GCSE / A-level Geography
Investigating Rhino Conservation
bring the world to your classroom
CONTENTS
Introduction
01
Overview
02
Context of the resources
Teachers’ Notes
03
Lesson descriptions
Lesson 01
05
CSI South Africa
Lesson 02
07
Rhino summit
Lesson 03
09
Conservation case studies
Lesson 04
11
Stop poaching story boards
Lesson 05
13
Filming conservation videos
Activity Sheets 01-09
15
Accompanying activity sheets for
all lessons
Factsheets 01-08
32
Background information
Web links
41
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Voices of
Conservation classroom
resource!
These Voices of Conservation resources are based on the
conservation work of Dr William Fowlds, a wildlife veterinarian based
in South Africa. Views from other individuals and organisations
working to protect the rhino in Southern Africa have also been
included.
Further resources and ideas can be found at:
digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation
The Voices of Conservation education programme has been
developed with the support of Worldwide Experience with a range of
other sponsors (voicesofconservation.org/#/support) and to
complement their competition to find the next generation of
conservation heroes.
Classes who have used these resources may want to take part in
the Voices of Conservation competition by making a video and
entering online to win a trip to Southern Africa and take part in rhino
conservation initiatives.
About Voices of Conservation
Voices of Conservation is an education initiative inspired by the great
South African conservation heroes of the 1950s and 1960s and
especially the work of Dr Ian Player.
Dr PlayerÊs efforts to save the rhino from extinction in Southern
Africa gave us many of conservation techniques still in use today,
such as tranquilising animals and relocation plans.
With support from companies and organisations in South Africa and
the UK, Voices of Conservation provides educational opportunities
and resources to empower the next generation of conservation
heroes.
For more information and to take part, visit:
voicesofconservation.org.
About Worldwide Experience
Worldwide Experience provides conservation-oriented gap year
experiences in South Africa, along with a range of specialist
conservation and local community projects.
About Digital Explorer
Voices of Conservation is an educational programme delivered by
Digital Explorer, an educational social enterprise. Digital Explorer
promotes real world learning in schools through linking classrooms
with researchers and expeditions.
01
OVERVIEW
Rangers find a rhino that has
been attacked by poachers
This resource has been designed to give students studying at GCSE
and A Level geography an introduction to the issue of rhino poaching
and conservation.
The case studies used show the complexity of conservation issues
in the face of well-organized criminal gangs and stretched resources.
This booklet contains three lessons offering a range of activities and
ideas for introducing the topic of rhino conservation into your classroom.
An additional two lessons focus on how students might share their
ideas for solutions to rhino poaching, through creating short conservation videos.
About rhino poaching
The issue of rhino poaching is one of the saddest wildlife crimes in
the world today. Since 2006, nearly two thousand rhino have been
slaughtered for their horns in South Africa. The rhino horn is a prized
ingredient in Asian medicine, thought to cure ailments such as convulsions, fevers and even cancer; none of which have any scientific
basis. The rhinoÊs horn is made of keratin, the same substance that
makes up human fingernails.
around $65,000 per kg, which makes it worth more, per unit weight,
than cocaine, diamond or gold.
At the beginning of the 20th century there were 500,000 rhino but by
1970 there were 70,000, and in 2010, there were roughly 27,950
rhino surviving in the wild.
As mentioned above the main factor in the increase in rhino poaching has been the demand from Far East markets such as Vietnam
and China.
Now the IUCNð Red List, which lists all rare species, classes the
various Rhinoceros species as follows:
Black rhino - Critically Endangered
Southern white rhino - Near Threatened
Northern white rhino ă Critically Endangered
Indian rhino - Critically Endangered
Javan rhino - Critically Endangered
Sumatran rhino - Critically Endangered
We hope that these lessons and resources will help to inspire your
students to become the conservation heroes of the 21st century and
safeguard the rhino and their habitat for future generations.
In 2008, the number of rhino poached in South Africa shot up to 83,
from 13 in 2007. By 2010 the figure had soared to 333, followed by
448 in 2011 and 668 in 2012. At the same time, the price for rhino
horn has risen from $4,700 per kilogram in 1993 to todayÊs price of
02
TEACHERS’ NOTES
A rhino is shot with a
tranquilizer dart as part of a
relocation programme
These lessons offer students an in-depth investigation into rhino
poaching, the views of different stakeholder groups and the effectiveness of different conservation techniques.
The resources use a mix of real life case studies from frontline wildlife veterinarian Dr William Fowlds, alongside the views of a range of
others involved in putting a stop to rhino poaching.
This is a real and ongoing issue that will need young people to have
a voice and to innovate if rhino are to have a future. An example of a
new conservation technique is when drones were used for the first
time in 2013 in South Africa, using thermal imaging cameras to track
both rhino and poachers (fw.to/s4fddPk).
3.
Conservation case studies
Students have the opportunity to study the work of three NGOs
working to prevent rhino poaching in Southern Africa. Creating
imaginative posters, students will gain solid understanding of
conservation case studies to use in exam questions.
4.
Stop poaching story-boards
This lesson is the pre-production stage of creating a conservation
video. Students work in teams to story board their conservation ideas
and if applicable can enter them for the Voices of Conservation competition.
Lesson descriptions
5.
1.
The second video lesson involves the shooting and editing stages of
creating the conservation videos. Students can research rhino conservation videos made by NGOs online to hone their skills.
CSI South Africa
Students are confronted by the bodies of two dying rhino. Using a
series of clues, student teams must find out what has happened and
why. This lesson introduces students to rhino conservation in the
Eastern Cape and the threats facing white rhino in Southern Africa.
2.
Rhino summit
A decision-making exercise examines the different points of view of
a variety of stakeholders from businessmen to conservationists, and
policeman to magistrates. This lesson prompts students to think of
how a solution to rhino poaching might be found.
03
Filming conservation videos
TEACHERS’ NOTES
ICT requirements
Ongoing work
The use of multimedia can help to make issues such as rhino poaching more real in the classroom. To view videos and photographs in
the classroom it is advised that classes have access to either:
Keep an eye out for further stories relating to rhino conservation
which are in the news, and try to relate them back to the work that is
being done in class. Recent examples include:
Front of class set-up:
ÂDrones are changing the face of conservationÊ,
The Guardian, 28 May 2013
guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/28/drones-changing-faceconservation

Computer

Digital Projector

Audio speakers

Screen (or Interactive White Board)

Internet access
ÂNo, Legalizing Rhino Horn Probably WonÊt Save Animals from
PoachingÊ, Smithsonian Blogs, 17 June 2013
blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/06/no-legalizing-rhinohorn-probably-wont-save-animals-from-poaching/
Individual student set-up (or for small group work):

Tablet or laptop

Wifi access
A series of resources are available for download from:
digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation
A full list of useful web links is on page 41.
Connecting with social media
A PINTEREST board has been started for this topic. It can be viewed
at pinterest.com/deupdates/rhino-conservation/.
Students can also follow Voices of Conservation on several social
media channels:
Facebook - facebook.com/voicesofconservation
Twitter - twitter.com/VoicesConservat
Video making equipment
YouTube - youtube.com/user/voicesofconservation
For students making the videos, the content is more important than
whether the video has been shot with the latest HD camera.
Dr William Fowlds can be followed on his blog, but be warned the life
of a wildlife veterinarian can be quite distressing:
To shoot the video, you will need:
williamfowldsdaytoday.blogspot.co.uk

