Population & Distribution

• Db bicornis Namibia and W. RSA • Db minor KZN; Zimbabwe Etc •Db michaeli East Africa : Kenya , Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Chad & RSA ( nucleus pop )

• Black Rhino 5 044 ~ 2 129 in SA or 42.2% •White Rhino 20 404 ~18 910 in SA or 92.7%

SA holds 84.4% of African Rhino

7 6 26 22 10 13 24 13 83

122

333

448

668

1004

1215

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Rhino Poached in South Africa

Rhino Poached in South Africa

• +4 000 rhinos poached from 2000 to end 2014 •Close to Population decline , KNP maybe over • Financial loss +R1.3 billion. • Loss in asset value due to poaching R 1.4 billion. •2015 has already lost 242 ?? Animals •If problem not quantified, it cannot be remedied

SA Private Rhino Reserves

• Own 27% or 5000 W Rhino •Own 26.2% or 535 B Rhino •About 380 rhino reserves ~ 2m ha •2014 estimate 80% had poaching incidents

• Of the 4000 + killed •Over 1000 on Pvt Reserves = value loss R325m •Population decline LP, NW , Gauteng & MP decline 9.3% •Horn value (Pvt sector alone) +R2.25 bn could have been used in Rhino conservation and protection AND Community upliftment

Impact on Private Reserves

Private Reserve Security Costs

• Vary from R240k to R6m Per Annum • 20 000ha R4.0 m PA = R170 ha • 25 000ha R3.84m PA = R153 ha • 50 000ha R6.0 m PA = R115 ha

• Average R136 ha x 2m ha = R272 000 000

• ZERO Assistance from Government !! • And inclination apparent on the horizon

PROA Owner Survey Pre CITES Cop 2013

• 32% response from 380 reserves (814 000 ha of 2 million ha)

• Representing rhino population +3000

• 80% support legal hunting • 91% support lifting of domestic moratorium • 97% support legal trade in rhino horn

• 47% will keep rhino - irrespective • 53% uncertain / sold / selling

Rhino value to Private reserves

Direct: • Tourism revenue • Existence = Conservation asset & live sales income • Trophy hunting R90 million Forex into rhino

conservation (100 animals or 0.5% of population) helped create rhino conservation success in the 1980’s • Potential product value (legalized trade) Benefits: • Rhino conservation and range expansion • Job creation, better economic land yield, community

benefits etc.

Private ownership on a cliff edge

• High Personal risk to Owners & staff – unlike any other game farm species with higher turnover yields

• Loss of asset R325m plus devaluation • High annual security costs R272m • Potential revenue loss from hunting – Kenya application (1 of only 3 economic pillars) • Disinvestment has already resulted in: - Habitat loss of +430 000 ha - Estimates +40 reserves no longer have rhino

SA cannot continue with failed strategies

• 1980 – 2014 83% decline in black rhino population • 100 000 rhino killed across Africa in the last 50 years • +20 range states have lost all rhino despite substantive

$ aid • “More of Same” including 1977 CITES ban not

working -Criminalise trade in horn = $benefit to criminals Crime Syndicates empowered a s ONLY traders Urgent need for change in policy direction

Random Facts

• Over 3 000 NGO’s , NPO’s and other Social

Media ‘experts’ have arisen as ‘authorities’ to Save the Rhino

• 99% own no rhino and carry no risk

Random Facts

State and Pvt Rhino Owners have invested billions in rhino conservation but now told we may not trade OR to ‘Burn the Dividends’ ??

What is the solution; Integrated approach!

• Focus on demand reduction • End user education, remove the exclusive status of

an illegal product • Lift moratorium- Recognise sustainable utilization • DNA control over all sold horns • CSO or other selling platform : Audited &

Taxed • Better policing/law enforcement/prosecutions • Revenue back to rhino conservation and security • Lift CITES ban - allow International trade

At current poaching rate extinction in the wild by 2026

• 1895 white rhino at point of extinction, then in 1960’s and now again under threat

• Part of our national heritage : DUTY to protect! • A member of the BIG FIVE • Generates foreign income – tourism, hunting, sales • Urgent need for political intervention! • Cost of rhino security now R1,4 billion PA

Solutions

Demand Reduction: • Educate end user market • Better international law enforcement • Combat corruption • Political will and pressure • STOP POLARIZATION and

SAVE the RHINO Legalized , Constant and Transparent Supply: • Lift domestic moratorium • Apply for international trade

Benefits

• Compete against, Collapse / Reduce illegal trade • Conservation revenue back to national , provincial

and private parks • Community Upl iftment & Benefits • Turn worthless stock piles into Conservation

revenue

SAVE RHINO LIVES

Conclusion

• If we do not get a 2/3 majority vote at CITES

We face the potential demise of all wild rhino as per over 20 range states

• We require a policy turn around based on

sustainable utilization bringing benefit to state, provincial, private , communities and ….

“RHINO”

• Rhino existence will only be assured when their LIVE value exceeds their DEAD value

Failure is not an option!!!