A $4m plan to move 80 rhinos from South Africa to Australia is inept, patronising, a waste of scarce resources that contributes nothing to conservation, and betrays an outdated neocolonial mindset, writes Matt Hayward. The money should be spent on successful but underfunded community-based rhino conservation initiatives in Africa that benefit entire ecosystems.
Ruthless conservation policies at India's Kaziranga reserve claimed 20 lives in 2015 alone, writes Bhaskar Vira. Now, after a BBC film revealed the grim reality of life for local people, the BBC itself is in the firing line - banned from all India's tiger reserves for five years. Successful conservation must build bridges with communities - not fight them!
BRUSSELS - The French Environment Minister Ségolène Royal has signed a decree banning the trade in ivory and rhino horn in France and all overseas French territories.This follows an earlier French governmental move to suspend re-exports of elephant ivory
A unique, all female anti-poaching unit has transformed the conservation picture in South Africa's Kruger National Park, writes Anneka Svenska. In just three years the Black Mambas have cut poaching by more than 75%, removed over 1,000 snares, and become role models for local youth. And this weekend they arrive in the UK to collect Helping Rhinos' 'Innovation in Conservation' Award.
Soon a artificial rhino horn may be on the market that's identical to the real thing down to its DNA, writes Diogo Veríssimo. A boon for rhinoceros conservation? Or an act of biopiracy that will enrich biotech corporations while perpetuating demand for rhino horn and confounding efforts to end its trade?
2013's illegal rhino slaughter in South Africa was the biggest ever. The population of the critically endangered black rhinos is now near the tipping point with only just over 4,000 animals left in the wild.
In his third and final blog Les Carlisle meets the President of Botswana and witnesses the not-quite-to-plan release of the translocated rhinos into their new habitat ...
In the second of a three part blog in which Les Carlisle joins a team of translocation experts, he travels across two Southern African countries in 48 hours with the aid of armed guards to safely deliver 6 rhino to their new homes ...
In the first of a three part blog in which Les Carlisle joins a team of translocation experts, he discovers the buzz of darting and blindfolding a rhino, whilst considering the absurd fact that their very existence is threatened due to the growth of an inert keratinous material on their heads ...
