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In response to valid concerns that increasing the demand for rhino horn by wealthy consumers in Asia (which far exceeds any possible supply from dehorning live rhinos), particularly over the last decade, has led to the killing of rhino and the decimation of many African rhino populations, the international trade in rhino horn is banned under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Unquestionably, the devastating loss of thousands of rhinos in South Africa particularly over the past two decades is not only due to the illegal killing of rhinos.

Six years ago, on the 21st August 2018, Michele Pickover, Executive Director of the EMS Foundation and Dr Smaragda Louw, Director of Ban Animal Trading, jointly presented their findings of an eighteen month investigation and research project about South Africa’s role in the international lion bone trade at a Colloquium held in the Parliament of South Africa.

Poachers in Africa are encroaching on wildlife and killing rhinos in travel hotspots now devoid of visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tourism revenue for some of Africa’s wildlife reserves and national parks has declined sharply as a result of the coronavirus crisis.

Despite significant anti-poaching efforts, the rhino poaching onslaught continues unabated in Botswana with 47 rhinos lost to poachers over the last 12 months. This has devastated Botswana’s rhino populations and significantly set back the work of Rhino Conservation Botswana. For the past two decades we have worked with the Government of Botswana and private sector partners to bring rhinos from high poaching areas in South Africa and Zimbabwe into Botswana’s Okavango Delta.