This is why I believe the animals are doomed.
The biggest problem by far is the general public and their naïve view and gullibility. The next problem is the organizations that are supposedly doing something about it. Not all but it would seem a fair amount. The third would be corrupt officials.
The general public’s Rah Rahing about a few scraggly poaches been shot and killed is pathetic and damaging. It leads to the misconception that something is actually been achieved. Kak! There are hundreds of poor men, that can track and fire an AK47 to replace the dead ones. Furthermore I do believe that these dead poaches are the sacrificial offerings for the public. Same as a percentage drug mules are snitched by the very people that hire them. Diversion tactics, and Joe Public gets all happy.
The worst is that the very people that are suppose to be protecting the animals, and raising HUGE sums of money for this, have been exposed as some of the bloody ring leaders of Rhino poaching! It has come to not only mine, but a well known Kenyan conservationist as well, that the anti poaching organizations seem to NOT be taking the volunteers that can do the job. I wonder why?
I will not say anything about the third lot. Read about corruption in South Africa for yourself.
What should be done.
Set up a highly specialized unit, not volunteers, men who work for money, no hidden agendas, just for the money and the hunt. Then used them in the following way:
- Put a ring of protection around the animals. Capture, not damn kill the poaches, hand them over to the Intelligence Team.
- With the intel gathered find the people like those veterinarians and game capture people – that walked away scott free –
- Send out a small team. Destroy all the ring leaders assets. Blow up their offices, helicopters and vehicles. Catch one or two and give to the Intelligence Team.
- With info received from the Intelligence Team, send a small team to wherever the buyers is, China, Hong Kong, anywhere. Eliminate one or two of the buyers in a rather messy way. Leave the mess in a public place with a message attached.
“Poach animals in my country and we will hunt you down.”
That is how to save the Rhinos.
But of course we live in a democratic society and the above suggestions would fall under something like “gross violation of human rights” or some such shit”
“I penned this post on 2011/02/10, just over a year ago. Since then we lose on average a Rhino a day. And little has been done to end the slaughter..”
I am still in contact with these men:
“Executive Outcomes may be disbanded but is far from forgotten.
Executive Outcomes did the impossible, to free Sierra Leone from the RUF in less than 3 weeks.
It took the UN years to achieve nothing at all but more unnecessary casualties.”
We could do the same for the Rhino… just saying.
2016/10/17
Update.
Since this was written I have posted many more articles of the subject, walked many a mile through the African Bush on Anti Poaching Patrol, trained some Game Rangers to become soldiers…. and finally walked away from this business.
Nosce te ipsum
Tags: Africa, anti-poaching, army, conservation, corruption, crime, Enviroment, Executive Outcomes, Groenewalt, Mexican Horse Thief, nature, One man's opinion, poaching, rhino, Rhino poaching, Rhino Wars, Soldiers, South Africa, Special Forces, War, Wayne Bisset, wildlife
From a Different Angle 
February 10, 2011 at 11:19 am |
[…] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Nikita Ramkissoon, Nikita Ramkissoon. Nikita Ramkissoon said: http://bit.ly/f4B43i –> aside from the terrible grammar, this dude has a point. […]
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February 10, 2011 at 11:44 am |
Sorry about the grammar Nikita, my spelling is atrocious too! :}
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February 13, 2011 at 10:15 am |
Thank you Louise. Take over the blog? If it saves the rhino, by all mean! :} Thank you for your insite as someone who is on the ground.
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March 14, 2011 at 6:11 pm |
Ladies and gents, we can go on and on about this issue, making as big a hoopla (spelling) as we want, bottomline, government doesn’t care. All they care about are the dollar signs from China with money lining their pockets while our last of the living dinosaurs, the rhino’s die in their own blood, suffocating in it after the bullets puncture them.. They die horribly for nothing more than a bit of thickened hair. Because that’s what those horns really are. And why? Because some daft Eastern shaman once had constipation and the stinky bubbles that went to his brain messed up his cranial function, so he said, let’s use rhino horn. It’s messed up!
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March 14, 2011 at 7:15 pm |
We have to work on the fact that all it takes for evil to thrive is that good men do and say nothing…….
