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Issue Report- Conservation of the Black Rhino.

Native to eastern and central Africa, including places such as Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon and
Zimbabwe, the black rhinoceros is classified as critically endangered, with one subspecies, the
western Black Rhinoceros, declared extinct by the IUCN in 2011. For an extensive period of the
twentieth century, the continental black rhinoceros was one of the most numerous of all the
species of rhino. The severity of this issue is proven by the figures that have been gathered to
show the rapid decline of numbers. During the 1960s, the population of Black Rhinoceros was
around 70,000, however just 21 years later in 1981, that number decreased by roughly 55,000 to
60,000, leaving between 10,000 and 15,000 rhinos. [1] During the earlier half of the 1990s, the
number of Black Rhinoceros was as low as just under 2,500, and by the year 2004, it had been
reported that the number stood at a shocking 2,410. These figures clearly outline the seriousness
of the decline and provides the reason as to why there are several conservation methods
working to help save this beautiful creature.
There are four sub-species that are recognised: Southern-central black rhino, currently the most
numerous of the species. They are classified as critically endangered. There is also the Southwestern black rhino which is too classed as critically endangered. The Eastern African black
rhino has a smaller but growing population in Tanzania but is currently stronghold in Kenya, this
sub-species is also classified as critically endangered. Finally, there is the West African black
rhino, which is sadly classified as Probably Extinct.
Figure 1- Black Rhino Decline
This graph, taken from WWF in 2004 shows the extreme decline in the number of Black Rhinos
from 1969 to 2004. According to the graph there is a decrease of roughly 66,000 rhinos in just 35
years. This correlates with the data above and due to the fact its originally taken from WWF, its
most likely to be a reliable source of information. [2]
Why is the Black Rhino declining?
The black rhino has declined so drastically and so rapidly to the brink of extinction for several
reasons. The most common being due to human intervention including the illegal poaching for
their horn. To the lesser extent, the numbers have decreased as a result of the destruction of
their habitat. It is clear that the rhino has suffered extensively for several decades.
A major culpable market for the use to rhino horn has historically been tracked to Arab nations
who use the horns for the production of ornately carved handles for ceremonial daggers called
jambiyas. In the 1970s, the demand for these handles increased greatly, resulting in the number
of black rhinoceros declining by 96% between 1970 and 1992.[3] This is further supported by the
evidence suggested in the first paragraph and provides an explanation for the severe decrease
in numbers. Said by herbalists to be able to cure fevers, revive comatose patients and aid male
sexual stamina and fertility, the horn of the Black Rhino is also used in traditional Chinese
medicine; however the herbal properties have yet to be proven by medical science. C.A Spinage,
in 1962, appeared to share the belief with Asians that the horn had aphrodisiac properties and
many were willing to pay a great deal of money for such a product. However even without any
prove that the rhino horn held aphrodisiac properties, its the mainstay of TCM and its collection
has been held responsible for the deaths of thousands of rhinos across the world. As said by Ann
and Steve Toon For practitioners of traditional Asian medicine, rhino horn is not perceived as a
frivolous love potion, but as an irreplaceable pharmaceutical necessity. Eric Dinerstein (2003)
concurs: In fact, traditional Chinese medicine never has used rhinoceros horn as an aphrodisiac:
this is a myth of the Western media and in some parts of Asia is viewed as a kind of anti-Chinese
hysteria.[4] This clearly suggests that one major component for the poaching of Black Rhinos is

