Conserving rhinos by legal trade: Insights from a choice experiment with rhino horn consumers

Vu, Hoai Nam Dang; Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl

doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2021.107287

Cited by 9 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 37 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…If dehorning is efficient in reducing poaching, then immobilization and the possible loss of a calf would be the smaller risk compared with the possible loss of an adult female through poaching, which also has compound effects of losing future calves (Nhleko et al., 2022). Our research permit did not include the analysis of poaching data, but previous studies showed that the proportion of poached rhinos was not different between horned and dehorned populations (Chimes et al., 2022) and suggested that also dehorned rhinos need continuous protection (Dang Vu et al., 2022; Kock & Atkinson, 1993; Lindsey & Taylor, 2011). Further research is therefore necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of dehorning in reducing poaching events in comparison with other conservation measures, including the development of income‐generating activities for local communities around rhino reserves or value creation of living rhinos (Ferreira et al., 2022), so that resources for rhino conservation can be allocated most efficiently.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rhinoceroses (hereafter called ‘rhinos’) are some of the most targeted species in wildlife poaching, and the numbers of all five species combined have decreased from 29 085 in 2012 to 26 261 individuals at the end of 2021 (Emslie et al., 2016; Ferreira et al., 2022; Save The Rhino International, 2022). This decrease is due to poaching and illegal trafficking that supplies a market for rhino horn in south‐east Asia, where increasing wealth forms a growing group of customers who can afford rhino horn medicine (Cheung et al., 2021; Dang Vu, 2021; Dang Vu & Nielsen, 2018), ceremonial drinks to improve business relations or carvings and jewellery made out of rhino horn (Dang Vu et al., 2022; Milliken & Shaw, 2012; Rademeyer, 2016; Truong et al., 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Dehorning impacts white rhinoceros behaviour less than social events: evidence from Botswana

Pfannerstill,

Härdtner,

Maboga

et al. 2023

Journal of Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Dehorning is a conservation measure used to protect rhinoceroses (‘rhinos’) from being poached by removing most of the visible horn and thus reducing the monetary reward for the risk that a poacher takes. Rhinos use their horns in comfort and aggressive social behaviours. The loss of the horn might result in a decrease in aggressive and affiliative behaviours and an increase in avoidance behaviours after dehorning due to a reduced effectiveness and potential discomfort when using the nasal body part. The dehorning procedure, which includes chasing and immobilization, can lead to the separation of groups and might therefore result in fewer social interactions. To estimate whether the stress of the dehorning procedure and the loss of the horn affect the activity budget of the rhino, we compared general activities and horn‐related behaviours before and after dehorning. We observed nine (six females and three males) wild white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum simum) in Botswana for 1 month before and 1 month after dehorning. The proportions of feeding, resting, comfort, aggressive, avoidance and affiliative behaviours did not change significantly within 1 month after dehorning. We observed sex‐specific changes in proportions of locomotion and in vocalization rates, which we linked to the chasing during the procedure and to the social events of two births in the study population. Effects of the dehorning itself seemed to be weak and short‐lived. Our results suggest that dehorning has no major impact on rhino behaviour. However, there is a key need to investigate the effectiveness of dehorning in reducing poaching events.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dehorning impacts white rhinoceros behaviour less than social events: evidence from Botswana

Pfannerstill,

Härdtner,

Maboga

et al. 2023

Journal of Zoology

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The final design included 18 choice sets, which were randomly distributed into three blocks so that each block contained ). We used the priors from this model to conduct the D-efficient Bayesian design combinations but kept the original basic structure (Dang Vu et al, 2022;Hinsley et al, 2022). Illustrations were included in the choice questionnaire to depict attributes and differentiate among their levels to reduce the cognitive burden of the respondents (Appendix S12).…”

Section: Discrete Choice Experiments and Survey Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding indigenous people's traditional Chinese medicinal plants harvesting preferences to guide sustainable management

Zhao,

Fan,

et al. 2023

People and Nature

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Surging demand for medicinal plant products may lead to unsustainable harvesting practices, which could put pressure on wild populations. Yet little is known about indigenous harvesters' preferences on key traditional Chinese medicinal plant resources, and how these might affect sustainable use and management. We conducted a discrete choice experiment with over 900 native Tibetan harvesters in the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan plateau in China, under a range of complex alternative livelihood, climate and environmental change, and land tenure and customs scenarios. We used random parameter logit model with broad heterogeneity to estimate local Tibetan harvesters' preferences and their willingness to harvest, and latent class logit model to explore distinct within‐population groupings based on shared preferences, for designing possible interventions. We uncovered three key findings with important management implications for medicinal plants. When given a choice, the local harvesters preferred not to harvest any herbs. However, if they opted to harvest, they preferred to harvest flowers and seeds, as compared to roots, and tended to use wooden tool (over the use of bare hands and iron tool). Notably, the degree of compliance with village rules and customs, and ecological worldview interact with targeted plant parts and potential income from harvest to influence their harvesting preferences. Their choices were sensitive to scenario‐based changes to livelihood options. Finally, our study revealed three distinct harvester groups with substantial heterogeneity. Specifically, two groups consisted of over 60% of the interviewed harvesters who appeared to have a strong preference for sustainable practices, while the remaining group lacks this tendency. Overall, our results shed light on the importance of understanding the drivers of harvesting preferences and the heterogeneity of harvesting practices among indigenous people and their cultural and sustainability leanings, providing crucial insights for future sustainable use and management of wild and economically important medicinal plants in the grasslands of Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and other regions. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.

show abstract

Estimating the Cost of Crime Victimization: A Compensating Income Variation Approach Using Different Utility Proxies

Dang Vu,

Ásgeirsdóttir

2024

Soc Indic Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Conserving rhinos by legal trade: Insights from a choice experiment with rhino horn consumers

Cited by 9 publications

References 37 publications

Dehorning impacts white rhinoceros behaviour less than social events: evidence from Botswana

Dehorning impacts white rhinoceros behaviour less than social events: evidence from Botswana

Understanding indigenous people's traditional Chinese medicinal plants harvesting preferences to guide sustainable management

Estimating the Cost of Crime Victimization: A Compensating Income Variation Approach Using Different Utility Proxies

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About