Video camera (anything from a mobile phone to a professional video camera will be fine)

Make sure that you can record good sound (a lot of people
choose to use external microphones)

Make sure you have a way of keeping the camera steady
(many filmmakers use a tripod)
To edit the video, you will need access to:

Laptop or desktop computer

Editing software (Windows Movie Maker or iMovie are fine
as a starting point)
Do not worry too much about the technical side of this. You are
likely to have the experience of a student in the class who has made
online videos who can help to guide this process.
04
LESSON 1
Summary
Students are confronted by the bodies of two dying rhino. Using a series of clues, student teams must find out what has happened and why.
This lesson introduces students to rhino conservation in the Eastern Cape and the threats facing white rhino in Southern Africa.
Preparation

Familiarise yourself with:
Fact Sheet 1: Rhino poaching in South Africa
Fact Sheet 2: Solutions to poaching

Download image from digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation

Print out enough copies of:
Activity Sheet 1 - 5Ws
Activity Sheet 2 - Mystery cards (each group will need a set inside an envelope)
Activity Sheet 3 - Newspaper template
Fact Sheet 3 - Kariega Rhino Poaching Press Release
Fact Sheet 4 - Kariega Game Reserve Help Save Our Rhino
Notes
05
CSI SOUTH AFRICA
Aims / Objectives
Activities
Resources
Outcomes
STARTER:
5Ws Activity: Who? What? Where? When? Why?
INTRODUCING THE
ISSUE OF RHINO
POACHING IN SOUTH
AFRICA
Students enter the classroom to be confronted by the
image projected on a screen and have Activity Sheet
1 ready for them
Images of rhino poaching
Connect current
knowledge to issue of
rhino poaching
Activity Sheet 1: 5Ws
Students look at the image and write down their
thoughts in each box, using the evidence available
from the photograph
Encourage students to share their ideas about the
photograph and to speculate on what may have happened before and after the photograph was taken, but
donÊt provide students with any answers at this stage
Tell students that the ÂanswersÊ will be available at the
end of the lesson
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY:
Mystery Activity: Who is responsible for the death of
Themba the rhino?
Activity Sheet 2: Mystery cards
INVESTIGATING WHO IS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
DEATH OF THEMBA THE
RHINO
Split students into small groups of four or five
Tell the students to open the envelope and spread the
cards out so that they can all see them. Give them 5
minutes reading time to absorb the information.
The statements will
need to be cut into
cards and placed in an
envelope. You will
need enough sets of
cards for the number of
groups. Glue the key
question on to the front
of each envelope
Explain that each group is going to use the statements to come up with an answer to the key question.
Activity Sheet 3: Newspaper template
Distribute a set of cards to each group
Ask the students to read the key question on the envelope without opening it: Who is responsible for the
death of Themba the rhino?
Evaluate the different
factors that cause rhino
poaching in South
Africa
Hand out Activity Sheet 3 for each group to produce a
newspaper article explaining who is responsible for
the death of Themba the rhino
PLENARY
Use real material from the blogs, websites and press
releases about the incident to review this case of
rhino poaching. Ask students to consider what they
have learnt.
Visit Dr William FowldÊs blog where the information
about Thandi and Themba is taken from.
You can also use the Kariega Game Reserve website,
where there is a blog section about Thandi and
Themba.
Fact Sheet 3 is the Press Release from Kariega about
the incident and Fact Sheet 4 is information taken
from the Kariega website.
Websites:
williamfowldsdaytoday.blogspot.co.uk/
and
kariega.co.za/blog/
categories/thandi-andthemba
Review learning in
context of Kariega
incident and global
issue
OR
Fact Sheet 3: Kariega
Rhino Poaching Press
Release
Fact Sheet 4: Kariega
Game Reserve
Help Save Our Rhino
06
LESSON 2
Summary
A decision-making exercise examining the different points of view of a variety of stakeholders from businessmen to conservationists, and
policeman to magistrates. This lesson prompts students to think of how a solution to rhino poaching might be found.
Preparation

Ensure you have internet access to show the short YouTube video on rhino poaching: youtu.be/iEka0RI_Fyc

Print out enough copies of:
Activity Sheet 4 - Role-playing cards
Activity Sheet 5 - Character worksheet
Activity Sheet 6 - Meeting agenda
Activity Sheet 7 - Meeting minutes (enlarge to A3 if possible)
Notes
07
RHINO SUMMIT
Aims / Objectives
Activities
Resources
Outcomes
STARTER:
Show the short video clip: Rhino Poaching
RECAP ON RHINO
POACHING FROM
PREVIOUS LESSON
Ask students to think about ideas that could be used
to tackle the poaching issue
Short video:
youtu.be/iEka0RI_Fyc
Connect to previous
learning
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY 1:
Split students into small groups and give each group
a role-playing card depicting the character that they
will be adopting for the course of the lesson
WHAT ARE THE
DIFFERENT POSSIBLE
SOLUTIONS TO RHINO
POACHING?
Students read this card and each group completes
Activity Sheet 5 summing up the key points of their
character, including one sentence expressing their
views on the solution to poaching and questions that
they would like answered during the meeting
Focus on solutions
Activity Sheet 4:
Role-playing cards
Argue the position of a
particular stakeholder
Activity Sheet 5:
Character worksheet
Activity Sheet 6:
Meeting agenda
Each group could also be given a name card so that
they can show which character they represent at the
meeting
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY 2:
WHAT ARE THE
BENEFITS AND
PROBLEMS OF THE
POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS?
Students participate in a role-play of a special
meeting, called to discuss the possible solutions to
white rhino poaching in South Africa. The meeting will
follow a pre-planned agenda and students will be
expected to share their characterÊs views as part of
the meeting
Activity Sheet 7:
Meeting minutes
Debate different
solutions to rhino
poaching
Evaluate different
points of view
Each group will be expected to keep their own
ÂminutesÊ in the form of an A3 sheet recording the
possible benefits and problems of each solution
PLENARY:
STUDENTS TO DECIDE
WHICH SOLUTIONS
THEY THINK MAY HOLD
THE ANSWER
Students vote on which ÂsolutionÊ they would like to
see put in place
Whole class discussion
Judge which is the best
solution
Following the agenda of the meeting students will be
required to sum up the arguments completed on their
A3 sheet through discussion. Students should be able
to distinguish between the different solutions and
08
LESSON 3
Summary
Students have the opportunity to study the work of three NGOs working to prevent rhino poaching in Southern Africa. Creating imaginative
posters, students will gain a solid understanding of conservation case studies to use when answering exam questions.
Preparation

Ensure you have internet access and permissions to show the two short online videos

Download ÂSlideshow: Conservation Case StudiesÊ from digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation

Print out enough copies of:
Activity Sheet 8 - Conservation projects worksheet
Fact Sheet 5 - Save the Rhino International
Fact Sheet 6 - Wilderness Foundation
Fact Sheet 7 - Save the Rhino Trust