for its somewhat medicinal properties. It is also suggested that European Hunting is indeed an
issue. There have been various accounts of five or six Black Rhinos being killed a day, either to
be eaten, or to a more serious and sadistic extent, simply for ones amusement.
Habitat loss is also a contributor towards the deaths of so many Black Rhinos. Many countries
that once held a great deal of Black Rhinos such as, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo,
Benin, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Sudan in Africa, have now lost their entire
population. One of the most obvious declines is due to the clearance of land for human
settlement and agricultural production. [5]The Black Rhino is being forced out of its natural
habitat in order to accommodate human interests, without taking into consideration the effect it
has on the Rhino. Logging, both authorised and illegal is an issue, as its once again destroying
the habitat of the Rhino. Another, perhaps less, reason as to why the number of Black Rhinos is
being affected is due to political conflict. In various locations, where the normal law and order has
been disintegrated, it has become increasingly easier for poachers to kill the Black Rhino along
with other endangered species. This is particularly notable in example of where political conflict
has correlated with a rise in Rhino poaching including the Democratic Republic of Congo
Zimbabwe and Nepal. [6]
Conservation
WWF and
WWF has been working within Rhino conservation and management in Africa for almost 50
years. They are working to increase the numbers using a series of biological methods. This
includes:
-Establishing new areas for the Rhino that are protected.
-Expanding the existing protected areas and improving their management.
-Improving security monitoring to protect rhinos from poaching.
-Improving local and international law enforcement to stop the flow of rhino horn and other illegal
wildlife trade items from Africa to other regions of the world.
-Promoting well managed wildlife-based tourism experiences that will also provide additional
funding for conservation efforts.[7]
WWF are tackling the illegal wildlife trade as one method of conserving the Rhino. They are
setting up an African-wide rhino database with the use of rhino horn DNA analysis (RhoDIS). This
contributes to forensic investigations at the area of the crime and contributes to court evidence in
order to strengthen the prosecution cases. It has been circulated into law as legal evidence in
courts and rhino management in place such as South Africa and Kenya. This method is done
with institutions such as the University of Pretoria Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. WWF also
worked with the government and other partners in Namibia in order to create the development of
new transmitters which would track movements of the rhino and protect them against poachers
and hunters. As well as this, and confidential phone hotline was set up and promoted that allows
people to inform the authority about poaching in a safe and anonymous environment. Due to
WWF and the Government of Namibia and Mobile Telecommunications Limited, Rhino poaching
within Namibia has decreased. The worlds largest wildlife trade monitoring network has
contributed significantly to the bilateral law enforcement efforts between South Africa and
Vietnam. This has been done with written commitments in order to strengthen ports and
bordering monitoring as well as information sharing to disrupt the illegal trade chain activities and
bring the culprits to justice as a result of their crime against the rhino population. [8]
The number of arrests in 2010 was 165, whereas in 2013 it was as little as 46. [12] This data
suggests that there has been a success in reducing the number of poachers, which according to

this table has clearly decreased. This source was taken from a website aimed specifically at
stopping the poaching of rhinos and so the reliability of the data should be high. The website
states the origin of their information- Issued by the DEA on 28th Feb 2013. meaning their data
can be traced back to the DEA to confirm such statistics.
Figure 2- Arrests for poaching in South Africa.
WWF have also aimed to strengthen local and international law enforcement. They support
accredited training and environmental and crime courses; some of these have been adopted by
South Africa Wildlife College. In countries such as Kenya and South Africa, prospectors have
been appointed in order to prosecute rhino crimes with the aim of dealing with the mounting
arrests and bring the criminals to justice with commensurate penalties.
WWF African Rhino Programme
WWF adopted a strategic and provocative approach in 1997 in order to help to conserve the
Black Rhino is the most effective way possible; this was through the African Rhino Programme.
Originally, WWFs approach to rhino conservation was primarily directed towards large protected
areas which historically held a large number of rhinos is vast tracts of undisturbed land. However,
they came to the realisation that not enough was being done as a result of the resources
available being far too narrow. The African Rhino Programme coordinates and implements
WWFs efforts towards the in situ management and conservation of the rhinos. This responsibility
is shared amongst many other partners such as government bodies, various other conservation
groups and NGOs, the private sector and local communities.[9]
Black Rhino Range Expansion Project
Another conservation method is through the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. The
partnership is between WWF, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Board.
This project aims to increase the numbers of black rhino as well as the growth rate. This is done
through facilitating partnerships between landowners with a significant black rhino habitat. The
project began in 2003 and since the introduction of it; there have been 8 new black rhino
populations created in South Africa. These populations and situated in Kwazulu-Natal and
Limpopo, totalling to a land cover of 160,000ha. Due to this project, nearly 130 black rhinos have
been translocated. As well as creating new populations, this project supports the security of black
rhino populations by providing anti-poaching work equipment, paying for helicopter hours for the
vets who go out to treat the snared black rhino and finally by paying for rhino monitors and
purchasing light aircraft for aerial surveillance.
South Africas Kruger National Park
Black Rhino conservation in South Africas Kruger National Park is also working towards saving
the black rhino. In this park, there is a 100,000ha study area in the high density Southern part
where a helicopter survey is completed annually. Each black rhino is photographed and the
relevant age and sex is recorded. A total of 74 rhinos were counted during the 1998 census, all
marked with ear-notches. Kruger National Park is almost 2,000,000ha in size and has the
capacity to hold up to 2,500 more rhinos. This park is considered to be of great importance in the
conservation of the black rhino due to the fact its only one of few reserves that is able to
accommodate a genetically and demographically viable population of black rhinos. The overall
objectives of the performance within this park are as follows:
-Monitor the annual black rhino population performance in the Kruger National Park.
-Mark sub-adult black rhinos in the high density area with ear notches in order to monitor their

