China has lifted a quarter-century ban in the trade in Rhino horn apparently for scientific and “medicinal” use of the rhinoceros horn. China state council must be celebrating at the moment while I wonder if the world declares that their treasured Panda also has medicinal value same as the tigers parts they have allowed to be traded on probably they would feel the pain that conservationists in Africa (other than the South Africans who farm white rhinos to crop off their horns) are feeling.
The rhino horn is primarily made up of keratin, the same substance that makes up our hair and fingernails but has been associated with westerners myths, that white rhino is used mainly by the Chinese as an aphrodisiac and to treat flu and convulsions.
Rhino horn costs around $65,000 per KG making it more valuable than gold and many times more valuable than ivory
In 2016 China banned the sale of Ivory thus reducing the ivory trade only to lift the ban of 1993 in Rhino horn that is said to allow tiger and rhino parts to be used for medicinal and scientific research and cultural exchanges underscoring that the trade will be “Strictly controlled” and the products must come from animals in captivity which will definitely further threaten the survival of especially black rhinos which are critically endangered especially here in Kenya, and just to drive the point home there’s no physical difference to tell apart between a rhino horn bred in the wild and that from captivity.
Opening the trade and creating the demand for the ready market will definitely place pressure on supply, risking sourcing moving beyond farmed white rhinos in South Africa to the remaining endangered population especially on black rhinos here in Kenya.
It’s about time that we local Africans the custodians of our unique wildlife heritage take a genuine stand in conserving our rhninos for posperity because we are the same culprits who will shoot down these magnificent iconic species to earn a few coin, its also about time that consumers of endangered species products understand that the decisions they make buying of this wildlife products to impress someone affects the lives of ordinary people thousands of miles away in countries they may never visit.
Only when the buying stops, the killing can too. “To love all animals is to love all life,to love all life is to be rooted in your spirituality” April Peerless
“For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive. In this century he has to realize that in order to survive he has to protect it.” Jacques-Yves Cousteau Here we celebrate the unsung wildlife heroes in the grassroots doing remarkable work to conserve our wildlife heritage, Get to learn about wildlife from a ranger/ ecologist in Kenya a freelance eco-traveler, experience the diverse cultures and African heritage from the natives and take an adventure to new destinations to learn about rare attractions that are hardly talked about and to top it all up some of the best wildlife photographs that will make you reconnect to your wild side appreciate everything around us and fall in love with the natural world, because “It is not enough to love the natural world; the point is to defend and preserve it.” Edward Abbey
Our wildlife, our responsibility. When it comes to standing up for our wildlife it’s better to be outspoken than unspoken.
Friday: 2nd November, 2018
PRESS STATEMENT: KENYA’S POSITION ON LEGALIZING SALE OF RHINO HORN
Kenya has received news of the decision by China to reverse her ban on trade in rhino horns and tiger bones with consternation. Media reports indicate that China has allowed trade in products from these endangered animals in “special circumstances,” including medical research or healing.
As a country, Kenya’s position is that rhino horn trade should not be legalized for the following reasons:
• Trade in and sustainable use of natural resources, including wildlife, depends on the species, its biology, trends in illegal killing and the value of the product.
• Given the rhino’s slow reproductive rate, small continental population (25,460 in 2012) and the high value for horn (US$60,000/kg), there is no realistic scope for achieving a sustainable balance between production and supply for rhino horn.
• At a time when poaching and trafficking are at historically high levels, Kenya does not support trade in products obtained from endangered species, for which most range states are not achieving their population growth targets.
• Black rhinos are critically endangered and there is no differentiation of the origin of the horn (black or white rhino) once it gets to the market.
• Based on experience with the ivory trade over the last 25 years, legalized trade has proven ineffective in stemming elephant poaching in Africa and will not discourage existing illegal syndicates driving this trade.
• The current rhino trade is perpetrated by illegal syndicates that would continue to poach rhinos, trade in horn and drive the market further underground.
• Demand for rhino horn in Asia is driven by the false belief that it has medicinal properties, which is yet to be scientifically proven. Allowing rhino horn to be marketed as medicine is dishonest and sends mixed messages to the marketplace at a time when a single, clear message needs to be communicated to the billions of potential consumers.
• Rhino horn has no medicinal value, results in the killing of rhinos and should not be consumed.
• Any rhino horn sales at a time when rhino poaching and trafficking is at its historical height will send the wrong message to the public and jeopardize current efforts to reverse the species decline.
FACTS ABOUT THE RHINO
• There are less than 25,000 rhinos left in Africa. Approximately 96% of these are found in South Africa, Namibia, Kenya and Zimbabwe, each of which is affected by the current poaching crisis.
• The overall population trend for black and white rhinos in Africa is still increasing, but the rate of increase has slowed markedly and deaths could begin to exceed births in the next two years.
• Illegal trade in rhino horn has reached its highest levels since the early 1990s. Last year approximately 2,000 rhino horns from Africa went into illegal trade, according to conservation body, Traffic. The illegal supply of rhino horns out of Africa is now 30 times greater than in the early 2000s, and it remains unclear how big the potential market for this product is.
• Rhino horn trade is one of the most heavily-criminalized sectors of the global illegal wildlife trade, as Africa-based Asian syndicates move large volumes of rhino horn to markets in Asia, according to conservation body, Traffic.
• Therefore, Kenya does not support the re-opening of trade in products obtained from endangered species, especially rhino horn trade.
Very brave of you Abraham to write on This.The rest of the the world might be silent and look at this deadly move but we’re thankful of informists like yourself.The only thing we can do is forget on,on the Ivory ban campaigns and pray for we can’t awaken Nations pretending to be asleep.What a sad time.
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