly are not winning; the above graphs make that obvious.

We need to support the real heroes who risk life and limb every day of their lives to keep our rhinos safe. Our rangers, police, prosecutors, vets, private owners, orphan rehabbers deserve more than this.

Image

Kruger National Park census from helicopter ©Susan Scott


User avatar
Richprins
Committee Member
Posts: 75834
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 3:52 pm
Location: NELSPRUIT
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Richprins »

Absolutely. And furthermore drought had no significant effect on rhino whatsoever. The Eskom approach to conservation. :evil:


Please check Needs Attention pre-booking: https://africawild-forum.com/viewtopic.php?f=322&t=596
User avatar
Lisbeth
Site Admin
Posts: 67237
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
Country: Switzerland
Location: Lugano
Contact:

Re: Rhino Poaching 2017/2018/2019

Post by Lisbeth »

Quite so!

There is one thing that I do not understand about this whole business: Why is the DEFF so hesitant to tell the truth? It's not their fault that the poachers are winning the war -O- When somebody is reluctant to tell the truth, normally it's because they want to hide something and in this case, it's the real number of the rhinos and the whole desperate situation, but the question is WHY??

10 years ago you saw a rhino almost behind every corner; after two weeks I have seen ONE rhino and that was a lucky hit.
It’s unfortunate that DEFF’s brief press release, which is meant to be a thorough analysis of the past year, omitted several significant developments. Examples include concerning politics surrounding rangers, dismissals of seemingly competent senior members of SANParks staff, the loss of the RhODIS contract....
I must have missed something :-?


"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela
The desire for equality must never exceed the demands of knowledge
Post Reply

Return to “Rhino Management and Poaching”