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May 10, 2011 at 2:33 pm |
Vergewe dit in afr asb! so sal my spelling my (hopelik) ni in d skande steek ni. ek ondersteun anti poaching ten goede. al doen die regering wat as da geld betrokke is loop dit op korupsie uit. n mens kan net beskerm wat joune is deur geweld/vrees/volharding toe te pas en dis wat die ouens doen. ek sal nog verder/wreder wil gaan en se hang hulle almal van die baasbrein tot die voetsool werker. niemand wil so iets beleef ni en vrees sal hul 2x laat dink! als kom weg met mense regte, as jy oortree moet dit ook weggeneem word. in China gebruik hul die wreedste maniere as jy met bv dwelms gevang word maar in S.A lag lag hul als af want ons het mense regte! Volhouding wys ons sal wen.
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May 10, 2011 at 2:55 pm |
My Afrikaans is a bietjie veroos! Maar ek lees met geen probleem. Dankie dat jy gelees het.
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July 21, 2011 at 10:11 pm |
Is there anyway of poisoning the Rhino horn without harming the Rhino. I’m sure there must be scientists out there that can help with the possibility of making up some remedy. If it means that it leads to some Rhino horn addicts death then so be it as there are game wardens been murdered in the poaching process and these people are stealing and destroying our Rhinos.
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July 21, 2011 at 10:45 pm |
They spoke about that, one farmer claimed he had done it. Then the whole idea just disappeared.
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February 15, 2012 at 12:26 pm |
Yes there is Google “rhino rescue project”
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July 28, 2011 at 11:45 am |
I must confess, even if I secretly agree with shooting poachers, I disagree with you, Wayne, and I say that with all the necessary good will I can muster, but no. Nobody is going to fund such a unit to the tune that it should be funded, and it will come down to people like you and I to produce the necessary logistics and material, and God forbid, money to pay our trackers, rangers and whatever we wanna call them. It is not working now, it never worked, and somebody somewhere will stumble over a fresh rhino carcass to the tune of at least one per day.
As with perlemoen poaching, when it became illegal to harvest it, everything went to shit. There are tons of it slipping through the net, because we simply cannot plug every hole. Same with rhino horn. Legalise the damn horn, contract and control the area your rhino moves in, flood the market with the tons of rhino horn we have sitting in government keeps everywhere, bring the price down, blow the expensive poaching operations out of the water, because they will simply not harvest enough money to keep funding i.e. all the helicopters and paying their crooked vets. Set up selling point across the country, advertise it, and start farming rhinos. harvest their horns when feasible, and pump it into the market. All the anti-poaching units and dream teams and whatever may even make some money out of it.
Shooting some dumb fuck somewhere will remain nothing but a sacrificial offering to the Great God of Public Opinion, and he will be replaced by a fresh poacher that same night. Eliminate the need for them to be there. As I have always said….Sawn-off horns can grow back, but extinction is forever…!! Think about it, working something out along these cursory lines, and tell me I am wrong, boet..
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July 28, 2011 at 12:02 pm |
Johann, I agree your way would work too. They just burned tons of Ivory in Kenya. Thereby making ivory worth even more. Madness.
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July 28, 2011 at 11:49 am |
This is my take on the rhino issue. Not withstanding the fact that rhino horn, or abelone for that matter, has no medisinal or sex driving properties, the asian markets will cling to their heritage that these goods add to their health or sex drive.
Although many scientific tests have been done to prove that there are no medisinal properties, these crimes still continue.
One thing that must be kept in mind, is that these crimes of poaching, is fuelled by money. The main roleplayers, don’t care if they threaten a species or even bring about it’s extinction. They will in such an event, just move on to the next lucrative crime.
These criminal elements hav e advantages (such as the cases of the vetrenaries that are suspected to be involved) and that is access, intelligence and exposure to the necessary equipment to commit these crimes with.
The persons used as “runners” or killers, for the lack of a better word, are plenty available and the fire-arms with which they commit these crimes, are even more plentiful.
For every 1 poacher that is arrested, 20 more are recruited and sent to do the dirty work. Most to none of the “runners’ know the people behind the crimes. The system works like the structures of a syndicate. Different level “employees, don’t know each other, etc.
While the demand for rhino horn exists, criminal elements will do what is necessary to fullfil this need – it’s plain economics of demand and supply.
If a governmend does not want to address such a threat in a proper and preventative manner, the criminal element will always come out on top. Drastic and deadly measures are the only way to make the commtting of these crimes preventably. The use of deadly force against poachers – like against SAP members (Sec. 49) must act as deterant.
In the past there used to be an unit in the police that specialized in these kind of crimes, but now it seems as if this responsibility has fallen on the Hawks.
