Rhino poaching posing extinction.
Wildlife plays a crucial role in our heritage and Nature conservation helps to continue telling a beautiful story of our History, tourism, and heritage.
Nature serves as a navigator of Tourism in the country. Tourists from different parts of the world, flock in South Africa to explore the wildlife in particular the Big 5.
The Big 5 is a combination of the 5 big animals found in the African jungle, namely Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Buffalo, and Rhino.
However, the Big 5, might soon become the Big 4. Rhino poaching is a serious threat to the Rhino species.
Rhinos are killed in South Africa for their horns, under unproven facts of healing cancer among other Diseases. This has significantly reduced the number of Rhinos in National Parks and Zoos.
To date, there are only 20,000 rhinos left in South Africa, which accounts for 80% of the rhino population in the world.
During this National Lockdown, a decline in Rhino poaching has been reported. International travel was restricted and borders were closed, creating a firewall between the trade and Smuggling of Rhino horns.
The reopening of borders and international travel is posing an increase in Rhino poaching. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is severe, with many left jobless and hungry. The poaching market is most likely to reopen and increase due to hunger.
According to the International wildlife conservation group, the pressure of putting bread on the table is the result of many joining the poaching business.
The Government has implemented ways to reduce Rhino poaching. Dehorning is the process of surgically removing the horn from the Rhino, in order to survive fatal Dehorning by poachers.
Alarm fences have been erected in some animal parks to Alert security if attempted break-ins are detected. These are some of the measures put in place by the Government to reduce Rhino poaching.
Rhinos are a beautiful part of our heritage, working together we can save them
