a few weeks Ago, an unusual hunting took place in the North-West of South Africa. For nine days, employees of the national Park authority with the help of conservationists, all the rhinos in the three conservation areas identified, several dozen animals, sedated it and sawed them with the horns. The drastic, and in this unique action is designed to protect the animals from poachers. “It was a historical species protection measure”, says Lynne MacTavish, Executive Director of the Mankwe Wildlife reserve. “The Dehorning is a controversial one, but it has proved to be the only method that makes a significant difference.”
In the past ten years, South Africa was the place of grace and extremely efficient and organized illegal hunting of rhinos: More than eight thousand animals lost their lives. Poachers, the Horn, cut you so deep from the meat that you bleed to death rule. Rhino horn powder in Vietnam and China as a remedy, and a kilogram of Horn is around 55,000 Euro value.
the Last of the Rhino poaching in southern Africa has declined somewhat, but now the species conservationists are worried that you might flare up because of the pandemic consequences again. Shortly after the Lockdown in South Africa at the end of March at least nine of the animals were killed. Also in the neighboring country of Botswana were briefly poached to the closure of the Border at least six white rhinos. With only around 5500 individuals, the species is threatened with extinction, which is why some of the animals from the Okavango Delta to a secure, secret location in Botswana were brought.
90 percent less Eco-tourists
Such measures of protection as well as Enthornungen or continuous observation by Rhino-Ranger, who will accompany the animals at every step, and Anti-poaching patrols, which are open to all wild animals, costs money. Much of it comes from the eco-tourism. The came however, because of the rigorous international travel restrictions at the end of March on the continent as a whole abruptly to a Halt.
“90 percent of our guests come from abroad. The last three months, we have survived with donations, but I’m not sure how long we can leave,“ says MacTavish. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, the travel industry generated in Africa and revenues of around 63 billion euros. In South Africa, the foreign tourists, possibly in February 2021 to enter the country, originated in the year 2018, a good 84 per cent of the funds for “SanParks” – South African national Park authority – from tourism-related sources such as Park entry tours fees and game drives. “The vast majority of Parks and reserves in Africa, is financed almost exclusively through tourism,” says Tim Davenport, who directs the Wildlife Conservation Society, the biodiversity protection programmes for Africa. “Without the revenue, the operation had to be reduced budgets, and law enforcement measures reduced.”
In the Safari Nations, the tourists are not missing but only for your money: “The animals are protected not only from wild animal keepers, but also by the presence of tourists. You are missing the risk of poaching is reduced,“ says Davenport. Places like the Okavango Delta or the Kruger national Park to wait with the “Big 5” – lion, leopard, Rhino, elephant and Buffalo, and they swarm usually in front of tourists.
