A black rhino (Diceros bicornis) and calf tread through the brush in South Africa, home to nearly 40 percent of Africa’s black rhino and over 80 percent of the continent’s entire rhino population. As rising demand for rhino horn poses an increased threat to the critically endangered species, the South African government recently announced more drastic measures to protect the population. (Credit: WhatsThePointSA/Flickr)
The South African Department of Environmental Affairs recently announced plans to evacuate approximately 500 rhinos from Kruger National Park, in response to a rising attack on the animals. Illegal poaching in the six-million-acre park — an area about the size of Wales — has soared from just 13 cases in 2007 to 1,004 in 2013. And so far this year, more than 630 rhinos have been killed in South Africa—with over 400 of those in Kruger.
To protect the rhinos from hunters seeking their horns, park officials plan to move the large mammals — each weighing over a ton — out of the most threatened areas of the park and into secret rhino “strongholds” in state-owned or private nature parks, safer areas of Kruger, or even nearby countries such as Zambia or Botswana. Each move will require tracking and darting the animals from helicopters and could potentially cost up to $2,000. Officials have yet to determine a time frame for the operation.
Over 80 percent of Africa’s rhino population resides in South Africa. The South African population was decimated in the early 1900s, but due to successful restoration efforts in the last 50 years, the population bounced back to an estimated 21,000 in 2012.
A mother and calf fell prey to poachers in South Africa. To save others from this fate, South Africa will move 500 black and white rhino out of Kruger National Park into less threatened areas of South Africa and nearby countries. (Credit: Hein Waschefort/Wikimedia Commons)
According to the Department of Environmental Affairs, relocations have been a key measure for conserving and growing the rhino population. In the past 15 years, a total of 1,450 rhinos have been translocated from Kruger, but this is the largest rhino move yet; the highest number previously moved at one time was 250 in 2009 — but authorities believe the severity of the current poaching problem necessitates a more drastic step. “This approach allows the offsetting of poaching in the short to medium term, while also expanding rhino range and improving overall population size,” stated the Department of Environmental Affairs in a news release.
An increasingly coveted item, especially in China and Vietnam, rhino horn earns an estimated street value of $65,000 per kilogram — more than both platinum and gold. To those who desire it, the horn is considered a sign of wealth and an ingredient in some traditional medicines. To bolster the planned conservation efforts, the South African government’s Security Cluster — the committee that deals with crime prevention — will also initiate tougher penalties for individuals caught poaching.