Have A3 paper available for students to make posters
Notes
09
CONSERVATION CASE STUDIES
Aims / Objectives
Activities
Resources
Outcomes
STARTER
Show the short video clip: Rhino horn is a killer not a
cure
Short video:
youtu.be/JqwTRmYo3kk
Connect to previous
learning
This can be used to recap on the possible solutions
to rhino poaching ă is education the key?
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY:
WHAT RHINO CONSERVATION PROJECTS ARE
CURRENTLY TAKING
PLACE?
Divide students into three groups
Show the presentation with instructions for the activity, or just go through the steps below
Hand out one of the fact sheets to each group. Students read through the sheets and summarise it in
10 bullet points in their exercise books
Hand out A3 paper for each group to produce a
poster illustrating their project. They can use as
many drawings as they like, but only 10 words
Hand out Activity Sheet 8 to each group
Groups choose two members to move to the other
groups. The ÂvisitingÊ members will be taught about
the other case studies whilst the remaining group
members teach whoever comes to them. Groups
can only use the posters to help them teach
Evaluate education /
campaign video
Slideshow: Conservation
Case Studies
Communicate the work
of conservation NGOs
Fact Sheet 5: Save the
Rhino International
Fact Sheet 6: Wilderness Foundation
Fact Sheet 7: Save the
Rhino Trust
A3 poster paper for each
group
Activity Sheet 8: Conservation projects worksheet
Students return to their original groups and complete
Activity Sheet 8, sharing what theyÊve learnt with the
rest of the group
PLENARY:
FEEDBACK SESSION
Students share what they have learned about rhino
conservation projects in South Africa with the other
members of their group
Short video:
vimeo.com/19170189
Gain case study info
for use in exams
Evaluate video
Show students the short video clip: Rhinos must be
saved from poaching
What do students think about the importance of
creativity in putting the message across in this
video?
10
LESSON 4
Summary
This lesson is the pre-production stage of creating a conservation video. Students work in teams to story board their conservation ideas and if
applicable can enter them for the Voices of Conservation competition. More information is at: voicesofconservation.org.
Preparation

Ensure you have internet access to show the short YouTube video

Print out enough copies of:
Activity Sheet 9 - Video storyboard (enlarge to A3 if possible)

Have available all completed worksheets and factsheets from previous lessons
Notes
11
STOP POACHING STORY-BOARDS
Aims / Objectives
Activities
Resources
Outcomes
STARTER
Introduce students to the plan for them to produce
their own video putting forward possible solutions to
the issue of rhino poaching
Short video:
bbc.co.uk/news/uk18493821
Understand criteria for
the video competition
Factsheets and worksheets from the previous three lessons
Create a plan for the
conservation video and
understand the importance of pre-production
in filmmaking
See the criteria for the video at the competition website at voicesofconservation.org
Discuss what makes a
good conservation
video
Show students the BBC interview with Prince William
speaking out against rhino poaching
DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY:
PLANNING TO MAKE
THE VIDEO
Split students into small groups of between two and
six. Ensure that each group is provided with copies of
all the information sheets from previous lessons and
has the work that they have completed from the last
three lessons
Hand out Activity Sheet 9 to each group, for them to
produce a storyboard for the video that shows possible solutions to the issue of rhino poaching
Activity Sheet 9 - Video
storyboard (enlarge to
A3 if possible)
Groups produce the storyboard with possible images
in the top box possible image and possible text, interview or voiceover in the bottom box.
PLENARY
Each group presents their storyboard to the rest of the
class
Completed storyboards
Use feedback to
improve work
Students provide feedback on each of the plans for
the video and suggest improvements and changes
12
LESSON 5
Summary
The second video lesson involves the shooting and editing stages of creating the conservation videos. Students can research rhino conservation videos made by NGOs online to hone their skills. The video can be used as a class entry to the Voices of Conservation competition, to win
a trip to South Africa and work with leading conservationists. More information is at: voicesofconservation.org.
Preparation

Ensure you have access to computers or a computer lab for this lesson

Install simple video-editing software such as Windows Movie Maker, iMovie or Adobe Premier Elements

The following equipment will be needed for filming:
Video camera (anything from a mobile phone, to a tablet or a professional camcorder)
Microphone (optional)
Tripod (optional)

Access the folder of cutaway images for students to use in their videos if they wish, at digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation

Have available all completed storyboards from the previous lesson
Notes
13
FILMING CONSERVATION VIDEOS
Aims / Objectives
Activities
Resources
Outcomes
STARTER
Students use their storyboards from the last lesson to
set up filming for video
Completed storyboards
Integrate planning into
filming process
DEVELOPMENT
ACTIVITY
Students film video and edit material that they record
Video camera and
recording equipment
etc.
Create videos
Computers with editing
software
Folder of rhino images
for cutaways
PLENARY
Students to show each video to the rest of the class
Students can also upload the videos to YouTube as
part of the Voices of Conservation competition (see
voicesofconservation.org) or more generally to engage and inspire a wider audience
Completed videos
Share completed
videos
14
ACTIVITY SHEET 1
5 Ws
Wh
o?
Why?
15
he
re
?
Wh
en?
W
W
t?
ha
ACTIVITY SHEET 2
Mystery cards: Who’s responsible for Themba’s death?
16
ACTIVITY SHEET 2 (contd.)
17
ACTIVITY SHEET 3
Newspaper template
The Daily Planet
AFRICAN RHINO FOUND
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?
DEAD:
By:
18
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
Dr. Ian Player
International conservationist
I am a South African environmental educator, conservationist, sportsman and activist.
My conservation career started with the Natal Parks, Game and Fish Preservation Board in 1952. In
1954 I was promoted to Senior Ranger and in 1962 Senior Warden of iMfolozi Game Reserve.
Whilst I was Warden of the iMfolozi Game Reserve, I began two key initiatives:

