Poisoned rhino horn plan goes awry
Reserve seeks to implant pesticides to deter poachers
PENCER the rhino’s death came suddenly and unexpectedly – but the elderly animal’s end won’t be in vain in the fight against rhino poaching.
“We look at it as a sacrificial lamb in the desperate bid for people to try to seek alternatives to end poaching and reduce demand for rhino horn,” says Dr Joseph Okori, the head of the World Wildlife Fund’s (WWF) African rhino programme. “It symbolises the need for people to address poaching.”
Okori witnessed the death of Spencer at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve in Kromdraai this week while he was a guest at an event held for the media to witness a controversial treatment programme involving immobilising rhino to treat the animals with a toxic cocktail of ectoparasiticides – pesticides to treat ticks – to dissuade the consumption of rhino horn.
But the function took a tragic turn when the elderly rhino had a heart attack after being darted with a tranquilliser. Its horn had been treated with a dose of the pesticide, and a DNA sample had been taken and microchips had already been inserted, but when the time came to bring the rhino around, the vet was unable to do so.
“While we are saddened that this ended in the eventual death of a rhino, we must realise this has come as a result of very strong pressure through poaching,” says Okori. “It’s created a very desperate situation. Rhino owners are… willing to take risks to save rhino.
S“The procedure went smoothly, but my only concern was it was an elderly rhino. Rhino deaths don’t just happen like that. We do many translocations of rhino. There were underlying factors. Interestingly, it was the first rhino I’ve seen in my life that was very big and fatty. I don’t know whether it was because of its huge body size, that it was eating so well, that could have stressed its heart at the point of recovery. It’s very unfortunate that it turned into a day of mourning for us.”
Veterinarian Dr Charles van Niekerk is devastated by Spencer’s death, after having already performed the procedure several times. He says the reserve is awaiting the outcome of lab tests and samples to explain what happened, but said he would continue with the treatment.
“We’ve just got to remain resolved… to carry on. We can’t, unfortunately, stop doing this good thing that we hope we are doing. Every time you immobilise an animal, obviously there’s a risk. It’s tragic that it ends like that. Unfortunately with older animals, the risk in immobilisation is higher.”
The research programme will be complete within four years. “Unfortunately we can’t wait, we’ve already waited 15 months. Our decision has been we’ve just got to do something. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We now have to do everything we can to try and slow down poaching,” says Van Niekerk.
Ectoparasiticides can cause severe nausea, vomiting and convulsions and the reserve says that because of these sideeffects, the treated rhino and their horns must be visibly identifiable to avoid ingestion of treated horns by people, hence their treatment with an indelible dye.
But Okori disagrees with the methodology the reserve is using, terming it a “misfire”. “We don’t believe the infusion of toxic substances into rhino horn is the way to go as it will target innocent consumers when we should be targeting poachers and the people profiteering from the trade.
“The poisoning is like a misfire, it doesn’t support this as it targets the end user. We understand the reason why they’re doing this to reduce demand, so people will be frightened of rhino horn. However, is this correct? You could be an accomplice to a crime or murder if somebody dies because all rhino horn is traceable.”
Okori says while WWF-SA does not support the poison, there is merit in the dye, as it allows for the traceability of rhino horn. “A lot of rhino hor n passes through OR Tambo, wrapped and concealed, and the scanner does not detect the horn. The use of dye may allow for detection. And consumers at the end of the day won’t want to consume pink dye. We’d throw out the poison, but the dye… could have an application.
“Every rhino lost is a loss to our nation, our heritage and to our genetic population. You lose genes whenever you lose a rhino, and we just have a handful left in Africa.”