2011 has come and gone, leaving in its wake 448 known rhino carcasses despite the best efforts of so many. One day, when the syndicates are exposed, I wonder if we’ll ever know the depths to which these greedy and sick individuals have sunk at the expense of these magnificent creatures. According to acclaimed rhino scientists, if poaching continues at its current rate South Africa’s rhino herd will go into population decline by mid-2012.

 

Rhino Poaching is an extremely emotional topic, as can be seen by the huge groundswell of (often negative and uninformed) content available on the internet. In between the politics, criticism, heated debate and opposing ideas,  everyone ultimately shares the same objective – the survival of the rhino and an end to poaching. At the coalface of this war lies an army of passionate, dedicated people, often unnecessarily and thoughtlessly criticised. If a rhino is killed, everyone shouts ‘inside job’. If a sentence is past down that appears too lenient (irrespective of what our laws and constitution dictate), everyone yells bribery and corruption. Yes, there are undoubtedly some bad apples that need to be identified and severely dealt with, but generalising and drama don’t do the situation any good. Imagine the collective public force that could be generated from a supportive and objective attitude!

 

Thank you to the NWCRU, the SAPS Hawks, prosecutors, investigators, security companies, responsible rhino owners, reserve managers, staff, APU rangers, NGO's, rhino champions and all those who strive day and night to keep rhinos safe. Thank you too to everyone who has supported the cause. For a review of what StopRhinoPoaching.com has achieved for rhino, please click here.