South Africa's pervasive 'rhino war' rhetoric distracts us from addressing the root causes of poaching. We urgently need alternative conservation philosophies, practices and policies to tackle wildlife crime. In January 2025, conservationists were honoured to have you, Mr Dion George, Minister of the Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, at a two-week conservation management course in the Greater Kruger area. Following this, you assured South Africans that "poachers' reign of terror on South African wildlife is coming to an end", that the "plundering of our natural resources" would not be tolerated, and affirmed a "renewed zero-tolerance stance on all forms of poaching". Commended for your "bold stance on poaching", you instructed your legal teams to oppose bail for any poachers caught within national parks to "send a clear message that poaching is economic sabotage, and those who engage in it will face the full might of the law". You praised rangers as South Africa's "unsung heroes" who "unselfishly place their lives at risk to protect our country's vulnerable wildlife". Early in March 2025, you reminded the public that rangers were "at the frontline" of the poaching scourge". Minister George, we applaud your on-the-ground engagement with conservationists and law enforcement experts. As proud South Africans, we are inspired by a senior public official with an appetite for learning and a desire to act. In a recent press release, you affirm that poaching is a manifestation of transnational wildlife trafficking that requires a global endeavour to disrupt the criminal networks. We could not agree more.