The Ecological And Economical Ramifications Of Rhino Poaching In South Africa
Ecological and Economical Ramifications of Rhino Poaching in South Africa
L. David Cohen
SPEA-S 332
10 December 2014
The CITES international trade ban on rhino parts, specifically, the horn, has fallen ineffective in its effort to reduce the illegal poaching of rhinos in an attempt to limit supply, which has lead to an increase in demand and price. This economic response has provided poachers with a growing incentive to poach rhinos for their horn, threatening to drive the black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhino species of South Africa (S.A.) into near extinction and remove the ecological role it provides in the South African savannah. Both species look very similar, but the black rhino’s horn has a circular base and a mouth that is pointed, unlike the white rhino that has a square-like mouth and horn base. The traditional use of rhino horn has been linked to many cultural and medicinal purposes throughout Asia for centuries. It wasn’t until the 19th century that rhino populations in the country began to experience rapid declines and the imminent threat of extinction if action was not taken soon. After reaching a dismal population of 840 individuals in 1960, the Convention on the Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) banned the trade of all rhino parts in 1977 for participating countries, which holds dominant international support (Biggs et al. 2013). Implementation of the ban incurred slow population growth for both rhino species until 1997, where the number of individuals has increased by 130% despite a 10-fold increase in illegal poaching in the last decade (Smith et al. 2013). Multiple factors have contributed to this significant increase in illegal poaching, including the overall recovery of the species that resulted in less attention being placed on the issue throughout the early to mid-2000s. The largest contributing factor to the increase, though, has been due to the restriction on the supply of rhino horn since
L. David Cohen
SPEA-S 332
10 December 2014
The CITES international trade ban on rhino parts, specifically, the horn, has fallen ineffective in its effort to reduce the illegal poaching of rhinos in an attempt to limit supply, which has lead to an increase in demand and price. This economic response has provided poachers with a growing incentive to poach rhinos for their horn, threatening to drive the black (Diceros bicornis) and white (Ceratotherium simum) rhino species of South Africa (S.A.) into near extinction and remove the ecological role it provides in the South African savannah. Both species look very similar, but the black rhino’s horn has a circular base and a mouth that is pointed, unlike the white rhino that has a square-like mouth and horn base. The traditional use of rhino horn has been linked to many cultural and medicinal purposes throughout Asia for centuries. It wasn’t until the 19th century that rhino populations in the country began to experience rapid declines and the imminent threat of extinction if action was not taken soon. After reaching a dismal population of 840 individuals in 1960, the Convention on the Trade of Endangered Species (CITES) banned the trade of all rhino parts in 1977 for participating countries, which holds dominant international support (Biggs et al. 2013). Implementation of the ban incurred slow population growth for both rhino species until 1997, where the number of individuals has increased by 130% despite a 10-fold increase in illegal poaching in the last decade (Smith et al. 2013). Multiple factors have contributed to this significant increase in illegal poaching, including the overall recovery of the species that resulted in less attention being placed on the issue throughout the early to mid-2000s. The largest contributing factor to the increase, though, has been due to the restriction on the supply of rhino horn since