World must stand against horn trade

It’s one of the saddest stories we’ve had to report on recently: that South Africa could be losing the war against rhino poachers. Surveys of rhinos in the Kruger National Park – their biggest dwelling place in the world (we hesitate to call it a sanctuary) – indicate that poachers are killing more of the animals than calves are being born every year.

There is still some controversy about the actual numbers – not helped by the government not releasing accurate and up-to-date figures of the rhino population. The argument is that it is better to be vague about numbers, not to encourage poachers. That is, in reality, bizarre, because everybody involved in the illicit rhino horn business knows there are still animals to be killed … and roughly where they are.

Even the official figures show that the numbers in Kruger fall far short of the targets set a few years ago. Further, some concerned conservationists have pointed out that urgent surveys were carried out last year, after rangers reported that previous surveyed numbers did not correspond with what they had observed on the ground.

The official position is still that the number of incursions into the park has decreased, along with the number of animals being poached … but conservation groups say frankly that they don’t believe the figures are accurate. More worryingly, they expect more transparency on the issue from the department of environmental affairs.

Whatever the exact numbers are, it is worrying that, with more and more resources, people and money being poured into the antipoaching war – and let’s not mince our words, that is exactly what it is – we don’t seem any closer to winning.

Efforts need to be intensified to lobby internationally against the trade in rhino horn, to portray it for what it is: a crime against humanity.