dispersal and individual life history.


-Complete and electronic database of the 10 years of black rhino demographic data recorded in
the high density study area.
-Enhance rhino security in the Kruger National Park through the procurement of specialised
equipment.
-Facilitate the veterinary treatment of injured black rhinos.
-Monitor the success of translocation of black rhinos from Kwazulu-Natal to Kruger Park.
Figure 3- Annual population estimates
[22]The graph above clearly provides evidence for the fact that ear-notching was indeed on the
increase in order to help conserve the black rhino and collect data on the numbers in which they
have in certain areas.
This source was taken from a report called Population Performance of Black Rhinoceros
(Diceros bicornis michaeli) in Six Kenyan Rhino Sanctuaries, written in 2004. This was a time
when the number of rhinos was at its lowest, and so the performance expressed by this graph is
indeed an achievement worth noting. The validity and reliability of this source is indeed factual as
the reference clearly links to the correct information.
Rhino conservation in Namibia
WWF is in partnership with Namibias wildlife services in Etosha to protect the endangered black
rhino population within that country. They are doing this by effective security monitoring, better
biological management and wildlife-based tourism. Namibia is home to one of the largest
populations of the black rhino, representing 97% of the subspecies Diceros bicornis. About 72%
of the national population is found in Etosha National Park. Success has been achieved by the
conservation by it being actively managed and protected in order to this. This is a significant and
notable achievement when taking into account the size of the park as well as the large loss of
rhino populations that occurred in similar areas in the neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe,
Botswana and Zambia. Due to the fact that these successes could further draw in poachers, antipoaching efforts must be maintained at a high level with the improvement of capacity and
efficiency of the anti-poaching unit in order to cope with the efforts of organising poaching. This
approach aims to enhance the effectiveness of biological and security monitoring through the
method of gradually increasing the number of known rhinos by ear-notching, and increasing the
frequency and extent of field patrols. The objective of this conservation method focuses on
advancing the security and biological monitoring of black rhinos in Etosha National Park by
providing assistance to the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism. Their methods of
solution include:
-Equip the Wildlife Protection Service staff.
-Purchase GPS units to obtain accurate positions of animals during biological and security
monitoring as well as carcass locations in the event of poaching.
-Fund the ear-notching of black rhinos for biological and security monitoring.
-Fund the repair of anti-poaching vehicles to maintain effective security monitoring.
-Finance the upgrading and development of a computer system used to store and analyse
biological and security monitoring data.[14]
Effectiveness of current solutions
The effectiveness of the solution given by the WWF African Rhino Programme has been proven
to be a success due to information expressed by WWF. Many rhinos are now recovering in a
series of African landscapes. This has been reached due to the anti-poaching projects and work
with communities who also benefit from the schemes. The success shown by the fact that when

