Protecting our precious rhinos

THE concerned world has focused its attention on the careless massacre stimulated by foreigners of Africa’s major sustainable resource – our wildlife.
The rhino poaching crisis has caused millions of rands, which could have been used to create more jobs in the industry, to be spent on security, surveillance and unproductive activities.

During the last decade, Africa has wisely recognised the importance of caring for and protecting our abundance of wildlife.
Internationally the responsible world has realised that the wildlife poaching crisis in Africa is supporting the international illegal organisations causing terror and mayhem in unsuspecting African countries.
Far eastern countries have led this by encouraging support of major developments and using these opportunities to over-exploit the wildlife resources for their own gain. The naïve and trusting wildlife officials are caught unprepared for the massive onslaught taking place.

Kingsley Holgate and I have just completed an expedition through the major affected areas of East Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Mozambique. The purpose is to investigate these poaching issues at grass roots level .
We can do it
If we can deal with corrupt political criminals, create a political will to conserve all our natural resources wisely and involve our youth to be part of the solution, I believe we will win the war for Africa’s benefit. Our responsible government departments and wildlife authorities have redirected resources in a very successful way to involve our rural populations in caring for nature and our icon species of rhinos and elephants.
Since the poaching onslaught started in earnest some five years ago, KwaZulu-Natal is the leading province in achieving this with 18 non-governmental organisations in the private sector forming ‘Project Rhino KZN’.
This has enabled Zap wing aerial surveillance, intelligence, fund-raising facilitating millions of rands annually, highly qualified expertise, field training, international and local informer networks, schools and community awareness programmes. The concept of all citizens working united is the only way to win. That is the most formidable weapon. Being adjacent to Mozambique, KZN has gone through an increase in poaching, then a decrease as our counter measures begin to work. There is a prediction of an increase in poaching on private reserves. We need private rhino owners to join our organisation to boost regional security with information to lead to a proactive approach rather than a reactive one.

EKZNWL, Project Rhino KZN, Space for Elephants Foundation, Thanda Mduna Royal Reserves, African Conservation Trust, Wildlands Trust, Wessa, Ingonyama Trust, Kingsley Holgate Foundation and others have jointly agreed to work together. We have included our edge communities to become well-educated on saving the rhinos and elephants as these are our heritage species that are more valuable to Africa alive, not dead.

How do we win? 
We need more feet of our proudly South African youth learning about our wildlife heritage and being in the field walking with the rhino to protect them. Our government departments have agreed to pay these youngsters a daily rate. Our growth of rhinos is approximately 5% per annum. If we lose more than 1% of the 5%, we will then need to re-strategise completely and place as many as possible into intensive security zones.
I believe South Africans will never lose. We will find a way to win the war.
For more information contact digspascoe@zulukingdom.co.za.