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Save the Black Rhino
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Renowned for its habit of charging at intruders, but prized for its horns, the black rhino has been hunted to the brink of extinction in most of its former range in Africa. Throughout their range, rhinos are poached for their horns. In the mid 1980's, the black rhino population in Africa ws estimated at 8,800. Within the last several years, it numbers were estimated at 3,382. the black rhino populations continues to decline.
The Rhinos decline:
The black rhino is found predominantly on the plains and in the dry bush country of est Africa. At dawn and dusk, it feeds on the shoots and twigs of low lying bushes. For the remainder of the day, it rests under shade trees. The rhino often charges without apparent cause, and it is said to be apparent vicious in areas where it has been continually disturbed by man. The decline of the black rhino population has been drastic. Kenya alone lost 98 percent in jut 17 years; in 1970 there were an estimated 19,000 black rhinos; by 1987 there were fewer than 400.
The rhino's prize horns grow one behind the other. T hey are made of tough fibers secreted from the skin of the the nose. Why Poach Rhinos?
The decline of the black rhino population continues because poaching is a highly profitable business. There are two commercial uses for rhino horn: as the handles of ceremonial daggers, called jambia, for men in North Yeman, and as medicines in Asia.
Ceremonial daggers:
When a Yemeni boys reaches adulthood, he is presented with a jambia, which he will wear in his belt for the rest of his life. The jambia is a symbol of manhood and symbolizes his dedication to the Muslim faith.
A wealthy man will give his son the finest and most expensive jambia he can afford, and daggers with black rhino horn handles are the most valuable and the most expensive selling for a s such as 50,000.
Medicinal Uses:
The modern day use for rhino horn for medicinal purposes follows an ancient Chinese tradition. Contrary to popular belief, it is not used exclusively as an aphrodisiac; it has a wide range of applications for conditions ranging from hemorrhoids and fever to skin irritation. The major market for rhino horn is among the large Chinese communities in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Burma, as well as China itself. the return to traditional medicine in Japan and Korea has also increased the demand.
]The horn of the African black rhino is considered inferior to that of the Asian rhino, but since Asian horn has become difficult to probation, the demise for African horn has risen A primary source of black rhino horn for the Asian medicinal market is the shavings that are left over from t he carving of jambia handles.
Poaching and Trade:
Today most black rhino poaching occurs in northern Zimbabwe's game parks. Poachers cross the Zambezi River at night. Armed wardens monitor their movements and ambush the poachers as they enter the game parks. Both sides shoot to kill. Many poachers manage to evade the ambush and kill any rhino they can find.
The rhino horn is smuggled to Yeman by one of several routes., Some is transported by boat from one of the east African ports such as Mombassa or Dar es Salaam and arrives ashore in Adan or in the United Arab Emirates. Often it is flown to Yemen from the African countries of Somalia or Sudan. The routes are changed at short notice to avoid detection by customs.
Conservation Measures:
The alarming decline of the black rhino population has led to the implementation of more successful conservation measures. Armed wardens in the game parks work to protect the rhinos from slaughter by shooting or arresting poachers. Still, the wardens has been unable to stop the steady influx of poachers who enter the game parks along a 150 mile stretch of riverbank.
A more promising method of conservation is to reduce the number of principle markets for rhino products. Great advances have been made through the Convention on International Trade i endangered Species (CITES). Countries that join CITES agree to control the trade in both dead and living rare animals. When Sudan joined CITES, for example, smugglers were forced to find another air route to transport rhino horns; and when Japan joined, the flourishing trade in medicinal rhino products into the country stopped. In North Yeman, the use of rhino horns to make daggers handles is gradually decreasing. exporting horn shavings from carvers shops has been banned, and trade routes through other Arab countries such as United Arab Emirates are closing.
Another conservation measure involves increasing the rhino population by improving their breeding success. The white rhino, for example, was nearly extinct in the early 1960's, but a concentrated breeding program has a increased it numbers. In some areas, the white rhinos so numerous that some must be killed every year to protect the food supply. A national park in Bophutothatswana is almost entirely self supporting through the sale of 10 hunting licenses a year at $10,000 each.
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