the programme was first introduced,


there were only 2,599 black rhinos remaining in the wild, however today, this number as nearly
doubled to 5,000, thus proving that this strategy has indeed been effective in increasing the
numbers of this critically endangered species.
The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project has also been a success in a series of ways and so
can be considered quite effective. To date, there has been the birth of over 40 calves on project
sites and only 3 rhinos have been poached from these secure sites. Other species have also
been helped due to the fact that the Black Rhino is a flagship for creating larger blocks of land for
conservation purposes. This includes benefits for species such as elephants, vultures, leopard
tortoises and wild dogs.[10]
The South Africas Kruger National Park conservation efforts can too be considered an effective
solution due to the figures produced. In September 1994, it was recorded by A J Hall-Martin and
M H Knight that the population of black rhinos had increased at a rate of 5% per annum to reach
a total of 20 animals.[13] This shows early success and the extent at which the Kruger National
Park has now reached. The work being completed in Kruger National Park to this day has also
shown successes in increasing the number of black rhinos and preventing their extinction. The
black rhino was once extinct in South Africas Kruger National Park, however its estimated that
there is now 300 black rhinos as a result of continuous conservation efforts. In the past 10 years,
only one black rhino has been poached from this area, clearly showing a vast improvement in the
number of poachers.[11]

Figure 4- A graph showing the Rhino poaching number.


This graph can be used to come to an overall conclusion of whether or not these conservation
methods are effective or not:
[17]It clearly suggests that the aims to decrease the number of rhinos poached was indeed
effective overall, but an immediate effect is not the case. The number of rhinos poached in 2007
was extremely low, which may be due to the fact that the programmes aiming to provide as much
security as possible were effective. The number increases great from 2007 to 2010, with 320
more rhinos poached in just 3 years. This suggests that the aim to decrease the poaching was
not at all effective and instead had the complete opposite effect. In 2011, however, the number
decreases once again, which is hopefully as a result of the conservation attempts enhancing
their efforts and attempts to protect the rhino. The source of this information state that Rhino
Poaching in South Africa has shown no sign of letting up despite several arrests and even
Poachers shot dead. which clearly disagrees with the information provided officially by the
programmes and projects themselves.
Figure 5- A table of poaching stats for 2012
[18]This table further supports the graph above in expressing that poaching has in fact increased
over the years rather than decreasing. However, this table states that in 2011 the poaching
number had not decreased to 175 as the graph suggests, but in fact increased to 448. The
reliability of both sources of information must be taken into account in order to come to a sensible
conclusion. This table is said to be official from DEA, which is most likely to be more reliable than
the graph taken from Pilanesberg Wildlife Trust. Despite this, the DEA table specifically states
that the figures are from poaching of black rhinos individually, whereas the graph most probably
includes the white rhino too, suggested that neither is more reliable than the other; they may both
express different information. Despite this data, the increase in the number of poachings does
not necessarily mean that the numbers of black rhino is not increasing, which is of course the

main focus of the various programmes and projects. As stated by WWF, conservation efforts
have indeed resulted in a gradual increase in the population. As it stands, its estimated that
there are now 4,838 black rhinos, which is quite clearly an improvement from the year 2004
when there was only 2,410, nearly half of what there is now. The species is now currently living in
a patchy distribution from Cameroon in the west to Kenya in the east, and south to South Africa.
However, it still remains that 98% of the total population is found in just 4 countries: South Africa,
Zimbabwe, Namibia and Kenya.
Reliability and validity of the data
In order to ensure that the data within my report was reliable and valid, I ensured that I followed
the link to each reference on my chosen website and checked whether or not the information
matched what the link said. This was successful as each link provided the same information as it
suggested, proving that the information stated in my report is both valid and reliable. As well as
this, I used a report written by a scientist rather than using yet another website, creating a wider
range of sources of information. Not only this, due to the fact the report was written by a scientist,
it could be someone who had direct statistics to the poaching numbers, conservation efforts and
the increase/decrease in the number of black rhinos left. Their knowledge on this issue would
also be much more accurate in comparison to a personal blog or an inexperienced person.
Another way I had to ensure my data was both reliable and valid was through the actual source
itself. I carefully selected my sources and information from websites that were reliable. For
example, I used the WWF website as, as an official organisation widely known for working to
help conserve a variety of species, they are clearly going to have precise and up-to-date
information. Figure 1 is a prime portrayal and can therefore be considered a reliable and valid
piece of data. A second example would be Save The Rhino. Due to the fact they specifically
work to help save the rhinoceros through a series of methods, the graphs, tables and facts are
going to be accurate as they will have directly obtained them through their own input as well as
the information collected by conservationists, scientists and other programmes/projects.
Implications
Environmental implications
As mentioned as a result of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, conserving the black
rhino has helped to benefit other species. The reason as to why the conservation of the black
rhino has been proven beneficial to not only the species alone is due to the fact that many of the
programmes and projects tackle the issue through protecting and conserving their natural
habitat, which of course is home to a series of other species. This has been extremely beneficial
in terms of the environment as the area of land that the species are located will too be protected
and conserved, helping to contribute to plants and various species thriving. Dr. Jacques
Flamand, in charge of the WWFs Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, stressed the
importance of the conservation of the black rhino as it provides safe breeding grounds for other
species and organisms. Just like the black rhino, the wild dog is also critically endangered, and
so by protecting this species habitat too, the environmental implications are indeed proven
positive. Flamand pointed out that the wild dog was once on the brink of extinction, however its
numbers are increasing very well as they have settled on the new black rhino conservation
areas. The wild dogs have been provided with a larger amount of safe land available to them,
increasing breeding.[15] By conserving the black rhino, habitats and environments and other
endangered species, biodiversity will increase. This means that more species will be situated in
different countries which will also increase the social aspects in terms of educated reasons.
Through the use of zoos, an endangered species is provided with the correct conditions, diet and
any medical care necessary. Breeding programmes are also commonly introduced which are
usually very beneficial. A wider range of people will advance their knowledge on a species if they

