Rhino Poaching...

The last couple of years we've had quite the surge in rhino poaching in our country, and this large amount of needless killing is due to the insatiable want for rhino horn.

Now with writing this post, I know for a fact I'm going to anger quite a few people I know, and almost everyone is going to disagree with me, but that is ok. Because I strongly believe that most people are quite uninformed about what is going on, including the media, and how this needless poaching can be stopped in a very humane way.
By the way there might be a few pictures that sensitive readers might not enjoy.

It can be said that most of the poached rhino horn in our country is exported illegally to asian countries like Vietnam, Korea, China and so forth. These people have a practised belief of traditional medicine, much like the muti medicines of africa, and they have practising these natural healing methods for a lot longer than there has been white people in africa.

Now as a country where our Constitution protects our rights in choosing our traditions and beliefs, and allowing us to practise them openly without discrimination or prejudice, who are we to dictate to these what they should and should not believe?
I know that it has scientifically been proven to them that rhino horn has medicinal properties, yet they still believe it does. They choose this belief because it is their culture and belief system. Just as african people believe in the power of muti.





Now please do not misunderstand me, I'm not trying to justify poaching at all, but I'm trying to show, that the we are going about trying to stop it is all wrong. International sanctions do not work, putting a species on the endangered list does not work either, we have seen it happen to many different animals, dying out by only having these measures taken to protect them.

One of the facts of rhinos that the media does not focus on is, that rhino horn grows back, yes I know it seems shocking but it does...
Another astonishing fact, that today, by using conservative estimates the rhino horn stockpile, be it in goverment or private possession amasses to R3.7 billion. Despite this massive amount, figures show that annual market demand could be satisfied just by trading the horns of animals that die naturally every year (approximately 400 animals). CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna And Flora) has made this trade illegal and suggest that these stockpiles be burned, now except for devaluing the animals, it would ruin a massive trade income for our country.

I know that this post is quite short and I am lightly touching on many different aspects of this vast topic, but the reasoning behind the writing of this post is that this morning while watching the local news they showed the tree-huggers latest attempt to try and stop poaching. They have now started to poison the horns. As most of the people that know me personally know, I'm all for taking extreme measures but isn't this bordering on the insane?

Yes this could work as a deterrent to poaching, but and this is a big but, isn't this a form of premeditated murder? Yes you read that right, premeditated murder. Knowingly poisoning something that you know someone will use, and they could die of this? I honestly think that this plan hasn't been well thought through...
Yes there are many people that say that they must be killed, where have we heard this reasoning before? When it comes down to it, do you think you have the stones to take away a life? I highly doubt it! There's a reason soldiers come back from war with PTS and police men struggle to live with themselves after shooting someone...

By looking at it I honestly can't see this as an effective way to stop poaching. In my own view and I am sure there are many that agree with me, the way to stop this is through an effective trade system. With a trade system a real value can be put on these animals, they can be properly protected, and farmed for future generations to see them as well.

As always I am open to further discussion on this, so email me, send me a message on Facebook, comment on this post, do as you please, but don't be ignorant and send me a message calling me an idiot or a fool, because I will beat you in an argument.

ben6redneck@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/ben.waste