Poaching Wars

Although this isn't a Rhino I am sure this is not good for Prince Harry. In 2004 he posed for a picture with a Buffalo that he had just shot dead.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2560871/Crackshot-Harry-buffalo-killer-Picture-emerges-princes-call-protect-wildlife.html

Then on a good note, Prince William want to destroy all of the Ivory in Buckingham Palace to set an example.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2560540/Prince-William-vows-destroy-ivory-Buckingham-Palace-send-message-illegal-elephant-poachers.html

littlewid-x-

Thanks for the links - helps to get a global perspective to our problem here.

I am also a bit pressed for time bit I thought this was an important/ good  video that features Yao Ming.
Yao Ming

Very important to cross those cultural gaps.

Important that these high profile people get into the game.

Chris

I think it's really annoying when the media spend so much time trying portray the negative side of people trying to do good work, they would be better off doing some investigating into the people who are bank rolling the wildlife poaching trade. The Princes were brought up in a family that has a tradition of hunting, and as I have said before I am not totally against hunting as long as it's sustained, run properly, and doesn't endanger a species. The Water Buffalo is not an endangered species, and this was ten years ago, before Harry even went to war, and in that time at that age peoples perceptions, and outlook on life can change quite a lot. Good for William for getting rid of the Ivory at Buckingham Palace that is sending out the right message.
I have not been able to find out any more yet on Charles's proposed future meeting with financial, security, and Government institutions, and organisations, but will keep an eye out for any news. Whilst your right Chris that we need to keep educating people, especialy in places like China, and Vietnam about the effects the things they are buying, and using are having on the wildlife species of our world, they have been using them for hundreds, and hundreds of years, and it will take generations for the message to get through. Our endangered species does not have that amount of time left, some as low as 5 yrs. Your second point on benefits is really crucial to helping the wildlife they need a reason to help protect, and ensure the survival of these species, and that will only come of seeing the benefits of doing so. The communities need long term investment to create jobs, businesses, and a long term plan so that they can see a long term future for themselves, their family's, and their childrens future. That is going to need a lot of money. The security forces, and Rangers also need money invested to bring their capabilities up to dealing with the organised gang poaching that is going on with the new weapons, and means the poaching gangs are now using.
So the question is where is that money going to come from. I believe Charles is getting near the answer, if the worlds organisations can be brought together to follow the money trail, identify the money men, prosecute them, seize their bank accounts, and assets, then that money, and assets can help to fund communities, and security. Most of the structures needed are already in place world wide to deal with drugs, people smuggling, and terrorist fund raising groups, and most of these main players are the same ones involved in the organised poaching. They would only need adapting, and fine tuning to be effective in having a big effect on the wildlife trade. As you will know being a Chartered Accountant Chris, if the bottom line is not showing a profit then the business will close down, and I think this is going to be one of the quickest, and most effective tools in combatting the poaching

WS

Ps Perhaps we aught to change the thread title to something like Poaching Wars as it's gone above just being about Rhinos, to include other endangered species, but I'll leave that to you Chris as it was your original post

I fully agree with you WS regarding the hunting. Like I said before - some of the most passionate conservationists I know are hunters.

For people with high public profiles like the royals though - it is not always about the facts ( i.e. merits of sustainable hunting) but also about the perceptions they create through their actions so they have to be aware of that.

I was thinking that there might be a good reason for the mysterious meeting to be kept out of the public domain and thus out of the sights of the criminal syndicates as they develop a strategy to combat these criminals - which is maybe why it is low profile.

Please change the thread title as you suggested - makes total sense.


Chris

Amazing bull elephant that defied the poachers and survived FOUR attacks

Mshale has survived four attacks in just over a year – and become a symbol of the crisis facing the species today.

Poachers want his huge tusks which would be worth about £10,000 on the black market.

The 40-year-old bull survived three poison arrow attacks, in November 2012 and March and August last year, before being speared last month.

Each time he was treated by teams from the Nairobi-based David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Kenya Wildlife Service.

This picture, released to mark the UN’s first World Wildlife Day today, was taken last month as Mshale was felled by a tranquilliser dart in Kenya’s Tsavo National Park
http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/462774/Amazing-bull-elephant-that-defied-the-poachers-and-survived-FOUR-attacks

WS

Thanks WS. I saw this via DSWT and just hope this amazing tusker can be kept safe. It is tragic that this ele has been attacked 4 times in a year.

Lai

A recent reminder that the poaching wars do not only include the elephants and rhinos but also lions. Two of them were killed in poacher snares in the KwaMsomi section of the Tembe Elephant Park on Monday.

‘Tembe’, a magnificent black-mane specimen was found by rangers with its head removed and its radio collar buried.

http://zululandobserver.co.za/27683/lion-king-snared-and-beheaded/


Hope they track down these culprits soon.

Chris

Sorry Chris but I need to steel myself to read that. Just from your intro i'm   

littlewid-x-

Your right Chris we must not forget the Lions, and other species that are impacted by the poaching in Africa. I did hear this news un the week on Ustream Chat, as I follow the Web Cams in Africa, and Tembe is on Africam 24/7, and I'm sure I've catured Temne the Lion a few times on my Videos. What a waste of a beautiful specimen of a Lions life he truly was a magnificent sight to see even though he was past breeding, and no longer a pride male. My first thought when I saw your post was that he has had his head removed is this a targeted hunting trophy for someone to put on their wall, and had been poached to order. Although in the article it says the snares were for prey species
Its really sad LW, but not a gory explanation
Thanks for letting us know Chris

WS

Sickening and tragic and makes my blood boil. If they do catch the culprits nothing will happen and the lions are dead. It's never ending and completely depressing   

Lai

Haul of shame: This shocking photo shows for the first time the biggest stockpile of illegal ivory on earth

