| Animal Rights |
Rhinos in need of drastic action
by Don Ogden, Jun 30, 1998 Edward O. Wilson reminds us the rate of extinction in the world's rainforests "may exceed 50,000 (species) a year, 137 a day, 6 an hour" and that "the number of species on Earth is being reduced by a rate 1,000 to 10,000 times higher than existed in pre-human times." When I revisit these numbers, these sad facts, I often think of the rhinoceros. Here is a creature which has dwelled upon this planet fo 50 million years -- a very long time. Yet today, some species have dwindled to as few as 400, in the case of the Sumatran Rhino, and a mere 70, in the case of the Javan Rhino (the three other species are: Indian Rhino, 2,100 surviving; White Rhino, 7,600 surviving; and Black Rhino, 2,500 surviving. These numbers include both in situ and ex situ populations). It is said that without "drastic action" , four species of rhino could be extinct in the wild within the next decade. Before we consider what drastic actions are appropriate, I want to take just a moment to contemplate what this sorry situation reveals. The rhinoceros has roamed this planet from what seems like the beginning of time. We humans, on the other hand, (the ones who are illegally poaching so many of these venerable creatures merely for the horn) have tread this same Earth for only a fraction of that time. It is, once again, that same violation we visit upon the ancient Redwoods, the Great Whales, the ageless elements. While the rhino is, to some, the embodiment of tenacity; the human has become the embodiment of incoherence. In our weakness of mind we remove that which sustains us, those who set a good example, human or otherwise. As if that were not irony enough, recall that the rhino's horn is being sold on the blackmarket as an aphrodisiac in Asian countries such as China, Singapore or Taiwan, as well as for ceremonial dagger handles in Yemen. The first, a twisted exercise in narcissism, the latter, a ceremony of shame. Imagine the reaction in these nations (ancient cultures themselves, relative to the West) if we ground up the bones of their sacred animals to sell for, say face powder! No mistake should be made, if any creature which walks this Earth is sacred, surely the rhino is one. So, what can we do here on Turtle Island where the rhino no longer dwells, or in Europe, still a great distance from those dwindling herds? These animals and their tormentors seem so far away. Well, we can support the International Rhino Foundation (IRF) in their efforts to protect the remaining rhinos, though most of their work is far from "drastic action". Presently, they are lobbying the US Congress to re-authorize the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act in order to garner funds for continuing work both in captive breeding programs and research and protection in the wild. Much of their work is scientific in nature, working with preserves and zoos. The closest IRF seems to come in the way of "drastic action" is with their "Adopt a Guard/Patrol Program" in Garamba National Park, Republic of Congo. Sponsors contribute anywhere from $20 - $200 a month to outfit and support African guardsmen to protect the rhinos on the ground. These armed anti-poaching patrols in Garamba are the only thing standing between 25 Northern White Rhinos and utter extinction. The poachers in that area have already killed one guard and two rhinos this year. It's a sort of rhino war, one that seems to make some degree of sense given the probable results of doing nothing or just talking about it. Frankly, the non-violent activist inside this observer takes a backseat when issues of extinction come up. It seems to make some additional sense for IRF to expand their assistance in guard programs to other sites, most notably in Indonesia and Malaysia where the most endangered of all, the Sumatran Rhino (dicerorhinus sumatrensis), or hairy rhino, have declined 50% over the last ten years due to poaching. For those less willing to support a fighting war over rhinos, perhaps they would like to help institute a non-violent accompaniment program similar to what Peace Brigades International does with human rights workers in troubled areas around the globe. A few years ago I tried running that idea by Dave Brower of Earth Island Institute, Peace Brigades International, and IRF itself, but no one seemed very interested. Yes, "drastic action" is needed, but folks who don't want to pony up the bucks for IRF's "Adopt a Guard/Patrol Program" will have to devise their own strategies and tactics. The more tame among us will have to satisfy themselves with lobbying Congress to fully fund the US Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act and trying to convince US Fish and Wildlife that the rhino is as worthy of saving as the elephant, something they don't seem to get. Meanwhile, the rhino population count continues to fall. It's more than a shame, it's a mortal sin.
International Rhino Foundation
Marshall P. Jones
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