Operation Rhino, which saved the few remaining Southern race of white rhino

Established wilderness areas in iMfolozi and St. Lucia, the first wilderness areas to be zoned in
South Africa and on the African continent.
In 1964 I became Chief Conservator for Zululand and then was promoted Chief Nature Conservator for
Natal and Zululand.
I am well known for being the initiator and team leader of the innovative project ÂOperation RhinoÊ,
which was launched in 1960 to establish new populations of white rhino in Southern Africa. I established a successful anti-poaching network in South African game reserves, which resulted in an
impressive reduction in poaching and predation.
My plan now is the same as it was in the 1960s with Project Rhino. We need to capture excess rhino,
and to translocate them to reserves within the speciesÊ former range. By establishing new populations
we could restore the fortunes of the white rhino.
19
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
John Hume
Businessman
Probably 160,000 rhinos have been slaughtered in Africa over the past 50 years. One of the major
contributing factors was almost certainly that the local populations were never on the side of the animals. We need to change our tactics and help our communities to foster a pride in rhinos and a desire
to breed them, instead of to poach them.
We should move some rhinos from our national parks and put them in the custody of the communities
and black emergent farmers. Game farmers and breeders should be encouraged to engage surrounding rural communities and teach them to conserve and breed rhinos. If the local people generate a
substantial income from these animals, they would literally guard them with their lives.
This would play a significant role in addressing two major conservation issues: poverty and habitat
loss. If 4,800 rhinos were donated to communities and the population increased by seven per cent per
annum (a conservative estimate based on official figures and my own observations), the communityowned rhinos would number 29,000 in 25 years.
For this approach to be successful the communities have to benefit from it and fortunately the rhino
has the appropriate reward: its horn. The barrier to this model is the current ban on rhino-horn trade. If
we cannot offer local people an incentive to breed rhinos, they simply will not be interested.
Unfortunately we will not stop the demand, but I believe we have the resources to divert the supply of
that demand from poached rhinos to those that are still alive or whose horns have long been stockpiled.
If the market for rhino horn were supplied largely by our live rhinos; if communities no longer wanted to
poach rhinos; if the private sector were encouraged and incentivised to breed rhinos; and if SANParks
(South Africa National Parks) were generating a substantial annual income from horn stockpiles, I believe that poaching levels wold drop to a minimum.
20
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
Will Travers
Chief Executive
Born Free Foundation
Legalising the rhino horn trade simply wonÊt work. Some argue that rhino horn could be farmed or
taken from animals that die naturally. This would cut out the criminals involved in the illegal trade and
provide economic resources to protect the rhino in the wild. Similar arguments were made for ivory in
2008 and had horrific consequences. The result was a massive increase in elephant poaching. The
price of ivory has rocketed from $160 per kilogram in 2009 to a staggering $1,600 per kilogram today,
driving poaching with approximately 30,000 elephants killed in 2012.
So what about the rhino? 13 poached in South Africa in 2007, over 200 in 2010, 448 in 2011, 668 in
2012 and as of 17 June, 410 in 2013 and counting. Providing a sustainable demand simply will not
stop poaching. The Chinese and Vietnamese governments, for example, need to implement massive
re-education campaigns to counter the bogus claims that rhino horn will cure cancer and prevent
strokes.
Whatever is produced will be consumed. Those in favour of a legal trade believe that 3,000 ă 5,000
kilograms of horn per year is enough to meet demand, but:
2 grams of rhino horn = one dose
3,000 kilograms of rhino horn = 1.5 million doses
This sounds a lot, until you consider the potential demand of a Chinese middle-class consumer market
of 400-500 million people.
We cannot repeat the mistakes of the past. There are solutions: massive education campaigns across
consuming countries; major investment by the international community in the coordinated protection of
the rhino in the wild; deterrent sentences for those involved in rhino poaching; and high-level political
support, including for the UN to designate rhinos as World Heritage Species.
Rhinos need to be seen not as goods to be traded, but as the iconic, natural and living treasures of the
world they surely are.
21
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
James Compton
Senior director for Asia-Pacific
TRAFFIC
TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network, works to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals
is not a threat to the conservation of nature. TRAFFIC is a joint programme of IUCN and WWF.
TRAFFIC was established in 1976 and has developed into a global network, research-driven and action-oriented, committed to delivering innovative and practical conservation solutions based on the latest information.
I believe that the battle to protect rhinos is not going to be won in Africa, itÊs going to be won where the
demand is ă in Asia. The message needs to get out in Asia through advert campaigns, and getting
government officials to talk about rhino horn on TV as itÊs important to reach the next generation.
We have to go beyond posters at airports. We have to come up with innovative strategies, of substantial scale and duration, to address demand. If we can make the consumption of endangered wildlife
uncool among young people in Asia, then perhaps we have a chance of really shifting things.
This is where social media also has a part to play. Humane Society International has posted a YouTube clip called ÂRhino horn is a killer, not a cureÊ which carries the warning ÂThis video contains
graphic images of mutilated rhinosÊ. Significantly, it is also available in Vietnamese and Chinese.
I support such initiatives.
22
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
Colonel Johann Jooste
South African policeman
I am part of the Hawks (the South African Police ServiceÊs priority crimes unit). I have seen the very
sharp end of the rhino wars.
Wherever money is involved, rhinos get dirty ă and law enforcement has to clean up the pieces. We
are left with a dirty, greed-filled image of rhino conservation in South Africa that taints the fantastic conservation story their recovery has been.
The illegal poaching and trade in rhino horn is so lucrative that it has corrupted high- and low-ranking
people alike. It is a major part of a widespread rape of natural assets that cost South Africa R80-billion
(US$10.6-billion) for the year 2010ă11.
For a number of leading economists and conservationists (and even those rare few who are both), allowing market forces to control an open trade in rhino horn is looking increasingly attractive. Run some
numbers and it starts looking positively rosy. And yet, assuming South Africa were to make a strong
enough case to start trading, would it be the right way to go?
There is a loud call among rhino hunters and farmers, respected economists and some equally respected conservationists to legalize trade in horn as the only way to fight poaching. They opine that
the 1977 CITES ban on trade in rhino horn (except for bona fide trophy hunts in South Africa, Namibia
and Swaziland) has failed to curb the illicit trade. Legal commercialization is the way forward, they say;
a no- brainer in fact.
If we canÊt sort out the wildlife rhino industry, the farmers can forget it; the world wonÊt give us consent
to trade in anything.
23
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
Dr. Charles van Niekerk
Rhino Rescue Project
We are driven by a desperate need to try to do something and at the same time balance it against
what we know and what is safe for the rhinos. When one looks at the rate at which rhinos are being
poached, weÊve had to [launch the project] perhaps sooner than weÊd have liked to. But if we wait another three or four years, will we have any rhinos left?
I support the idea to inject rhino horns with a medicinal compound and a bright dye that will show up
under an X-ray scanner to warn of the hornsÊ toxicity. No deterrent is a guarantee that your animal will
be protected, but this will be another arrow in the quiver against possible poaching incidents.
The technique involves infusing the horn with an ectoparasiticide ă a poison that kills ticks and other
parasites that target livestock ă and a pink dye similar to that used to mark bank notes. Once a rhino
has been sedated, the cocktail is forced into its horn under high pressure to ensure that it penetrates
throughout. While introducing the poison into the rhinoÊs horn apparently does not jeopardise the animal, it does expose anyone ingesting the doctored horn to a potential risk ă and thus presents something of an ethical dilemma.
24
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
Dr. Joseph Okori
African Rhino Programme Manager
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
WWF believes that using the dye can be equated to dehorning because the objective is to create a
deterrent to poaching ă as long as people know that itÊs not worth poaching a dyed horn. The dye enables us to trace the horn, like stained bank notes.
Poisoning, however, is a different matter. We at WWF do not believe that this is the route to go. ItÊs
unethical in that there is a deliberate motive to harm a person. That isnÊt right and we cannot support it.
In legal terms, you could be charged as an accomplice to murder, which is not what weÊre here for.
YouÊre targeting the end-user, who is innocent ă youÊre not targeting the people who are involved in
the trade or do the actual poaching.
25
ACTIVITY SHEET 4
Role-playing cards
Magistrate Prince Manyathi
Kempton Park Magistrates Court,
Johannesburg, South Africa
When it comes to sentencing, perhaps the most notorious magistrate is Prince Manyathi, who has presided over a number of rhino-related offences at Kempton Park MagistratesÊ Court, Johannesburg,