Mail on Sunday's Martin Fletcher goes inside the warehouse in Tanzania
Dar es Salaam holds 34,000 tusks ripped from 17,000 elephants
The tusks would be worth some £150million on China's black market
Biggest is nearly 7ft long, weighs 191lb and takes three people to lift
Last month, MoS asked how Prince of Wales and Cameron could shake the hand of the Tazanian PM who has presided over slaughter
Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism invited MoS to Tanzania
‘We have nothing to hide,’ Lazaro Nyalandu said

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2586894/WORLD-PICTURE-EXCLUSIVE-Haul-shame-This-shocking-photo-shows-time-biggest-stockpile-illegal-ivory-earth.html

WS

Shocking and disturbing I agree, I've seen that warehouse on a programme not all that long ago but I can't remember which programme. Should they make a statement and burn them? What is the point of keeping them? I really have no idea.

Lai

Devastating news from Tsavo East National Park in Kenya

Six elephants, including four calves, have been killed near Tsavo East National Park in Kenya. Reportedly the work of poachers who were arrested and out on bond, the slaughter was carried out as an act of revenge against authorities.

This is yet another sad example of why we must continue to protect Africa's wildlife from poachers. AWF continues to lead efforts to strengthen criminal penalties for poachers and their financial backers.

The senseless murder of these elephants is an unfortunate reminder of why this work is so important. Like every animal that falls prey to poachers, these six elephants died for no reason. Let us honour their memory by fighting back

To donate to AWF click the link below

http://www.awf.org/donate

WS

Thanks WS. I had an email from AWF about this and it makes me          I wonder if it will ever end or will elephants be poached until they are extinct in the wild?

Lai

Poachers are now slaughtering Tanzania’s elephants (30 elephants a day are killed) at a rate that the population could be completely wiped out in just seven years.

Tanzanian police cracked down on poachers with a shoot-to-kill policy that had the poaching rates drop drastically but the operation was shut down because of allegations of harassment, rape and murder of suspected poachers.

In 2006, the elephant population of Tanzania’s numbered 70,000 and last year, there were only 13,000 elephants left.

Seven years?

A sobering question – will we in seven years’ time discuss on this forum how we witnessed 70 000 elephants being wiped out in one country?

That will be a sad day indeed.

Chris

I agree Chris, that really is the most depressing news and I had no idea about the elephant numbers in Taz. Thanks for the information, a very sobering thought indeed.

Lai

 That is a devastating drop in numbers Chris over such a short time scale, at that rate, 7 years is being optimistic. Its a kill rate of over 7,000 Elephants a year, so 13,000 will soon disappear unless something drastic is done. Possibly reintroducing the shoot to kill policy, with a lot stronger oversight, and control.
It really is time the world woke up to what's happening, there are so many schemes, and plans about what to do, but nothing really ever seems to happen. The next worry is once the poachers have exterminated every Elephant in Tanzania, which Country will they start on next. The demand for ivory, and Rhino horn seems to be increasing, instead of lessening. Thanks for the info Chris

WS

I think some credit is due for the actor Leonardo DiCaprio who made a $1 million donation to the Elephant Crisis Fund which aims to stop the ivory poaching crisis.

The event was attended by a number of Hollywood stars and generated more than $2 million for the fund, which has an initial target of $5 million by 2016.

Read more at http://news.mongabay.com/2014/0512-elephant-crisis-leonardo-dicaprio.html#PkRD13RorXuCJVxv.99

This type of effort can only help to create the required awareness.


Chris

 Well done De Caprio for such a generous donation, and raising so much money from other stars. As you say Chris this is the right sort of action to really help Elephants, and make a difference.
Thanks for letting us know Chris

WS

Poachers have for the first time in a decade killed an elephant in the Kruger National Park, while 245 rhinos have been poached in the park this year.

While the rampant poaching of elephants was happening in the rest of Africa we always knew it was a matter of time before South Africa got targeted as well.

Rangers patrolling the area noticed footprints of four individuals leading towards Mozambique leaving the park.

South Africa and Mozambique have signed a memorandum of understanding on conservation and management but what is still annoying us is that hot pursuit for suspected rhino poachers is not yet a part of it.

So the battle continues.

Chris

Rhino horn smuggling ringleader jailed for 70 months

Wildlife trafficker Zhifei Li has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for his role in trafficking 30 rhinoceros horns and numerous other rhino horn and elephant ivory artifacts from the US to China. The sentence is one of the longest ever handed out in the US for wildlife crime.

Zhifei Li, who owns an antique business in Shandong, China, called Overseas Treasure Finding, admitted he was the “boss” of three antique dealers in the US, each of whom he paid to obtain wildlife items and smuggle them to him via Hong Kong.

His arrest in January 2013 happened when he was caught purchasing two endangered black rhinoceros horns from an undercover US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) agent during “Operation Crash”. This was a US nationwide effort led by the USFWS and the Justice Department to investigate and prosecute those involved in the illegal wildlife trade.

“Li was the ringleader of a criminal enterprise that spanned the globe and profited from an illegal trade that is pushing endangered animals toward extinction,” said Sam Hirsch, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division. “As this case clearly demonstrates, rhino trafficking is increasingly organised, well financed, and a threat to the rule of law. The United States is resolved to bring wildlife traffickers to justice.”

All species of rhinoceros are protected under United States legislation and commercial trade in rhinoceros horn is also not permitted under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

USFWS Director Dan Ashe said: “The sentence handed down today serves notice to other organised trafficking and poaching rings that their crimes will not go unpunished. We will relentlessly work across the US government and with the international law enforcement community to destroy these networks, while strengthening protections for rhinos in the wild and reducing demand for horn in consumer countries.”

WS

  and thanks for that WS. Although 70 months isn't long enough!

Lai