Save the Rhino

The regional economic block, SADC has to quickly find a universal solution to stop poaching of endangered black and white Rhino’s species, which are facing extinction.

Tourism and the ecosystem account for about 5 percent of the Botswana GDP. In fact, Botswana has the National Anti-Poaching Strategy, which provides among others, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that govern the inter-agency relationships, and so there is clarity in how the law enforcement agencies work together on anti-poaching and illegal wildlife trade operations.

Expectations are that the matter becomes an agenda item of the Heads of State and Government Summit. Rhinos primarily live in grasslands, savannahs and tropical bush and form part of the animals dubbed the Big 5, which include Buffalo, Cheetah, Elephant and Lion. A recent visit by Botswana Guardian to some of the country’s premier camps at the Chief’s Island inside the Moremi National Park proved that indeed, there are no rhinos in the Okavango Delta. In the SADC region, Rhinos are found in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

All these countries are hard hit by poaching. The same countries are members of Convention in Trade in Endangered Species of Wildlife and Fauna (CITES). In order to protect the remaining Rhinos, Botswana has translocated Rhinos to much safer places, which remain a closely guarded secret.

Recently, the then acting Minister of Environment and Tourism, Mabuse Pule told parliament that government took a decision to transfer some of the Rhinos in the Okavango Delta to a much safer place. "Permit me not to divulge locations where these rhinos were translocated to, as well as not to divulge the number of translocated animals as that would only increase the very risk of poaching that we are trying to address.”

At the just ended CITES Conference in Panama, Botswana informed the international community that she has good instruments in place to protect her endangered species, including the Rhinos themselves. Government and stakeholders have put in place measures such as increasing law enforcement efforts in hotspot areas as well as coming up with a strong National Anti-Poaching Strategy, but still poaching remains a challenge.

At the end of 2022, Botswana alone had an estimated 285 white and 23 black rhinos and most of these rhinos were found in the Chief’s Island inside the Moremi National Park, in the Okavango Delta but government, through the Department of Wildlife National Parks transferred some of the Rhinos in the Delta to much safer places, such as Khama Rhino Sanctuary. Khama Rhino Sanctuary was however, also attacked during the period of October and November 2022. At the CITES (CoP19) convention, there were some pressure groups calling for Botswana to review trade data on rhino and Rhino specimen (of CoP19.Doc75 (Rev 1).

In response, Botswana explained that she keeps its Rhino horns in a strong room that is well secured to prevent smuggling into illegal markets. Live Rhino, and Rhino specimen, are not traded at all in Botswana, and “so calls for Botswana to review trade data on Rhino and Rhino specimen (of CoP19.Doc75 (Rev 1)) are misplaced." Botswana’s well detailed update is published on CITES Website. The update addresses Botswana’s Rhino conservation interventions, and update the CITES Parties on the historical Rhino population trends and re-introductions. Botswana states that there is a significant decline in Rhino poaching incidences between 2020 and 2022, following the peak in 2020, where 62 Rhinos were poached. A total of 140 Rhinos have been poached between 2012 and 2022.

Botswana argues that the decline is a direct result of the government response in the form of various interventions. She dismisses as misguided, calls by some western NGOs calling for each of the interventions to be evaluated in isolation (such as whether dehorning by itself curbed poaching), contending that these divert attention from the key indicator, which is whether overall Rhino poaching is decreasing or increasing. Conservation and anti-poaching efforts have been intensified to combat poaching across the country since COP18.

Moreover, the government has improved the ecological management of Rhinos in fenced areas for better breeding performance. These measures are implemented through a combination of government- only programmes, Public-Private-Community Partnerships, and through the support of International Cooperating Partners, who have all committed substantial resources to intensify anti-poaching measures. Botswana has intentions to maintain the current decline until it reaches negligible levels, working with agencies that want to lend assistance.

Rhino Conservation Strategy

A National Rhino Conservation Strategy was adopted in January 2005 while the Botswana Rhino Management Committee was also established in the same year. The Botswana Rhino Management Committee consists of members of security agencies from Government, Non-Governmental Organizations with Rhino interests, Botswana Wildlife Producers Association, Private veterinarians specializing on Rhinos, National Rhino Coordinator (government), Conservation managers from different private Rhino sanctuaries.

The National Rhino Conservation Strategy was revised in 2011 but only adopted in 2013. The new Strategy under review for the period 2022 to 2027 will address shortcomings in the previous 2013 Strategy; this Strategy is undergoing stakeholder consultation, and is scheduled to be launched by March 2023.