There are other options available without having to dehorn rhino. Horn devaluation treatment is the greatest deterrent among consumers, backed up by research being done by organizations in Vietnam involved with demand reduction campaigns. At the same time, DNA samples are done, as well as GPS placements. http://bit.ly/1KunIKg
Don't be fooled by this pro-trade propaganda. Legalizing trade in rhino horn is only "friendly" to those who stand to reap substantial profits from selling their stockpiles of rhino horn. Legalized trade in parts of this endangered animal is neither ethical nor sustainable. Instead, it will open a floodgate of increased demand for rhino horn as farmed horn becomes affordable to new markets and those who can afford higher prices will continue to pay top dollar for illegally harvested wild horn. This scenario has happened with the farming of other endangered commodities such as tiger bone and bear bile. Not to mention how opening the market for ivory has come close to decimating the world's population of this animal. The solution is simple: when the buying stops, the killing stops.
Legalised trade is NOT the answer, why would you want to sell a product that has NO medicinal qualities……..it would just perpetuate the myth! How would you know which horns were 'legally' sold and which one's were poached? This is Africa, the biggest problem here is corruption, government people are involved in poaching and the way forward is certainly not to encourage more people to use Rhino horn.
Legal trade won't make any difference to the survival of the Rhino so saying that harvesting will help makes no sense. There have been so many cases of Rhino's still been poached after their horns have been trimmed and they even kill the calves that have no horn. The way forward is to end supply and that can be done if we fight. Just don't accept everything that you read here, do your homework, visit some Rhino sites in Africa mainly The Rhino Orphanage, Surviving the Survivors listen to the stories and see the photos then you make up your mind. I want to see the modern day unicorn still living in the wild where they belong. If we stand together we can make a difference. Legal trade in Rhino horn will make the situation worse not better. The only ones that will benefit from this will be the 'farmers/breeders' not the Rhino that is for sure.
Legal trade in Rhino horn will not work. Even de-horned Rhinos are poached for the stub that is left. Rhinos need their horns - humans do not. It is ridiculous to perpetrate the MYTH that Rhino horn has magical medicinal powers when it is nothing but keratin, just like fingernails. The trade must be stopped and people educated. The ancient and magestic Rhinos must be saved! Extinction is forever!
It's worth mentioning that alongside most 'legally' traded products e.g. cigarettes, abalone, CD, DVD, clothing, alcohol etc. exists the parallel black market items, and channels - in other words the poaching is unlikely to be stopped - or even reduced, by horn trade. With the escalating costs of security (pro-trade proponents believe this cost would be covered by horn profits), these costs will keep rising as the demand for horn grows, and incidents of crime, and poaching increase with it. Of course, these, and husbandry costs, and the greed factor - will likely to quickly push the price of horn beyond which the syndicates, or poachers would happily (if at all) pay for - at which point (if not before) poaching would resume, and intensify. They poach it for free. As everyone knows, It's business's aim to reduce costs of business - including syndicates, poachers, and generally corrupt. Under this model will exist abuse, and corruption. Captive Rhinos will start disappearing because killing them e.g. hunting is quicker than producing horn. Why would they pay for it? Why would the growing numbers of 'poverty stricken' (read opportunists) poachers pay for it? It makes no sense - and is simply morally wrong to sell a dud product, to wilfully oppose, and undermine demand reduction initiatives and campaigns designed to reduce overall demand and poaching of the world's wildlife - in order to promote and satisfy a dubious, and risky goal such as Rhino horn trade. As it stands, poaching exists because it's free, syndicate bosses are manipulating poor people to supply them product for money that for the syndicate is peanuts, but for poor people is a lot - this is why syndicates and similar would not opt to pay for horn. I also question as to whether certain pro-trade members - within and without our parks e.g. within govt. circles - aren't implicitly involved.. to sacrifice Rhinos, to stall demand reduction efforts in order to fool the public, the world and even Cites - that trade is necessary in order to save our wildlife.
