Elephant-Rhino poaching: how do we respond?

This report outlines the main actors in rhino conservation, the major main threats to rhinos in the ‘Big 4’ range states (Zimbabwe, Kenya, South Africa and Namibia) which together conserve almost 99% and 96% of Africa’s wild white and black rhino respectively, and offers a review of a range of possible policy responses.

There are 9 key findings from the review of possible policy responses:

• each range state requires a different menu of approaches that deal with both proximate and ultimate causes of the rises in rhino poaching
• capturing the economic value of rhinos is important
• even though it is illegal, there is currently a lucrative market for rhino horn products in some countries
• efforts need to focus on demand reduction in end user communities, but there is insufficient knowledge of the dynamics of those markets
• despite increased prison sentences in some rhino range states, poaching continues to escalate in some countries, while some states do not or did not have ‘deterrence
  sentences’ at all
• dehorning can have a (limited) deterrence effect but is not a practical option for all rhino populations
• Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) can have a (limited)
  deterrence effect
• each of the 4 range states faces a different combination of threats and their circumstances differ, therefore efforts need to be tailored and targeted
• effective governance ‘matters’

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