Is Botswana Losing Battle Against Rhino Poachers?

Posted by Botswana Safari News on November 26, 2019 | 1 comment

The Okavango Delta poaching has become an issue of serious national and international concerns.

Our rising rhino poaching is a serious national and international concern that needs an immediate targeted response to contain. As it stands it looks like we have already lost 16 rhinos in the delta since 1 April 2019. This is simply unprecedented and horrific.

It is time to show these poachers that Botswana is a country of law and order.

New President Mokgweetsi Masisi’s party Botswana Democratic Party was in October re-elected amid fanfare and national hope to move Botswana forward.  One could only hope that as part of his drive to push Botswana forward, President Masisi administration will quickly address the Rhino poaching in the delta. Otherwise, all these rhinos would be gone.

Delivering the state of the Nations address on 18 November 2019, President Mokgweetsi   Masisi stated that the Government continues to build capacity to counter the growing threat of wildlife poaching and trafficking. One would have hoped the president would touch on rhino poaching which is undoubtedly an issue of national concern given the state of ongoing poaching in the delta. But he did not. However, it goes without saying that the emerging rhino poaching needs support from the top office in the land to be contained.

A press release by the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism, issued on October 4, 2019, stated: The increased poaching of rhinos is deeply worrying in a country that has over the last few years received rhinos in an effort to safeguard and revive rhino populations.

 “Botswana does not have many wild rhinos, our population is relatively small” said Dr. Mmadi Reuben, Department of Wildlife and National Parks Rhino Coordinator in Botswana. “We have been losing about a rhino a month to poaching; losing two in one week is unacceptable. If the poaching continues at this rate there will be no rhinos in Botswana in a year or two, especially the black rhino a ‘critically endangered species” This will be a huge loss for the country with a strict and strong anti-poaching policy, which the Government has committed immense resources.

The release further stated: “The anti-poaching forces have now placed the protection of rhinos and location of these poaching gangs as their highest priority, with two poachers having lost their lives during operations recently. However, as is well known, the Okavango is a very large area with difficult wetland terrain, which these poachers are using to their advantage. Engaging the communities in the Okavango Delta to increase awareness as well as the private sector and NGOs will also be crucial in the fight against wildlife crime.

The press release revealed that 9 rhinos had been taken out by poachers from 1 April 2019 at the time.

However, even more, worrying is the fact that more rhinos have died to poaching since the release was issued more than a month back. Seven more rhino’s carcasses were recently discovered. This means 16 rhinos have already gone down to poachers.

At this rate, poachers will finish all the rhinos in the delta. And we need to act.