close to O.R. Tambo International Airport. He has warned poachers and couriers that it makes no
difference whether they kill a rhino or are caught in possession of its horns; the penalty will be the
same.
Manyathi has also reiterated that fines will no longer suffice to discourage such crimes, and his sentences bear that out. The chief weapon at the magistratesÊ disposal is the National Environmental
Management: Biodiversity Act 10 of 2004 (NEMBA). Under NEMBA, the maximum penalty for illegal
possession of rhino horn is 10 years imprisonment or a fine of R10 million (£640,000), or both. And,
while horn-related charges take centre stage, others such as racketeering, money laundering, theft,
malicious damage to property and even animal cruelty are among the additional charges that have
been used successfully. Nevertheless, progress through the judicial system is slow.
On 8 November 2011, the alleged mastermind of a rhino-poaching syndicate, Chumlong Lemtongthai
appeared with Punpitak Chunchom and Marnus Steyl at the Kempton Park MagistratesÊ Court. The
magistrates here are handing down harsher penalties for those convicted of rhino-related crimes.
Manyathi believes that the only way to deter poachers is to use tough sentencing through a court of
law.
26
ACTIVITY SHEET 5
Character worksheet
Character name:
What view does your character take about the possible solutions to
poaching of the white rhino in South Africa?
Give one reason why?
Are there any questions your character would like to ask about the solutions
to poaching of the white rhino in South Africa?
1.
2.
3.
Be prepared to explain your organisation’s views at the meeting!
27
ACTIVITY SHEET 6
Meeting agenda
You will need to complete your meeting minutes (Activity Sheet 7) during
the meeting to record the discussions that you have.
Special Meeting organised by the South African Government
Solutions to Rhino Poaching in South Africa
Agenda
1.
Introductions
Each member will need to introduce themselves and say what view they bring to the meeting
2.
Solutions to rhino poaching
Discussion of the possible ways forward to reduce rhino poaching:
(a) Rhino horn removal and rhino farming
(b) Poisoning and/or use of dye in rhino horns
(c) Legalising the trade in rhino horns
(d) Toughening the law
3.
Questions
Members are invited to ask questions to the group
4.
Summary of discussions and voting
5.
Any Other Business
6.
Close of meeting
28
ACTIVITY SHEET 7
Meeting minutes
Record your discussions in this worksheet.
Possible solution
Rhino horn removal and
rhino farming
Poisoning and/or use of
dye in rhino horns
Legalising the trade in
rhino horns
Toughening the law
29
Benefits
Problems
ACTIVITY SHEET 8
Conservation projects
worksheet
Save the Rhino International: What does this project tell you about conservation of the rhino?
WWF Rhino Conservation: What does this project tell you about conservation of the rhino?
Project Rhino KZN: What does this project tell you about conservation of the rhino?
30
ACTIVITY SHEET 9
Video storyboard
31
FACT SHEET 1
Rhino poaching in South
Africa
Why?
The primary market for rhino horn is East Asia, where it is sought
after as an ingredient in remedies for various illnesses. Demand
increased at the beginning of the 21st century, and therefore poaching did too. The horn is also being marketed in East Asian countries
as a cancer treatment, fuelling the poaching trade, although no research backs up these claims. Touts ply hospital wards, on the lookout for desperate patients. (TRAFFIC) All rhinos in Vietnam are now
extinct.
Rhino horn is also prized in Yemen as the handles of ceremonial
daggers, in China throughout the centuries as ornaments, and in
Vietnam, crushed up as a drink or drug as a status symbol of the
emerging super-rich.
Africa is home to two types of rhino ă the black rhino and white
rhino. Both are in fact greyish, and can be distinguished by their
different shaped mouths. The white rhino is also slightly larger in
size. Both types have two horns, which has led to high levels of illegal poaching and a sharp decrease in rhino population, as rhino horn
is highly prized around the world for different purposes.
These two rhinos originated about 6 million years ago, and have
lived throughout Africa since. The current populations in South Africa
(latest figures are from 2010) 18,796 white rhinos and 1,916 black
rhinos ă this represents approximately 93% and 40% of the total
white and black rhino populations respectively. (Save the Rhino
International).
Other than humans, rhinos donÊt have any natural predators.
In 1895 only 20 white rhinos were left in South Africa due to poaching. Numerous conservation efforts, such as establishing reserves,
led to their recovery of a current global population of over 20,000.
One hundred years later however, the rate of illegal poaching has
increased to record levels and over the last five years the population
of both white and black rhinos has decreased rapidly.
This risky and illegal trade is also economically profitable - on the
black market, the horns sell for about £40,000 per kilo.
How?
Rhinos are tracked by GPS (Global Positioning System) and mobile
phone, then shot by gun or dart by poachers working on foot or in
helicopters. Because they use watering holes daily, they are a relatively easy and predictable target.
Their horns are hacked off with axes, chainsaws or similar weapons.
Highly organised gangs also use tranquilisers and certain drugs
which indicate the involvement of professional veterinarians. The
rhinos which survive the initial attack most often bleed to death, or
die of an overdose of tranquilizing drugs.
The people involved in poaching has changed over the years to include those formerly involved in wildlife conservation ă earlier this
year, no doubt tempted by the profits, four rangers at the Kruger
National Park were arrested on poaching charges. Although poaching and trade in rhino horn is illegal internationally, very few poachers are ever brought to justice.
In 2012, 668 rhinos were killed in South Africa and this figure is likely
to be higher this year. Since 2008, more than 1,200 rhinos have
been slaughtered in the country, leading to a current black rhino
population of about 1,900, reduced from 70,000 in the late 1960s.
Black rhinos are now listed as critically endangered, and the white
rhino is near threatened (IUCN Red List).
32
FACT SHEET 2
Solutions to poaching
followed in 1992, after which demand shifted to alternatives such as
buffalo horns. (Telegraph)
Decrease demand
Countering the belief that rhino horn ă made up of keratin, the main
component of fingernails and hair ă has any substantiated medicinal
value. Recent scientific research contests its use as a hangover,
rheumatism and cancer cure. However, there is the wider challenge
of the public believing that it can help, as well as the other emerging
markets for trade ă the young and wealthy of Vietnam who use
ground rhino horn as a recreational drug.
Law enforcement
Legalisation
The current international ban on poaching and trade in rhino horn
isnÊt working ă rhinos are being killed on a daily basis. Legalising the
trade would in theory take the power away from the criminal gangs,
enable strict controls to be imposed, and more rhino horn to be available, thereby reducing its economic value and status factor. Critics
are sceptical of the ability of the authorities to impose and maintain
the strict controls, and that poaching would continue as costs would
be lower than legally obtaining rhino horn. Legalising may also increase demand, a potential market of 1.5 billion people, which could
severely affect the rhino population ă already in a bad way. While
rhinos donÊt have to be killed for their horns to be removed, the economic opportunity may be too tantalising for poachers, whose main
aim will be to obtain as many horns as possible, as quickly as possible.
Dehorning
Some parks and conservationists are trying to beat the poachers at
their own game by removing the horns of rhinos while the animals
are under sedation. Dehorning is a relatively safe process in terms of
welfare, and the horns do grow back. Other alternatives currently
being tried are injecting the horns with dye or poison, making them
less marketable. There are risks involved however; early this year in
South Africa a white rhino died during a demonstration of the horn
dyeing technique. (StRI)
Banning usage
Taiwan banned the use of rhino horn in medicine in 1992, and China
33
Many believe the issue can be helped through an increase in the
number of arrests and prosecutions for poachers and those involved
in the poaching trade, and tougher sentencing, discouraging others
from continuing in or taking up the trade.
Armed security
Aiming to be on the look-out for and stop poaching gangs, Army
personnel are deployed along the border between Kruger National
Park and Mozambique (Save the Rhino International).
Strategy
Over 150 organizations are now actively involved in their own efforts
to address the same issue of rhino poaching. There is increasing
concern over lack of integration and duplication of effort, when what
is needed is a collaborative response. (StRI)
And a few of the more controversial ideas…
A large China pharmaceutical company wants to farm rhinos for their
horns, thereby meeting demand and reducing the risk of poaching in
the wild. (Global Post)
Controlled hunting can bring in revenue, with wealthy visitors often
paying through the nose to be able to trophy-hunt rhinos. This sort of
hunting is legal but very limited in South Africa, where only older
animals are shot. This method has helped stabilise populations of
other endangered species in the past, and can bring in money to
fund conservation. (Global Post)
FACT SHEET 3
Kariega Rhino Poaching
Press Release
THE CHANGING FACE OF RHINO POACHING
For immediate release
Since 2006, more than one thousand rhino have been slaughtered for their horns in South Africa. The rhino's horn is a prized ingredient in
traditional Asian medicine, thought to cure ailments such as convulsions, fevers and also act as an aphrodisiac; all of which have no scientific basis as the rhinoÊs horn is made of keratin, the same substance that makes up human fingernails.
In 2008 the number of rhino poached in South Africa shot up to 83, from 13 in 2007. By 2010 the figure had soared to 333, followed by
448 recorded poachings last year*.
Just over two months into 2012, and 117 rhino have already been needlessly butchered for their horns. They are either shot and killed
