“All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph, is for enough good men to do nothing” - Edmund Burke
With the number of rhinos lost to poaching exceeding 400 in 2011, 600 in 2012 and 1000 in 2013, the Rhino Rescue Project believes we are well beyond the point where we can afford to do nothing about this dire poaching situation in South Africa. After a poaching incident on the Rhino & Lion
Nature Reserve at the end of May 2010, we contemplated many conventional means to fight the poaching scourge - from de-horning animals to microchips and tracking devices. The problem we found with these alternatives is that they are largely reactive instead of proactive, and would in all likelihood not deter poachers from targeting a particular property. Logic seems to dictate that the true permanent solution would be to eliminate the demand for a product like rhino horn. Needless to say, education would go a long way towards teaching consumers that rhino horn contains no nutritional or medicinal value. However, education will not produce an immediate result, and results are what we need most at this point. In the weeks immediately after the poaching of our beloved rhino cow, Queenstown, we seriously considered poisoning our rhinos’ horns. However, as we proceeded with research into this feasibility, we liaised with other researchers working on different challenges affecting the health of rhinos in general. Of particular interest to us was work being done on the control of ectoparasites (ticks etc.) through treating the horn with depot ectoparasiticides. So our original idea of poisoning the horns was circumvented by the need to treat the horn, and thus the animal, against parasites instead. Furthermore, our legal counsellors strongly advised against the idea of intentionally poisoning horns. Ectoparasiticides are not intended for consumption by humans, and are registered as such. Although not lethal in small quantities, they remain extremely toxic. Symptoms of accidental ingestion may include but are not limited to severe nausea, vomiting, convulsions and/or nervous symptoms, in extreme cases. Because of these side effects, the treated rhinos and their horns have to be visibly identifiable to avoid ingestion of treated horns. We then realised that treatment of the horns with a mixture of ectoparasiticides, coupled with an indelible dye, would go a long way to helping us achieve our goal of protecting all rhinos in South Africa from poaching. This dye, similar to products used in the banking industry, is visible on an x-ray scanner and thus a treated horn, even when ground to a fine powder, cannot pass unnoticed through security checkpoints. Specifically, airport security checkpoints are almost certain to pick up the presence of this dye. Furthermore, in the selection of acaricides for inclusion in the treatment compound, care was taken to only consider “ox pecker” friendly acaricides so that damage to innocent animals and other organisms is limited. And so, the Rhino Rescue Project was born. Our testing is ongoing and comprehensive to ensure that the animals are in no way harmed by the treatment, and to determine how long a single treatment may last. Based on our research, we believe the treatment should remain effective for approximately three to four years, after which re-administration would be required. Because all of our rhinos are wild (with the exception of poaching orphans that are being hand-reared), they would not normally be treated against parasites. We believe strongly in nature being allowed to run its course, and human intervention being kept to a minimum. However, upon realising that treatment could potentially neutralise a dual threat (both poaching and parasites), we decided to proceed with testing and subsequent treatment. The treatment compound at this stage consists of a carefully mixed “cocktail” of drugs in which exact quantities of each substance are paramount to ensure the animal and other organisms remain unharmed whilst still delivering enough potency for humans to present with symptoms upon ingestion. As mentioned before, this approach is unique for the simple reason that it eliminates the demand for poaching, instead of focusing solely on stopping the activities surrounding the poaching itself. If consumers are no longer willing to pay exorbitant prices for rhino horn, poachers may think twice before engaging in this dangerous activity with its great risk of getting caught, without the incentive of a substantial financial reward. To further empower us in the ongoing war against poaching, the Rhino Rescue Project also harvests a DNA sample whilst the animal is temporarily immobilised during treatment. Scientists at Onderstepoort have made available a full DNA sampling kit, called RHODIS specifically for this purpose. Information from this sample can then be added to a national database of treated animals, with the aim of aiding the legal community in securing prosecutions in cases where treated horns are poached. Furthermore, sniffer dogs have been trained at a professional training facility to track rhino horn, even in miniscule quantities. This confirms the notion that, instead of attempting to eradicate poaching with a single weapon of choice, a holistic, multi-pronged approach is necessary to control the problem. When coupled with other measures like anti-poaching patrols, fast and effective reaction units and proper policing, the Rhino Rescue Project initiative is a cost-effective, commercially viable alternative to stopping poaching once and for all. Trade in rhino horn is illegal, and thus, anyone who knowingly purchases and consumes rhino horn is involved in criminal activity. Even if the use of rhino horn in some countries is deemed culturally acceptable, it remains illegal all the same. We emphasise that we do not want to kill anybody. In fact, nothing would make us happier than if no human ever again touched a rhino horn. However, since this appears highly unlikely under the current circumstances, we want poachers and the consumers of their products to know that we mean business. The treatment administered to our animals is no joke. It is not a ruse; it is not a hoax; it is not a mock-up. It is as real as poaching and its consequences can be every bit as devastating. The importance and seriousness of this cautionary advice is not to be underestimated. If individuals still proceed in the harvesting, sale, purchase and consumption of rhino horn, having been informed that it could potentially pose serious health risks, they do so at their peril. Rhinos have no other way of defending themselves against the greed and ruthlessness of man but for the defences we give them. If you are who you help, and you help no-one, then who are you …?