are able to see them for themselves, which not only works in their favour, but may also
encourage the human population to donate to conservation charities or adopt an animal.
Economic implications
With more species and a protected environment, tourism in countries such as South Africa will
increase. This will help the country itself economically, meaning more efforts may be made to
help conserve endangered species. As well as this, more money will be available to help to
contribute towards conserving a species, which is of course an expensive programme to run.
Conserving a species does have its benefits economically, however there are also disadvantages
and implications that are of course taken into account before conserving a species to ensure that
its worth it; there must be a high chance of the outcome being a successful one. It has been
proven that in order to create a positive outcome for the conservation of the black rhino; its much
more effective to do it in the wild. The average annual cost of protecting one rhino in protected
areas was $1,657, whereas the cost in captivity ranged from $16,300 to $28,176.[16]
Due to the fact that the programmes and projects that are helping to protect the black rhino are
done in protected areas, the overall economic factors are not detrimental to the economy and
could therefore be suggested that its worth the money being spent, especially as the number of
black rhinos are increasing. Another economic advantage is that with the increase in the number
of arrests, the number of active poachers is decreasing. This means that less equipment in order
to conserve the rhino will decrease due to less demand needed to protect them, meaning that
less money will be spent as a result. This could leave more money to contribute to the
conservation of other species and so the overall outcome is beneficial. The economy will benefit
in terms of tourism. Increasing the population of rhinos in a largely distributed area is once again
going to encourage the extent of tourism, helping not only the country in financial way, but also
the conservation project itself. A disadvantage in terms of imprisonment, however, is that the cost
to keep a criminal in prison is quite high, and so more money is being spent the more poachers
that are arrested. This will increase the amount of tax being paid which would ultimately
negatively affect the economy. Within the rhino conservation in Namibia, a lot of their work is
centred on helping to pay for equipment such as rhino monitors and purchasing light aircraft as
well as paying for helicopter hours. This will not be a cheap programme to run and so many put
the economy at a disadvantage in terms of spending too much money.
Alternative solutions
In order to improve the increase of the species to a further extent, there are other measures that
could be put into place. One solution could be to legalise the trade of rhino horn. According to the
South African environmental department, criminals have been responsible for the slaughtering of
more than 1,000 black rhinos in the past five years. [19] Due to the fact that rhino horn can be
sold for very high prices on the black market, they are extremely popular amongst criminals. It is
also commonly popular as a result of the medicinal properties that its claimed to have; some
people in Asia, notably in Vietnam, believe that the horn has the capability to cure cancer[20],
clearly making it a very popular and desired product. Although it may seem ineffective and would
have the complete opposite effect, legalising the trade of rhino horn could in fact help save this
species as the trading of this could be controlled centrally by the correct authorities who would
not use the method of poaching to obtain the results. Instead, the horn could be taken from the
animal that has died from natural causes. Although this seems impossible as the numbers are so
low, should poaching decrease, more and more black rhinos will be able to be used once they
have died naturally. It could be argued that the crime syndicates black market will be shut down
resulting in the cease of poaching. This would be beneficial economically. Without illegal
poachers, the number of arrests would decline, which would reduce the amount of tax being paid
to keep them in prison.