with high powered weapons, or the poachers use a tranquiliser gun and darts to immobilise the rhino. When the rhino is grounded, the
poachers then hack off a large portion of the rhinoÊs face and nose with a machete to ensure that every inch of the horn is obtained. The
rhino is then left to bleed to death.
Over the past three years more and more rhino have been poached using dart guns and tranquilisers. This shocking method is being used
by poachers as there is very little noise involved to alert anti-poaching units. Vets are the only legal end-users of these drugs, and currently several vets in South Africa are facing charges relating to the illegal supply of these drugs and their subsequent use in poaching.
On Friday 2 March 2012, three rhino, one female and two males, were viciously attacked in this manner at Kariega Game Reserve in the
Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Tragically, one of the male rhino was fatally wounded during the poaching and died of his injuries
during the course of the night. However, the remaining two, although severely injured, are now fighting for their lives.
Following the attacks on three of their rhino, the team at Kariega immediately engaged the services of Doctor William Fowlds, a veterinary
surgeon who is renowned not only for his expertise in veterinary medicine and rhino care, but also for his deep-set compassion for conservation.
Doctor Fowlds commented:
„With the illegal supply of veterinary drugs now appearing to be drying up, we believe that poachers are using smaller quantities of these
drugs with each darting, hence more rhino are surviving the anaesthetics. Sadly this also means that the depth of immobilisation is lighter,
so the poachers are hacking away at a semi-conscious animal trying to get away from the savage assault.
„The bravery of these two gentle giants, whom the park rangers have nicknamed Thandi and Themba, has been unbelievable. It is still not
certain whether one or both of the rhino will survive this ordeal but if they do, their rehabilitation will be an incredibly long and painful process, with a minimum of two months of intensive care and round the clock supervision.
„I would urge people to sign the Wilderness FoundationÊs online petition and help highlight the significance of this situation to international
governments, as in reality, if poaching continues to escalate at this current rate, rhinos could be extinct in less than a decade.‰
Wildlife TV presenter, and one of the UKÊs leading veterinary surgeons, Dr Steve Leonard, is also fighting for the rhinoÊs cause, having
spent time with Dr Fowlds in South Africa during 2011.
34
FACT SHEET 3 (contd.)
Steve said: „More and more rhino that have been poached are increasingly being found alive. We are now seeing a more atrocious, barbaric
method of poaching being used against these animals, which has huge ethical dilemmas at its heart. Whether these animals should be
euthanized following attacks to stop their pain, or whether we try to nurse them back to health and accept that these disfigured rhino are what
we will see from now on roaming in the bush, is as tough a decision as any vet will ever have to make.‰
„I sincerely hope this isnÊt the future for tourists who want to see rhino in the wild; a mutilated herd, and a living reminder of just how little the
world cares about this problem. The brutal execution of these beautiful animals needs to stop, we cannot allow the rhino to be poached to
extinction, which at this current moment is a distinct possibility.‰
Kariega Game Reserve have created a fund solely to provide the best possible care and rehabilitation for Thandi and Themba. If they are to
fully recover it has been estimated that their treatment and rehabilitation could cost in excess of £20,000.
Graeme Rushmere from Kariega Game Reserve said:
„The issue of rhino poaching is a global one, with its roots lying in the growing demand in Asia for rhino horn. Kariega and the other reserves
in South Africa are doing everything we possibly can to protect our rhino, but the fate of the rhino rests firmly with the global communityÊs
ability to prompt national and international bodies into action.‰
If you would like to donate to Thandi and ThembaÊs cause, or would like further updates on their fight for survival, check out the Kariega
Game Reserve blog - http://www.kariega.co.za/blog/thandi-and-themba-updates-from-dr-fowlds or their official Facebook Page http://
www.facebook.com/Kariega.Game.Reserve?sk=wall
You can also sign the Wilderness FoundationÊs online petition by following this link: http://wildernessfoundation.co.za/savetherhinos
-Ends-
Notes to editors:
For more information please contact Sam Nickerson on 07969 319 142 or email [email protected]
*statistics on rhino poaching taken from www.stoprhinopoaching.com
About Kariega Game Reserve:
Kariega is a private game reserve in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, home to both black and white rhino. Since 2009 there have
been four poaching incidents at the reserve. One of the victims of a previous poaching survived, but had to be put to sleep once his injuries
were assessed to be too severe. None of the previous poaching incidents involved more than one rhino.
35
FACT SHEET 4
Kariega Game Reserve
Help Save Our Rhino
Since 2006 there have been over 1000 rhinos lost to poaching in
South Africa. In 2008 the number shot up to 83, from 13 in 2007. By
2010 the figure had soared to 333, followed by 448 recorded poachings in 2011. During 2012 a devastating 668 rhino were needlessly
butchered for their horns. Over 90% of surviving rhinos are now in
South Africa as the populations elsewhere in Africa and Asia have
been decimated.
sible care and chance for recovery. Their bravery was unbelievable,
and inspired our rangers to nickname them Thandiswa and Themba,
two isiXhosa names meaning courage and hope. Sadly Themba
(Hope) suffered a leg injury on the night he was poached and as a
result of infection passed away on the morning of the 26 of March
2012. Thandi continues to inspire and amaze us with her incredible
fighting strength and miraculous recovery.
Unfortunately, Kariega Game Reserve has not escaped this
scourge. On the 2nd of March 2012 one cow and two bull rhinoÊs
were poached at Kariega. Tragically, one bull was fatally wounded
and died during the course of the night, whilst the remaining two
were severely injured, but showed an incredible will to survive. For
24 days wildlife veterinary expert, Doctor William Fowlds, worked
tirelessly with the Kariega team to give these survivors the best pos-
From: www.kariega.co.za/about-us/help-save-our-rhino-project
36
FACT SHEET 5
Save the Rhino
International (SRI)
Research
Summary
Location: KwaZulu-Natal Province
HiP (Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park) has an education base at Centenary Centre
in the middle of the Park. Visiting school groups are brought here for conservation lessons.
Rhino species: Black rhino (Diceros bicornis
minor) and white rhino (Ceratotherium simum
simum)
Community
Activities: Anti-poaching, monitoring
Support: We fundraise to pay for equipment for
the monitoring and anti-poaching teams, such as
digital cameras, GPSs, solar panels, rifle safes, camping gear etc.
There are a number of researchers carrying out studies on wildlife populations, invasive species management etc.
Education
HiP employs a large number of rangers and staff. The Park is fenced,
although illegal incursions sometimes allow animals to escape causing
human-wildlife conflict. There are activities to try to mitigate these conflicts.
Monitoring and evaluation
Funding partners: Colchester ZooÊs Action for the Wild fund, USFWS,
Safari de Peaugres
Black rhinos are individually identified and monitored, but not the white
rhinos. At present, the focus is very much on anti-poaching activities, as
the Park has suffered a number of losses over the last two years.
Introduction
History of SRI’s involvement in the area
iMfolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Province in South Africa
is one of AfricaÊs oldest protected areas. It was established by the British
colonial administration in 1895 to protect the last few remaining Southern
white rhino in Africa. Prior to this had been the exclusive hunting domain of
Zulu kings, including the legendary King Shaka. Through the dedication
and sheer hard work of staff in the Reserve, the number of white rhinos
increased to the extent that, in the 1960s, Operation Rhino was launched.
This saw excess rhinos in iMfolozi being captured and sent to restock
reserves throughout Africa, as well as to many zoos overseas. Current
management is continuing in the tradition of their predecessors. Although,
the focus has shifted more to the more endangered black rhino, but each
year ÂsurplusÊ white and black rhinos are still captured to restock other
protected areas and game farms.
SRI first started funding HiP in 2006 and since then have received support
from Colchester ZooÊs Action for the Wild fund (about 6,400 euros per
year), Salzburg Zoo (3,000 euros ) and Safari de Peaugres (2,000 euros).
SRI also applies to USFWS ( U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) on behalf of
Hulhluwe-iMfolozi Park and these grants pay for field ranger camping
(tents, backpacks, water bottles etc.), rhino monitoring equipment
(cameras, night-vision monoculars), and for the training of two Section
Rangers, Dirk Swart and Lawrence Munro, to receive their Private PilotsÊ
Licences, so that they can carry out aerial monitoring using a Bantam
microlight.
Habitat
The Park is made up of two Game Reserves, which are managed separately but make up one eco-system: iMfolozi Game Reserve in the south
and Hluhluwe Game Reserve in the north.
Primary activity
The main activities are anti-poaching and wildlife and habitat management.
The threat of rhino poaching is higher now than it has been since the mid
1990s, and in recent months, a number of rhinos have been poached in
KwaZulu Natal. The trends indicate a significant global increase in the
demand for rhino horn, and rhino protection is currently given top priority in
Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. Experience has shown that the best way to combat poaching is through direct anti-poaching work, coupled with sound
neighbour relations and environmental education programmes.
37
FACT SHEET 6
Wilderness Foundation
dents are some of the highest in the country.

