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With so many odds against rhinos, there is no room for mistakes

Monday July 23 2018
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Tom Ogilvie-Graham, the African Wildlife Foundation CEO. PHOTO | COURTESY

By Allan Olingo

Kenya’s rhino population is stabilising, but is still endangered and requires fulltime protection.

Allan Olingo spoke to Tom Ogilvie-Graham, the African Wildlife Foundation CEO.

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What is the impact of the deaths of nine black rhinos last week on Kenya’s conservation credentials?

This was a major loss that we hope will not happen again. Kenya has done well in rhino conservation and is the world’s stronghold for the eastern black rhino.

That reputation remains, but it is important to note that rhinos are still critically endangered and nine deaths at ago is a big setback. Worse could happen through poaching so any other losses must be avoided.

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This was one tragic and expensive lesson to the government, the conservation fraternity and the world because these animals are priceless, global treasures. We are dealing with a delicate species here and Kenya has the expertise and experience to do it correctly. There is no more room for complacency.

Does the translocation mean Kenya is a success story in rhino conservation?

These animals are still endangered and require round the clock protection. The Kenya Wildlife Service continues to do a good job to protect and stabilise rhino population in Kenya.

What does it take to move big animals like rhinos from one park to another?

Animals may be moved between sites for different management and conservation reasons. The first step is a justification based on the state or size of the meta-population.

After a justification, for example, to establish another breeding population and grow the meta-population, you need to assess the receiving site (such as, is there an existing population, food, water, threats), plan logistics and expertise (vets, capture unit, transport (soft or hard)) and so forth. Post-release monitoring is important to ensure the animals acclimatise and settle in the new site.

Was this done in the aborted translocations this month? If so, what went wrong?

The KWS has successfully translocated and immobilised rhinos over the years. That is why the deaths were shocking, and we have called for speedy investigations to ensure this does not happen again.

How many translocations has Kenya carried out thus far?

Kenya has moved 149 rhinos in the last 13 years which have been successful and the deaths within an acceptable range. To lose nine rhinos in one swoop is just too much. The point to remember is that translocation is just one part of rhino conservation through the range.

Why is translocation important for the rhino population?

It is to boost overall population growth by initiating new population in areas where they have been decimated by poaching and other threats; and second, reinvigorating the population genetically to avoid inbreeding and outbreeding.

Your organisation has worked on rhino conservation for many years. Are there any lessons and/or regrets in these efforts?

Rhino populations have recovered overall since the 1980s and though poaching threatens to reverse these gains, stringent protection is working. For example, of the ten rhino populations supported by AWF since 2014, all are either stabilising or increasing.

A key lesson is you must always protect rhinos, always, as they are an extremely conservation-dependent species. Poachers and their criminal network of traffickers are always seeking new ways to beat detection and access rhino sanctuaries.

Despite concerted efforts to wipe out the market for rhino horn, demand for it continues to grow and new trade hubs sprout daily thanks to social media.

We at AWF have learnt that we must work with governments and communities to combat poaching, but must also address trafficking and demand for wildlife products. Partnerships are key at all levels. There is no magic bullet strategy to stem these threats. But it sad that the push to stop demand for rhino horn has taken this long.

Apart from poaching, what other threats face rhino conservation?

The killing of Africa’s wildlife is an international crisis. More rhinos are dying from poaching than from natural causes of conflict with humans. Other threats are inadequate habitat, lack of secure new areas to grow rhino populations and lack of appropriate policies and laws to stem illegal trade in wildlife products.

Why was your organisation at the forefront in protesting a South African court decision allowing a farmer to auction rhino horn?

The African rhino has suffered high levels of poaching and the auction could provide legal cover for criminal gangs in the illicit rhino horn trade. AWF believes that there are no adequate mechanisms at any level — local, national, regional, or international — to control such trade.

Experience as Africa’s oldest conservation organisation has taught us that decisions on sustainable trade in endangered species must be based on science and level of threat — not just legal points.

Given a rhino’s slow reproduction rate, the decline in the continental population and the high value and demand for horn, there is no realistic scope for achieving a sustainable balance between production and supply.

Trade in rhino horn is illegal under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species and the court decision undermined measures to cut demand for rhino horn. We need to grow back the rhino population as a priority, not open new windows for illegal trade to flourish.

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