They are to few and ill equipped to address this threat and unfortunately, you cannot address these crimes in GTI Golfs and a suit, you need to be in the bush, where these aminals roam.
Harsher sentences, the involvement of Asset Forfiture Units and specialized trackers, investigators, prosecutors, would go a long way to help address these poachings.
The blacklisting of all knows elements involved or suspected to be involved in these poachings, will also help stop the activities of the main elements in these crimes and the refusal of any type of permit for these criminals must also take place.
A special and vetted department must solely address government’s involvement with these activities, to make sure that corruption does not play a role in any way.
With specilized information networks, investigators and swift prosecution, these crimes can be addressed.
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July 28, 2011 at 12:06 pm |
Thanks Marius. Excellent thoughts you put down. Need a “Hawks” bush unit perhaps?
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July 28, 2011 at 6:24 pm |
There’s more than enough experienced sap members working stock theft unit, but they get pushed aside with the rhino investigation, but these guys have the capacity, experience, know their operational areas and have the contact networks to contribute hugely with the rhino investigations.
Here in Nylstroom, once the first breakthrough was made, the Hawks came in and took over. The stock theft guys was asked to step back and not intervere with the investigation further.
It’s a slap in their faces, after the work they put in, and yes, I think if they are approached for proffesional assistance or advise, they would give it. Sad really. I’m a 25 year SAP veteran, so I know the politics in the SAP etc. Another story altogether..
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July 28, 2011 at 7:49 pm
Between us we know enough men to do the job. But as I say, seems the powers that be do not want it stopped. And some people make fake units just to rake in the cash, both lots!
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July 29, 2011 at 11:48 am |
[…] See: How to end the Rhino poaching. […]
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September 21, 2011 at 12:10 pm |
[…] are dying. Yesterday two more died in Limpopo. I wrote an article of what I would like to do to stop the poaching, but it would not be a legal way to do it. Since then I have thought about how to do it legally, a […]
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October 5, 2011 at 11:47 am |
[…] I have decided that I hate the manufacturers almost as much as I hate the ringleaders in the Rhino Poaching! I will not let this little incident go un-avenged!!! -30.559482 22.937506 Share […]
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December 18, 2011 at 7:19 am |
Good morning Wayne, i must admit that what you have mentioned is exactly my way of thinking. One has to get to the people that are the end users. Your comment about the specialised unit is so true. The problem I have is that I am sitting with well trained trackers that can be utilized for this very purpose and are willing and prepared to do this type of work, but unfortunitly the money part is the big factor. If some large global corporation could step in financially all these issues could be addressed, but that’s just wishful thinking. So if these prroblems can be addressed remember staffing the project won’t be a problem, I’m sure many more people will make them selves available if that day materializes.
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December 22, 2011 at 11:02 am |
My biggest problem, money. Next the huge egos people have.
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December 18, 2011 at 7:22 am |
Sorry Wayne, just corrected my surname its Neill
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March 31, 2012 at 11:09 am |
I really do’nt care how rhino poaching is stopped! It just has to stop!!!!
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May 8, 2012 at 5:27 pm |
Let’s do it Wayne!
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November 27, 2012 at 7:33 pm |
A Fantasy: Millions of people, worldwide, rechannel their vacation dollars that would otherwise be spent on commercial hotel get-aways, on cruise ships and drinks with umbrellas, traveling in masses to respective countries in need of man power, making a united, serious stand together (with those few who are currently protecting our wildlife with basically no pay) and actually fight side-by-side in a war that can be ours.
Meanwhile, those of us who cannot afford to vacation, utilize our gifts and energies to support those who go, by raising public awareness, writing letters to national and international public officials and raising funds for more protection.
Just a fantasy, I know.
One thing that MUST be done and soon, is that penalties for poaching must send more of a message to the violators than a mere slap on the hand. Below find a link to a petition, as well as contact information of the official, Eugene Wamalwa, Nairobi, Kenya, who has the power to influence/change the penalties for those caught poaching, at the very least we can write, write, write to make a difference.
Petition Demanding Stronger Penalty & Longer Prison Terms for Poachers: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/426/276/951/demand-strong-penalty-long-imprisonment-for-poachers/
While are wildlife is being destroyed, we are also being destroyed. We gotta do ALOT more to protect them, and . . . ourselves.
Thank you for your post. Individually we make a tiny difference ~ together . . . a significant difference.
