Urge decisive action by the NZ Government to save the Rhino from the threat of extinction
The issue
To: The New Zealand House of Representatives.
“ We, the undersigned, request the House of Representatives to urge the NZ Government to take decisive and affirmative action to help save the Rhinoceros (rhino) from the very real threat of extinction resulting from the current poaching crisis and subsequent illegal trade in Rhinoceros horn.”
The Rhinoceros (rhino) species are being hunted relentlessly for their horn and are imminently threatened with extinction and require immediate protection and management. Decisive action needs to be taken NOW by governments around the world to help protect and save them by encouraging and supporting those countries with rhino populations to enforce their wildlife crime laws and dispel myths to change consumer behaviour.
Many populations of rhinos are on the IUCN Critically Endangered Red List. They include the following: the Javan Rhino found in Java’s Ujung Kulon National Park; the Sumatran Rhino found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo; the One Horned Rhino in Southern Nepal and Northern India and the four Black Rhino subspecies on the African continent. The latter suffered the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species during the last century and are now a rare sight in the wild as a result of incessant poaching. The Northern White Rhino, the most critically endangered, was declared extinct in the wild in 2008. Only three now remain in captivity (two female and one male) at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Breeding programmes to save this species have so far proved unsuccessful.
The Southern White Rhino found mainly in South Africa, but also Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe, are considered the most prolific. However, their population is now estimated at less than 20,000 and, in South Africa, they are being poached for their horns in increasing numbers. The crisis for the Southern White Rhino is deepening there with over 1000 killed illegally in 2013. The death toll for the Southern White is steadily rising every year, with one reportedly killed every nine hours.
Fueling the decimation of this iconic species, is a huge spike in the demand for rhino horn predominantly in China and Vietnam. Rhino horn is currently the most expensive commodity in the world. It is invariably used in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for fever and headaches, a cure for cancer and a last resort hope for illness and sickness. In Vietnam, rhino horn is seen as an elite status symbol and as a popular hangover preventative on the social scene. It is of note that traditional Asian medicines account for a high portion of all wildlife import seizures at the New Zealand border each year.
Rhino horn is keratin – the same substance as human hair, finger and toenails - and scientific evidence indicates it provides no curative or medicinal properties. Such ‘myths’ need to be urgently dispelled if the rhino is to have any hope of continued survival. Research has shown that potential buyers from Asian countries prefer horn from rhinos in the wild (not ‘farmed’ rhinos) as they are considered to be more potent. Buyers, therefore, pay ‘top dollar’ for the wild product - a demand which can never be satisfied by farmed rhino horn - so the poaching continues. There is no proven evidence that ‘controlled trade’ in farmed rhino horn will see an end to the illegal trade. In fact, strong arguments suggest that any legal trade would likely increase the demand in a parallel illegal, and criminally operated, market.
It is also a matter of concern that rhino horn sells for excessively high prices in auction houses in New Zealand. Therefore, this area of demand also needs to stop if efforts to save the rhino are to be taken seriously. Various New Zealand organisations are helping to raise public awareness about the plight of the rhino: Tusk and Horn Wildlife Trust; Imake A Difference; Walking For Rhinos; Gordon Consulting (Palmerston North) and New Zealanders for Endangered Wildlife.
We, therefore, call upon our political leaders to:
- Oppose any measures, particularly internationally, which promote legalisation of any trade in rhino horn
- Support the listing of ALL Rhinos, including the Southern White Rhino, under CITES Appendix I
- Support measures to increase the conservation status of the Southern White Rhino from ‘least vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’
- Ban ALL domestic trade of rhino horn in New Zealand and tighten legislation to close off any loopholes
- Ban ALL imports and re-exports of rhino horn to and from New Zealand
- Raise awareness including publicly destroying any confiscated rhino horn items in Crown ownership
Only Rhinos Should Have Horns
STOP the demand – STOP the trade – STOP the poaching – SAVE the species
(The IUCN Red List is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of wild species)
* Photo of 'Thandi' (mutilated by poachers) and her calf 'Thembi' courtesy of photographer, Angie Goody http://www.tesawildlife.org/
The issue
To: The New Zealand House of Representatives.
