Zambia

Poaching Threatens Rhinos’ Survival!

The rise in rhino poaching in Zambia has more to do with the dynamics of the global economy than any single factor within the country. The fall of global copper prices in the mid 1970’s – copper then being Zambia’s primary foreign exchange earner – forced many Zambians to locate new sources of income.  Many Zambians began to hunt and kill rhino’s (especially black rhino’s) for their horns, which were sold on the domestic and international markets.  In the east, central and southern areas of Africa where the black rhino was dominant, less than 4 000 remain from a population of 65 000 in 1970.  Many of these remaining rhinos are located in Zimbabwe because the black rhino has been poached to extinction in Zambia.

During the last century, the black rhino has suffered the most drastic decline in total numbers of all rhino species;   the population of this species decreased by 96%.

Faced with the extinction of the black rhino, the Zambian government initiated several wildlife conservation policies, including cross-border agreements with Zimbabwe and other countries where rhino poaching is common, aimed at reducing the amount of rhino poaching.  However these conservation efforts have had little long term impacts as many Zambian poachers have crossed the border to neighbouring Zimbabwe to continue poaching, thus many poachers are now concentrating on the elephant as the few rhinos that remain coming under increasing protection.  Other problems such as limited resources for wildlife preservation, competition with local farmers for land, the politics of wildlife legislation, and a still very lucrative global market for rhino horn – have made it very difficult for the Zambian government to protect its rhino as well as its elephant populations. 

The end result is that today, “rhino are still being killed faster than they can reproduce!”

The majestic rhinoceros and elephant once roamed freely in the 63,000 kilometres of the Luangwa in the north-eastern part of Zambia.  The rhino, for example, dates back about 55 million years, and is one of earth’s oldest animals.  Today all five of the remaining rhino species – black, white, Sumatran, Indian and Javan – are endangered because of poaching.

The recruitment and training of new  and in-service WPO’s is vital as intense anti-poaching patrolling will place North Luangwa National Park head  and shoulders above other National Parks in Zambia as they will be able to protect and ensure the re-introduction of this critically endangered  species.
Although the re-introduction of the 25 black rhino into North Luangwa National Park has heralded the return of the species to one of its most important historic range states, we have to bear in mind that rhinos have been around for 45 million years but could be extinct in less than a generation.  Zambia’s small but ecologically important population is crucial not only nationally but internationally.  We thus all have a responsibility and obligation to secure these species for future generations.  It is a task that weighs heavily on all our shoulders.