Despite a global ban on international buying and selling of rhino horn since 1977, the South African government and owners of private rhino reserves continue to stockpile it. A new report by the EMS Foundation, a South African social justice and conservation organisation, advocates strongly against this practice. Ecologist and mammal conservation researcher Jason Gilchrist discusses what the rhino horn stockpile is, its contribution to poaching and whether it should be destroyed.
Rhino can be protected against poaching if they are guarded or monitored, moved to areas where the poaching risk is lower, or through veterinary surgeons removing their horns under anaesthesia. A rhino with horn removed is in theory less likely to be poached as, with a much shorter horn, the financial reward to the poacher is greatly diminished.
Rhino horn can be traded legally within South Africa, under permit, but there is no local demand. Previous hopes of a rhino-horn tourism industry, where visitors would travel to legally consume rhino horn in South Africa, have not transpired. Why stockpile rhino horn when there is no legal international market, and therefore no economic value to it? The chief motive for stockpiling rhino horn seems to be the hope that the international market will reopen in future.
A South African government stockpile was the target of theft in 2023, losing 51 horns to thieves who broke into the storage area. The South African government’s statistics also indicate a decrease in rhino stockpiles of over 4,000 horns between 2019 and 2020. The EMS report argues that the stockpiles contribute to creating a demand for more accessible rhino horn, in larger amounts. This can lead to poaching and costly knock-on effects such as a greater investment in rhino protection, and danger to those guarding the rhino. Destroying rhino horn stockpiles would signal a commitment to no-trade and symbolise the worthlessness of rhino horn as a commodity.