Poachers kill rhinos for the price they can get for the horns (used for traditional Chinese medicine and for ornamental dagger handles in Yemen); land encroachment, illegal logging and pollution are destroying their habitat. Money will fund effective anti-poaching conservation programmes to save the black rhinos of Northwestern Namibia.

How you can help

We know that conservation efforts save species. The Southern white rhino would not exist today if it were not for the work of a few determined people, who brought together the 200 or so individuals surviving, for a managed breeding and re-introduction programme. Today, there are some 11,100 Southern white rhinos.

The black rhinoceros of Northwestern Namibia are typical of a population that have been poached to near extinction and are now showing a recovery in numbers following the successful implementation of appropriate conservation measures. This programme needs more money to continue the anti-poaching field work to save the black rhino population.

Anti-poaching
Effective field protection has been critical to success over the last decade. Experience indicates that to achieve success, it is necessary to concentrate law enforcement at or above minimum threshold levels. Apart from having a sufficient manpower density on the ground, field rangers need to be well trained, equipped and effectively deployed. In some reserves, additional specialist anti-poaching units operate in addition to standard field ranger patrols.

While pro-active and reactive anti-poaching patrols can reduce the level of poaching and chances of catching rhino poachers, experience has shown that the setting up and running of informer networks can prove particularly useful and cost-effective. Effort and training is also required to ensure the effective investigation, successful prosecution and sentencing of those guilty of rhino crimes. Ultimately, rhino crimes are perpetrated because of the illegal demand for rhino horn, and so efforts are being made to reduce the illegal demand where possible. Another important aspect of law enforcement is the management, monitoring and protection of legal rhino horn stockpiles.