~Gerean, The Animal Spirits
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January 2, 2013 at 12:45 am |
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March 27, 2013 at 6:44 pm |
Wayne,
Love your optimism, but I’m afraid that the wild rhino is a lost cause. The number of rhino is low, the protection of rhino is ineffective, the irrational demand for rhino horn creates huge monetary incentives while environmental crimes carry comparatively minimal criminal consequences, and the vast majority of the general public is apathetic. I believe that a more realistic program for saving rhino from extinction would be preserving small breeding herds in locations that are secret – with protection at a level consistent with your proposal. This coupled with a sperm and ova bank, to preserve as much genetic diversity as possible, could preserve the species for reintroduction into “the wild” at some distant future date, when the irrational demand for rhino horn has been extinguished. I do believe that this is effort is well under way in zoos and game parks around the world. It is truly a sad staate of affairs.
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November 23, 2013 at 9:29 am |
……………..if a bloody criminal can be traced in a densely, highly populated Township; how come a poacher in the bush can not be hunted down and killed with Tracker dogs, surveillance equipment, highly trained soldiers etc? Simple! This theory by Wayne Bisset has the answer!!! SOME HUMANS, THE MOST IN-HUMANE, ARE GREEDY, CRUEL, SELFISH AND UN-CARING! God damn the guilty!
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June 15, 2014 at 8:53 pm |
I just found this posting and realize I am a bit behind in responding to it. Nevertheless, I think Wayne Bisset’s proposals for action are sound and consistent with similar drug enforcement goals of eliminating end users in order to eliminate demand for product while also pursuing those that generate and traffic the product.
I see in some responses above a reaction that is also found in discussions of law enforcement programs to eliminate elicit trade in arms, drugs, and other commodities that carry with them a high cost in lives lost. That reaction is to say that the programs simply don’t work because the statistics say they don’t work. Saying that the elimination of individual poachers has no impact on curbing poaching is a half truth. The other half of the truth is that not ENOUGH poachers are being eliminated to reducing poaching rates to have the desired effect of discouraging poaching. What people also seem not to understand is that the poaching rates would be even higher if eliminating poachers was stopped. Admittedly it is not enough and yes, there are other issues of prosecution, corruption and funding that are always going to be present and need to be rectified. But eliminating poachers is something concrete being done now, in real time, in defense of the animals. And there is a very visceral satisfaction in doing so.
Any one who has spent time in law enforcement dealing with drug suppliers, traffickers and their enforcers have no illusions that these individuals are opportunistic thugs who do not possess the prerequisite ethical grounding by which to question the damage they do to the rest of the world. And they don’t care. Poachers are no different. Trying to paint them as disenfranchised victims just trying to make a living is not accurate and is as great a disservice to the animals as doing nothing at all.
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June 16, 2014 at 2:09 pm |
I am not against eliminating people if I have to, but the supply of poachers available in Africa is endless, we must do something else. This article is about 4 years old and I have learned a bit since then and also done a thing or two. I sit typing this as the head of the night shift anti poaching unit. Thank you for your input. One thing I have learned is to listen to people that make sense.
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June 28, 2014 at 6:21 pm |
Yes, eliminating poachers alone will not solve the problem, elimination defined this time as the permanent removal of poachers from the field by arrest and effective prosecution as well as lethal applications.
One of the contributing factors to the “endless supply” of poachers is removal efforts never reach the tipping point. You are probably aware of the tipping point principle in counter narcotics, anticrime programs and counterinsurgency that states the elimination of offenders must reach a certain percentage of the offenders before the program begins to provide the desired discouraging effect on potential replacement offenders. This tipping point has never been achieved in Africa because, as we have previously acknowledged, there are political, legal, societal and economic obstacles that block the permanent elimination of offenders. Programs that work against or around these obstacles must also be effectively in play before poacher elimination will become effective.
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September 13, 2015 at 8:19 am |
[…] and I penned a solution that may have worked at the time it was written, about five years back: “How to end the rhino poaching.” Now the corruption within our own government has gone too deep and until that is sorted out; […]
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June 26, 2016 at 12:11 pm |
[…] Rhino Wars -How to end the Rhino Poaching […]
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October 10, 2016 at 2:18 pm |
[…] level of professionalism from government agencies, my original thoughts are the same as I wrote in; How to end the rhino poaching, way back when. Cry havoc and let loose the dog of war. The poachers are also most likely watching […]
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December 5, 2016 at 8:11 am |
[…] How to end the Rhino poaching. […]
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