Aerial support in the Eastern Cape. We have provided funds
and operating costs towards a dedicated helicopter that regularly patrols and responds to poaching threats in the main
Eastern Cape reserves that have rhino.

Equipment and funds (including forensic equipment) to the
Hawks and special police investigating units.

Four-wheelers and other equipment to reserves in the Western and Eastern Cape that are home to rhino. These vehicles
allow rangers to patrol larger areas as part of their poaching
prevention strategies.

Educational material and fact sheets - on the history of rhino
in South Africa, and poaching facts. These materials are
used in both education and awareness initiatives aimed at
schools. The resources are available country-wide.

A rhino hot-line has been set up offering an anonymous facility to receive calls and tip-offs related to rhino poaching.
These tips are then forwarded to relevant authorities. This
has proved successful in preventing a number of rhino
poaching incidents.

Rhino survivor fund set up and administered by the Foundation. The fund was set up together with wildlife vet Dr William
Fowlds to respond to, and assist in cases, where rhinos have
been poached for their horn but are still alive and can be
rescued, rehabilitated and eventually function again in wild
habitats.

Community awareness and educational trails in association
with the Wilderness Leadership School
www.wildernesstrails.org.za for those communities surrounding the reserves. This has proved highly effective when combined with current formal parks programmes in KwaZuluNatal and Gauteng, and is being expanded to other areas of
operation. The programme results in local community members becoming more committed and aware of the importance
of conservation and responsible action. This in turn translates into a greater information network providing invaluable
information on poaching activities and perpetrators.
Summary
As custodians of more than 75% of the worldÊs remaining rhino, a
growing weight of responsibility rests on South Africans to find a
solution to this problem where most other
range states have, or are, failing. The annual
statistics for South Africa have escalated from
a baseline level of less than 35 rhino per year
to 668 poached in 2012 and close to 500 by
July 2013. It is accepted that without international effort,
collaboration and funding the
rhino will
continue on this pathway to extinction.
As one of the oldest and respected conservation organisations
operating in Southern Africa, The Wilderness Foundation launched
the Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative in May 2011. The
campaign aims to gather support from the public and various stakeholders to help fight against rhino poaching in South Africa and save
the rhino from extinction in the wild. The Wilderness Foundation
believes that without the intervention of government and the public,
the rhino may be extinct in the wild within the next ten-fifteen years.
The Wilderness Foundation is involved in supporting conservation
agencies and organized private game reserves in their efforts to
protect their rhino populations through on-the-ground anti-poaching
activities and investigations.
The campaign supports conservation agencies and organized
private game reserves in protecting their rhino as part of a functioning natural ecosystem. It is also active in lobbying local and international governments for support in anti-poaching campaigns and
encourages them to apply pressure both nationally and abroad to
address the issue of illegal trade in rhino horn and other wildlife
products.
General Information
The Wilderness FoundationÊs Forever Wild Rhino Protection
Initiative raises, distributes and administers funds for the following
anti-poaching activities:

