Sustainable rhino horn production at the pointy end of the rhino horn trade debate

Abstract

African rhino populations are under severe threat from poachers, who kill rhinos to obtain horn for illegal trade. Over the 9-year period between 2008 and 2016, an estimated 7,124 rhinos were poached in Africa, with the main focus of this killing occurring in South Africa, where 1,054 rhinos were killed during 2016 alone. The poaching continues at an unsustainable rate, despite the international trade ban on horn and numerous law enforcement interventions from range state countries. One strategy proposed to reduce the poaching is the implementation of a legal international trade in rhino horn through the sustainable collection and sale of horn. This idea is controversial and has divided governments and conservationists worldwide, with one of the main concerns being that there may not be enough horn to satisfy the markets. Although the idea of trade is not new, there are no published estimates of how much horn could be provided on a sustainable basis. Based on recent rhino population estimates and feedback from private rhino owners, we estimate the annual potential supply of horn that could be obtained within South Africa from four sources: natural mortalities, dehorning, trophy hunting and stockpiled horn. Using different scenarios of horn production we show that the mass of horn that could be obtained varies from 5,319-13,356 kg per year.

Negligible hormonal response following dehorning in free-ranging white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum)

“…Rhinoceros species (from here on ‘rhino’) require immediate actions to save them from unsustainable poaching losses ( Taylor et al , 2017 ; Ferreira et al , 2018 ). A rise in demand for rhino horn in East Asia has resulted in the deaths of over 8000 African rhinos during the 2010s ( Vigne and Martin, 2018 ; Knight, 2020 ).…”

Using drones and sirens to elicit avoidance behaviour in white rhinoceros as an anti-poaching tactic

“…The recovery of southern white rhino ( Ceratotherium simum simum ) populations to more than 20 000 individuals [1] from a remnant population of fewer than 50 breeding individuals at the end of the nineteenth century [2] is lauded as one of conservation's greatest successes [3]. However, this success is threatened by a rapid increase in rhino poaching [1] fuelled by a surge in demand from an increasingly affluent Southeast Asian market [4], where horn is used medicinally and as a symbol of status [5].…”

“…However, this success is threatened by a rapid increase in rhino poaching [1] fuelled by a surge in demand from an increasingly affluent Southeast Asian market [4], where horn is used medicinally and as a symbol of status [5]. The rising costs of effective anti-poaching security are putting significant financial pressure on both national parks and private reserves [3], where the apprehension of poachers and reducing incursions are primarily achieved through foot and vehicle patrols [6]. There is thus a clear need to identify effective, low-cost, and readily applicable techniques to aid on-the-ground conservation efforts.…”

A Theory of Change to grow numbers of African rhino at a conservation site

“…The value of the illegal trade in rhino horn has been estimated to be between USD 64 and USD 190 million (Nellemann, Henriksen, Raxter, Ash, & Mrema, ), and the horn itself has been valued, anecdotally, in the region of USD 36,000 per kg or more when sold to the end user (Gwin, 2012) and between USD 35,000 per kg and USD 65,000 per kg in 2013/2014 (Hübschle, ). The potential supply of horn into these markets through annual rhino horn production in South Africa is estimated to range between 5,300 and 13,000 kg (Taylor et al, ). In contrast, a living rhino is auctioned for between USD 10,000 and USD 30,000 (M. Knight (Personal communication, May 2016)), and this has implications for the management of the two species.…”