“ We, the undersigned, request the House of Representatives to urge the NZ Government to take decisive and affirmative action to help save the Rhinoceros (rhino) from the very real threat of extinction resulting from the current poaching crisis and subsequent illegal trade in Rhinoceros horn.”
The Rhinoceros (rhino) species are being hunted relentlessly for their horn and are imminently threatened with extinction and require immediate protection and management. Decisive action needs to be taken NOW by governments around the world to help protect and save them by encouraging and supporting those countries with rhino populations to enforce their wildlife crime laws and dispel myths to change consumer behaviour.
Many populations of rhinos are on the IUCN Critically Endangered Red List. They include the following: the Javan Rhino found in Java’s Ujung Kulon National Park; the Sumatran Rhino found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo; the One Horned Rhino in Southern Nepal and Northern India and the four Black Rhino subspecies on the African continent. The latter suffered the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species during the last century and are now a rare sight in the wild as a result of incessant poaching. The Northern White Rhino, the most critically endangered, was declared extinct in the wild in 2008. Only three now remain in captivity (two female and one male) at the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. Breeding programmes to save this species have so far proved unsuccessful.
The Southern White Rhino found mainly in South Africa, but also Kenya, Namibia and Zimbabwe, are considered the most prolific. However, their population is now estimated at less than 20,000 and, in South Africa, they are being poached for their horns in increasing numbers. The crisis for the Southern White Rhino is deepening there with over 1000 killed illegally in 2013. The death toll for the Southern White is steadily rising every year, with one reportedly killed every nine hours.
Fueling the decimation of this iconic species, is a huge spike in the demand for rhino horn predominantly in China and Vietnam. Rhino horn is currently the most expensive commodity in the world. It is invariably used in traditional Chinese medicine as a remedy for fever and headaches, a cure for cancer and a last resort hope for illness and sickness. In Vietnam, rhino horn is seen as an elite status symbol and as a popular hangover preventative on the social scene. It is of note that traditional Asian medicines account for a high portion of all wildlife import seizures at the New Zealand border each year.
Rhino horn is keratin – the same substance as human hair, finger and toenails - and scientific evidence indicates it provides no curative or medicinal properties. Such ‘myths’ need to be urgently dispelled if the rhino is to have any hope of continued survival. Research has shown that potential buyers from Asian countries prefer horn from rhinos in the wild (not ‘farmed’ rhinos) as they are considered to be more potent. Buyers, therefore, pay ‘top dollar’ for the wild product - a demand which can never be satisfied by farmed rhino horn - so the poaching continues. There is no proven evidence that ‘controlled trade’ in farmed rhino horn will see an end to the illegal trade. In fact, strong arguments suggest that any legal trade would likely increase the demand in a parallel illegal, and criminally operated, market.
It is also a matter of concern that rhino horn sells for excessively high prices in auction houses in New Zealand. Therefore, this area of demand also needs to stop if efforts to save the rhino are to be taken seriously. Various New Zealand organisations are helping to raise public awareness about the plight of the rhino: Tusk and Horn Wildlife Trust; Imake A Difference; Walking For Rhinos; Gordon Consulting (Palmerston North) and New Zealanders for Endangered Wildlife.
We, therefore, call upon our political leaders to:
- Oppose any measures, particularly internationally, which promote legalisation of any trade in rhino horn
- Support the listing of ALL Rhinos, including the Southern White Rhino, under CITES Appendix I
- Support measures to increase the conservation status of the Southern White Rhino from ‘least vulnerable’ to ‘endangered’
- Ban ALL domestic trade of rhino horn in New Zealand and tighten legislation to close off any loopholes
- Ban ALL imports and re-exports of rhino horn to and from New Zealand
- Raise awareness including publicly destroying any confiscated rhino horn items in Crown ownership
Only Rhinos Should Have Horns
STOP the demand – STOP the trade – STOP the poaching – SAVE the species
(The IUCN Red List is the world’s most comprehensive information source on the global conservation status of wild species)
* Photo of 'Thandi' (mutilated by poachers) and her calf 'Thembi' courtesy of photographer, Angie Goody http://www.tesawildlife.org/
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Petition created on 30 June 2016