What makes Africa is its amazing wildlife and the only thing we have learnt from history and the preservation of Africa´s wildlife, is that we have not learn anything from history. The increase of Africa´s population and organized poaching gangs that try to make fortunes from the decimation of black and white rhinos, have an immense impact of the generation of rhinos that grow up today. The horn of a rhino has a huge market in East Asia and by the time it gets there a single horn can be worth as much as 3,700,000,00 €. Powdered rhino horn is worth more than cocaine or heroin and prison terms for trafficking are a fraction of equal amount of narcotics for a first-time smuggler.
The revelations of poached rhinos per day have attracted immense attention and public concern. A rhino is poached each day just in South Africa and we have to give rhinos a future. Poaching is putting rhinos at risk of losing their culture. A rhino teaches its babies how to be a rhino in the wild and needs its horn as a human needs an arm. How will young rhinos learn to survive the wild when there mummy is killed for her horns. The gangs are well organized and educated people from the army, and the problem of protecting rhinos is part of larger social and economic problems facing Africa. Unless conservation engage with issues such as corruption and economic development it is unlikely to succeed.
Rhinos have been roaming free for millions of years in Africa and the fear is that we end up with a few rhino populations behind fences in private sanctuaries with armed patrols shooting poachers on sight. The source to blame for these killings are not only the organized gangs that make money for these killings but also the consumers. While their are people out there buying products from the horns there will be people who will kill innocent rhinos just to make money.
Education is needed on what health benefits the rhinos horn does and doesn't offer and what substitutes are out there. In fact the health benefits of the rhinos horn is a long traditional myth and offers no benefits at all. What a waste of a beautiful animal for a tradition that should end.
