Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
20 September 2024 | 11:00 CAT
2 min read

A dehorning program in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park has resulted in an impressive 80% decrease in rhino poaching, sparing an estimated 120 rhinos since its launch in April. The initiative, a collaboration between the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, has also facilitated the rescue of eight orphaned calves whose mothers were poached.

WWF South Africa’s Rhino Conservation Programme manager, Jeff Cooke, highlighted that rhino poaching over the last probably 10 – 15 years has become the largest threat to rhino conservation. “It has been a difficult challenge for South African conservationists to deal with, and we have certainly not won the war, and we battle to contain in,” he said.

In KwaZulu-Natal, 325 rhinos were killed in 2023, with 307 occurring in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi. This park has been severely impacted by poaching, losing over 10% of its population and accounting for 60% of national poaching losses in South Africa. However, poaching rates significantly dropped in May and June, coinciding with the dehorning of more than 1,000 rhinos.

“Dehorning is a complementary intervention, not a silver bullet in and of itself; one has to measure one’s expectations when it comes to dehorning. Poachers will evaluate their targets based on reward, dehorning targets as the reward part of that equation. So if you reduce 80% of the rhino while it’s still alive, the poacher only gets 20% that is left but has to expose themselves to the same amount, if not more risk and perhaps more effort; that is where it helps, but it’s not a long-term solution,” he explained.

Cooke noted improvements in security measures, including the use of surveillance cameras, smart fences, and tracking dogs. Dehorned rhinos have also been equipped with tracking pods for remote monitoring. The operation has provided valuable data for research on rhino genetics and population demographics.

“I am afraid the long-term solution still lies with us being able to influence the far-Eastern countries who are the consumers of rhino horns to change their attitudes and factors influencing price and demands,” he said.

Despite the success of the dehorning efforts, Cooke emphasised the need for continued vigilance against criminal syndicates looking to exploit security weaknesses. Hluhluwe-iMfolozi, known as the “birthplace of rhinos,” has played a crucial role in the conservation of both white and black rhinos, contributing to their recovery from near extinction. Responses from Ezemvelo and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment are pending.

“The public has a role to play in both how they support those agencies that are responsible for protecting these animals and also how we generate the necessary funding to do that,” he said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Ml Sulaimaan Ravat and Jeff Cooke, WWF South Africa’s Rhino Conservation Programme manager, here.