Sniffer dog and canine units (including vehicles and gear) in
the North West Parks reserves where rhino poaching inci-
38
FACT SHEET 7
Save the Rhino Trust
Summary
Location: Namibia, Kundene Region
Rhino species: Black rhino (Diceros
bicornis minor)
Activities: Anti-poaching, monitoring,
community development
Funding partners: Tusk Trust, Save
the Rhino International, David Shepherd
Wildlife Foundation, and others
Background
Save the Rhino Trust (SRT) is an indigenous non-governmental
organisation based in the Kunene region in the arid northwest of
Namibia, founded in 1982 in response to the large scale poaching of
rhino and other species of African wildlife for profit.
The Kunene region is home to the largest concentration of black
rhino on earth and to survive on land that has no formal conservation
status. It is also the only desert-specific population of black rhino in
the world. Following 29 years of work, SRT has teams of specialised
trackers as well as research staff and game guards. It has a headquarters in the centre of the region that is a hub for local community
involvement and enterprise. Most impressively, rhino numbers have
quadrupled since the early 80s - one of only two African countries to
experience a net gain.
Camel Team Trackers
For millions of years the desert rhino and elephant have roamed the
harsh desert plains and rugged mountains of one of the most isolated corners of Africa; the Kunene region in north western Namibia.
The camels and donkeys of Save the Rhino Trust are used by the
tracking teams to monitor and gather data on the desert rhinos
across the more difficult terrain which is inaccessible by vehicle.
The Kunene region is divided into 13 „Eco-zones‰, each with varying
topography, climate and nutrient availability. SRT employs four
teams of trackers to cover these regions on a monthly rotational
basis, identifying and monitoring individual rhino as well as acting as
a deterrent to poachers in the area. Each patrol consists of a four or
five man team of professional trackers from the local Damara/Herero
communities, who patrol on foot, by vehicle or using camels/
donkeys.
39
The patrols regularly go out into the most remote parts of the Palmwag Concession in search of the rare desert-adapted rhino. About
90% of the rhinoÊs range can only be reached using a 4 wheel drive
vehicle. The camels and donkeys are used as pack animals allowing
trackers to undertake extended patrols to reach areas that are impossible to access by any other means (35% of the rhinoÊs range is
inaccessible by vehicle), and often under very difficult conditions,
perform an absolutely invaluable service for SRT's conservation
effort.
Although the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MET) employs a
Wildlife Protection Service (WPS) on communal farmland, the area
requiring their attention is vast. The majority of their time is spent
attending to problem animals (such as elephants and lions) on communal farms, and they simply do not have the resources to provide
full protection across the rhinoÊs range. If SRTÊs tracker presence
was to cease, the rhino population would immediately become vulnerable, with every chance that poaching would again become a
major threat.
SRT conducts joint patrols with staff from MET in an effort to enhance the monitoring and patrolling effort and as a means of transferring SRTÊs skills, knowledge and experience gained over almost
30 years of monitoring this rhino population. Teamwork with all
stakeholders is key to the long-term survival of these rhino ă the
largest concentration of black rhino on earth to roam free on unfenced land that has no formal conservation status
Linking Conservation and Economic
Development
As a significant employer in the Kunene region, SRT continues to
make an effort to link the conservation of the environment to the
prosperity of the local community, ensuring reduction of humanwildlife conflict and long-term sustainability.
A training programme for community game guards in the conservancies surrounding SRTÊs core operational area ensures that these
rhino ÂcustodiansÊ have the necessary knowledge and skills to monitor the rhino in their care.
The camel team project funded by Tusk employs seven communitybased trackers, one camel hand, and one female administrator/field
cook, who live with their families at Mbakondja Camel station. The
camel station has staff houses, a food and saddle store, a small
office with radio link, and a water installation. Curios produced by the
staff or their family members may be sold through a curio shop at the
main base camp.
FACT SHEET 8
Video-making tips

Make sure you have permission to use all images, sound
and video in your film ă you can use material with a Creative
Commons licence on sites such as:
http://search.creativecommons.org/ and
http://commons.wikimedia.org/

Share ideas! All of your team will have something to contribute ă different perspectives can help solve problems and
lead to great ideas

DonÊt be afraid to be creative, have fun and be serious about
making a difference ă this is a real opportunity for active
involvement in conservation which could help change the
future for rhinos in South Africa⁄
Overall guidelines


Think about the structure of your video ă as with a newspaper article or movie, it should have a beginning, middle and
end and should flow nicely from one point to the next
Think of your audience ă who are you making the film for?
What do you need to illustrate?

Think of settings ă what do you want to show, where, how
and why? We in the UK donÊt have the opportunity to pop out
and film rhinos in the wild, so⁄ be creative!

Use trusted sources to do your background research but
make sure itÊs all your own work ă if youÊre quoting somebody or an organisation, show it!

Think how to compose each shot ă remember the Rule of
Thirds. Imagine a grid of 9 equal squares over your shot (see
below), and think about positioning what youÊre filming (a
building, a person) along these guidelines.
Interviews

Make sure you ask permission!

Use a tripod or make sure camera is steady by placing it on
solid surface

Choose a quiet setting and check your sound quality is good
(no echoes or other noise)

Remember the Rule of Thirds! The personÊs eyes should be
in the top third of the grid, and their body aligned with one of
the vertical lines, facing into the shot.
Editing


Think about sound ă make sure sound quality is good if
youÊre recording voice, and if youÊre using music, think about
what might be suitable and appropriate
Think about using cutaways ă these are images or clips to
use over sound, for example a long interview or a music
piece, to keep the audience interested and to illustrate
whatÊs being said. You can use any of the images in this
folder to help you: digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation

DonÊt overuse zooming or panning! Use slow, smooth, and
deliberate motions and think about when to zoom or pan.

Keep to the restrictions set ă no videos over 2 minutes
please!

Use material that is on task and to the point

Lose material that doesnÊt look or sound convincing, or is of
poor quality

Only use effects if there is a good reason to!

Think about if and how to introduce and end your film, with
credits etc.
Style

Documentary

News

Animation or motion-capture

Drama
40
WEB LINKS
Project web links
Videos
Voices of Conservation competition website
voicesofconservation.org
Rhino Poaching
youtu.be/iEka0RI_Fyc
Voices of Conservation Learning Zone
digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation
Rhino horn is a killer not a cure
youtu.be/JqwTRmYo3kk
Social media
Rhinos must be saved from poaching
vimeo.com/19170189
Voices of Conservation Facebook
facebook.com/voicesofconservation
NGOs
Voices of Conservation Twitter
twitter.com/VoicesConservat
Born Free Foundation
bornfree.org.uk
Voices of Conservation YouTube
youtube.com/user/voicesofconservation
CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora)
cites.org
A PINTEREST board has been started for this topic
pinterest.com/deupdates/rhino-conservation/
Blogs
Dr William Fowlds can be followed on his blog, but be warned the life
of a wildlife veterinarian can be quite distressing:
williamfowldsdaytoday.blogspot.co.uk/
You can also use the Kariega Game Reserve website, where there
is a blog section about Thandi and Themba:
kariega.co.za/blog/categories/thandi-and-themba
News Articles
ÂDrones join war on rhino poachers in South AfricaÊ, Daily Telegraph,
28 May 2013
telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/
southafrica/10082727/Drones-join-war-on-rhino-poachers-in-SouthAfrica.html
ÂDrones are changing the face of conservationÊ, The Guardian, 28
May 2013
guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/may/28/drones-changing-faceconservation
ÂNo, Legalizing Rhino Horn Probably WonÊt Save Animals from
PoachingÊ, Smithsonian Blogs, 17 June 2013
blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/06/no-legalizing-rhinohorn-probably-wont-save-animals-from-poaching/
41
IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)
iucn.org/?12741/Last-chance-for-the-Sumatran-rhino
iucnredlist.org/details/4185/0 (White rhinoceros)
iucnredlist.org/details/6557/0 (Black rhinoceros)
Project Rhino KZN
projectrhinokzn.org
Rhino Rescue Project
rhinorescueproject.com
Save the Rhino International
savetherhino.org
TRAFFIC
traffic.org/rhinos/
Tusk Trust
tusk.org
Wilderness Foundation
foreverwild.co.za
World Wildlife Fund
wwf.org.uk/what_we_do/safeguarding_the_natural_world/wildlife/
african_rhinos/
This booklet and further resources about
rhino poaching and conservation are
downloadable from:
digitalexplorer.com/voices-of-conservation
These enquiry-based resources for GCSE and A-level
geography look at the issue of rhino poaching with a
focus on South Africa:
-The issue of rhino poaching in South Africa
-Possible solutions to rhino poaching
-Analysis of current conservation programmes
These resources are part of a wider education programme
to engage young people in urgent conservation missions
around the world. Students have the opportunity to win a
place on conservation expeditions through the Voices of
Conservation competition. See voicesofconservation.org
for more details.
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