Rather than simply protecting the environment of the black rhino and creating anti-poaching
measures, it would also be effective to introduce more captive breeding programs as a solution.
A successful example could be used to mirror a future outcome of the black rhino. In 1971, the
de Wildt Cheetah and Wildlife Centre was introduced. In just 30 years between 1975 and 2005,
242 litters were born, totally to 785 cubs being born.[21] This study provides a sufficient amount
of evidence that captive breeding programs are indeed extremely effective if done correctly. If the
same was to be done with the black rhino, the numbers would slowly increase, which could
possibly be held responsible for the savour of the black rhino. By taking only two black rhinos into
captivity in a Zoo, breeding could be encouraged and the birth of even one or two rhinos could
create an overall successful outcome. The rhinos within the breeding program would have a
healthy diet, medical treatment when necessary, and the required environment for them to live a
healthy life, thus proving that this solution would most definitely be a positive one on a series of
bases. Social and economic advantages would also be brought about as a result of more
breeding programs. Zoos increase tourism as well as benefiting the economy through their entry
costs. People would have the chance to see a black rhino for themselves, which would be a once
in a lifetime opportunity with the current situation. Their knowledge on the species would
advance, as well as encouraging them to do as much as they can to help conserve the species.
Observing all of the data I have collected, it is clear that the programmes and projects that have
aimed to help conserve the black rhino have been successful in doing so. As a whole, the
number of black rhinos has doubled in 9 years, which is a great conservation success. One area
that perhaps needs to be tackled more effectively is the number of poachings. It is still increasing
at a rapid rate, which wont allow the number of this species to thrive as it could without the
increase. Perhaps with legalisation of poaching, or the introduction of more captive breeding
programmes, the black rhino would be able to double once again, but in a shorter period of time.
The efforts shown by the groups aiming to move the black rhino out of the critically endangered
species have impacted on the species greatly, proving that these methods have indeed been
effective and should be continued with a similar attitude.
Evaluation of Sources
Wikipedia
I ensured that I only used data that would be both reliable and accurate. In order to make sure
that the data I took from Wikipedia was reliable, I followed the reference number to the reference
link. I clicked on the link and read the data from the source as this would prove that the data I
selected was accurate and hadnt been falsely created. This proved to be effective for every
piece of information I took from Wikipedia as within my referencing are several pages that
Wikipedia used, and they show correct and reliable information. I can therefore say that when
evaluating this source, it's accurate in terms of the data I used. Despite this, Wikipedia can be
edited by anyone, and so other data from that page may not have been one hundred per cent
reliable, suggesting that although this source may have been accurate for the information I took,
other data about the black rhino on the page may not follow the same trend. The referencing may
also link back to a website and match the information on that page, however the page it links to
may not be directly accurate, proving that all sectioned data I used may not be entirely efficient.
Rhino Report
In order to create an issue report with more diverse and widespread data, I used another method
rather than a website: this was a report written by a scientist entirely based on the conservation
of the black rhinoceros and how the numbers have varied as well as the methods used to obtain
these results. Due to the fact it was written by a scientist and the data was collected by a

conservationist, the facts and figures shown throughout this report can be deemed very efficient,
reliable, valid and accurate. The writer of this source is clearly very able in this field of work and
so it would be very unlikely for them to have obtained and analysed any inefficient and inaccurate
information that is indeed false. However, although the writer of this report should be considered
very trustworthy as they referenced, I was unable to follow any referencing back as most of the
sources they used were from books or reports from other people which I did not have access to,
meaning it may have been unintentionally incorrect data perhaps simply due to human error. As
well as this, success could have been exaggerated due to it being a personal report.

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