Printable Version of Topic Click here to view this topic in its original format

Rhino Resource Center: Rhino Forums > Rhino Conservation Organisations > International Rhino Foundation (IRF) > Destroying the market for rhino horns

Posted by: boylesg Mar 24 2012, 01:48 AM

It is almost impossible to eliminate rhino poaching as long as there is a profitable market in asia for the product. But the means of destroying that profitable market is at hand these days - ebay etc. Why don't some of you activists, particularly those with an asian background who know a little of the ropes about chinese medicine, exploit this to destroy the market for rhino horns and make a nice little lving for yourselves in the process. Obtain horse hooves and/or cow horns from the abottoirs, grind them up so they are unrecognizeable and sell the stuff on ebay and similar websites for less than the going rate of genuine rhino horn. Chinese customers are being ripped off with a useless product any how, so what is the difference if you rip them off with cow horns and horse hooves instead. Better for enadangered rhinos! STOP TALKING ABOUT SAVING THE RHINO AND DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

Posted by: boylesg Mar 25 2012, 11:57 AM

It would undoubtedly take a very small number of activists to destroy the market for rhino horns in Africa if they all did full time and made a serious effort of it. This way the sting could be kept secret from asia at least for a very long time, perhaps until the older under educated generations, who are so easily suckered by this traditional medicine nonsense, die off.

Posted by: GailRsa Jun 3 2012, 02:00 PM

The June 2nd South African Saturday Star published an article on where most rhino horn is going these days.... to Vietnam. It's part of the ostentatious show of wealth among the country's new elites. It's more valuable than gold, and they want their friends and family to know they can afford it. It's used as a detoxifying beverage and body rejuvenating tonic. "If you eat too much rich food and drink too much, then you grind it into a powder, mix it with hot water or make rhino wine and feel better." They even have specially made porcelain bowls with a rough serrated bottom which are used to prepare rhino horn in the home and are widely available. I think there needs to be a boycott of Vietnamese products on a worldwide level to force the government to take action against this practice. I live in South Africa, which is home to 93% of the world's white rhinos. We have a population of 21,000, but they are being slaughtered on a daily basis. We have already lost 227 this year, and counting. The government has too many other problems to deal with, and limited conservation budgets, so is ineffective in the fight against poaching. Its current policy and strategy are not working. Private owners, which account for a quarter of the population, are fighting the battle pretty much on their own. I'm considering starting a website on the subject to get the message to more people worldwide that we may soon have to talk about the Big Four.... not the Big Five!

Posted by: boylesg Jun 3 2012, 03:20 PM

Haven't numerous concervationists before you been there and done all that?????? It just aint working! Time to get sly and cynical with the vietnamese etc and defeat them at their own game without them even knowing about it. You would be better off pretending to be an expatriot vietnamese and ship over fake rhino horn in the form of powder via your website. But you would need to do a top notch job of marketing and packagaing to convince the idiots that the product is genuine. You would probably need the help of a genuine like minded vietnamese expatriot or at least one that doesn't care about making a buck by ripping off his fellow countrymen. I reckon you would get great concervation satisfaction from it if you could make a big impact on the market and make a bit of money for yourself as well that you could donate to other rhino conservation measures.

Posted by: Sarah Jul 31 2013, 05:50 AM

I just joined this forum. Saving rhinos from ruthless poachers and idiotic asian consumers has become my passion. So far I have raised awareness here in the US (where most people have no idea of the crises) by running a half marathon where I placed 2nd in fundraising, started a meet up group and a Facebook page all to help me find others to help me fight the war against rhinos. I am open to any suggestions anyone may have. I have seen advertisements by famous Chinese and Vietnam people or celebrities telling the consumers to stop. The buying must stop. The need must stop - this all sounds so simple, but it's not. It's hundreds of years of superstitions and greedy consumers who don't have the rhino blood on their hands. I'm hoping I can find assistance here.

Posted by: ZooSchool Aug 16 2013, 04:52 AM

I favour spiking surviving rhinoceros horns with cyanide to wipe out the customer base ;-) Didnt Kruger have a go at that? If it wasnt such an issue to catch, sedate and treat them all it would be a perfect solution!