War to protect rhinos goes to Vietnam
SOUTH Africa’s Wilderness Foundation is opening its first office in Ho Chi Minh City shortly, hoping to stem the growing use of rhino horn in Vietnam.
Vietnam has emerged as one of the major consumer countries for the illegal rhino horn trade that is decimating South Africa’s rhino population.
Recent consumer surveys suggest that horns are exchanged as gifts among the wealthy as well as being used to make infusions to celebrate business deals and to ease afterparty hangovers.
Foundation spokesman Matthew Norval said they hoped to open an office in Ho Chi Minh City soon.
It would be based at the SOUL Music and Performing Arts Academy, in partnership with leading Vietnamese pop artist Thanh Bui, who has taken a leading role in raising public awareness about the brutality of rhino horn poaching.
The office would focus on raising awareness about wildlife crime, and rhino poaching in particular.
“Although the horn user group represents a small percentage of the Vietnamese population, many people are unaware that rhinos are brutally killed in order to remove the horn.
“We are encouraged to be working with our partners in Vietnam who are committed to stopping this senseless slaughter,” said Norval.
Bui, who joined a group of Vietnamese pupils on a recent wilderness trail in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal, said: “As citizens of Vietnam, we need to make every effort to support and work with our partners in South Africa to protect the rhino.”
The foundation was set up 43 years ago by legendary conservationist Dr Ian Player, who also led the team that helped to rescue white rhinos from extinction in the 1960s.
‘Many unaware how brutally animals are killed’