Please do your research about rhino horn harvesting. This is one of the reasons why we have this problem today. BAN all sales of rhino horn. The only thing that needs a rhino horn is a rhino to protect itself. The rate they are being killed (daily) soon there will be no rhinos left. Do not kid yourself they are NOT even safe on private farms, they are still poached and killed for trophy hunting. Corruption is everywhere sadly. Why do you think the Hunting agencies are so wealthy?
Firstly, de horning rhino DOES not deter poaching. See the amount of horn left on the rhino, well that is the heaviest and most valuable part and de-horned rhino have been, and still are, poached for this (seemingly) small part. Secondly, the constant talk of trade is having an adverse effect on the excellent demand elimination work being done in consumer countries. And demand elimination is the only long term solution to stopping poaching - the only way to stop poaching is by changing hearts and minds, by changing habits - and the youth of consumer countries are the key to this.
And in the meantime horn treatment should be rolled out across the country's rhino population as horn treatment IS A DETERRENT to poaching - the statistics speak for themselves. Many, but not all, establishments that de-horn their rhino do so because they are banking - literally - on trade being opened in rhino horn. Those who take this attitude see rhino as a 'cash cow', like any other farm animal, as this is what these farmed rhino actually are. These rhino do not appear to behave as wild rhino do - there is no way anyone would stand that close to a wild rhino in Kruger or Mfolozi or any other reserve. These are farm animals - do we want rhino to become like this. NO.
Rhino have a horn a for a reason - rather reasons - for defending themselves in confrontations with other animals, for digging for water, for guiding their young, for gathering browse (in the case of the Black rhino), as a sign of prowess in confrontations with competing males. Does one need to go on with reasons why rhino need their horn? Oh yes, because nature gave it a horn - no animal has an appendage that does not serve a purpose.
Opening trade will be a complete disaster for the rhino - history tells us this – think elephant ivory, think tigers and more. Do we really want Africa to become a giant farm, supplying animals for South East Asia's constantly evolving, constantly growing market for wild animals? Because this is what will happen if trade is opened.
This video, and others from the same source, are just cynical attempst to persuade the unknowing that the people who made this video care about rhinos. They don’t, they only care about the valuable bit on the end of a rhino's nose - - this is all ABOUT MONEY, nothing about the survival of the rhino.
And in the meantime horn treatment should be rolled out across the country's rhino population as horn treatment IS A DETERRENT to poaching - the statistics speak for themselves. Many, but not all, establishments that de-horn their rhino do so because they are banking - literally - on trade being opened in rhino horn. Those who take this attitude see rhino as a 'cash cow', like any other farm animal, as this is what these farmed rhino actually are. These rhino do not appear to behave as wild rhino do - there is no way anyone would stand that close to a wild rhino in Kruger or Mfolozi or any other reserve. These are farm animals - do we want rhino to become like this. NO.
Rhino have a horn a for a reason - rather reasons - for defending themselves in confrontations with other animals, for digging for water, for guiding their young, for gathering browse (in the case of the Black rhino), as a sign of prowess in confrontations with competing males. Does one need to go on with reasons why rhino need their horn? Oh yes, because nature gave it a horn - no animal has an appendage that does not serve a purpose.
Opening trade will be a complete disaster for the rhino - history tells us this – think elephant ivory, think tigers and more. Do we really want Africa to become a giant farm, supplying animals for South East Asia's constantly evolving, constantly growing market for wild animals? Because this is what will happen if trade is opened.
This video, and others from the same source, are just cynical attempst to persuade the unknowing that the people who made this video care about rhinos. They don’t, they only care about the valuable bit on the end of a rhino's nose - - this is all ABOUT MONEY, nothing about the survival of the rhino.
There is sooo much wrong with this and I'm amazed that you, Ellen, as a open-minded presenter cannot see it. Apart from the fact that the information is wrong and very biased (as you will see from many many comments on here) the fact that a useless product is being sold to gullible people as a cure-all for certain diseases is morally wrong. Add to that the fact that corrupt and amoral people are getting VERY RICH from this business, and a high proportion of the money from wildlife crime is being used to fund criminal, illegal and terrorizing activities. What are you thinking, allowing such propaganda to air on your channel?