18 Jun 2012

SOUTH AFRICA / RHINOS

New figures released in the run-up to Rio+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development opening in Rio de Janeiro on Wednesday (20 June), show that rhino poaching in South Africa has reached record levels. Fuelled by demand for rhino horns in Asia, the death toll has gone up from 13 to 449 annually within the past five years. UNTV

Posted at: June 18, 2012 5:04 pm

Duration: 02:39

Available in: SD

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Full script

STORY: SOUTH AFRICA / RHINOS
TRT:  2:39
SOURCE: CH UNTV 
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE:  APRIL 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND / MARCH 2012, HANOI, VIET  NAM / FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – SEPTEMBER 2011, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

1. Med shot, dead rhino
2. Wide shot, helicopter in the air above dead rhino

FILE – SEPTEMBER 2011, SWAZILAND

3. Med shot, live rhino in mud
4. Med shot, two live rhinos
5. Close up, live rhino

APRIL 2012, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

6. SOUNDBITE (English) John Scanlon, Secretary-General CITES: 
"If the current trend in poaching of rhino continues the way it has, the worst-case scenario is that the rhino, this iconic species, will be driven to extinction in the wild."

FILE – SEPTEMBER 2011, KRUGER NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH AFRICA

7. Med shot, live rhino standing in water
8.  SOUNDBITE (English) Marilé van Heerden, Prosecutor, National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa: 
"We have, in our cases in court, we have realized that most of the accused are people from Viet Nam with exception of one or two other people, it was all Vietnamese citizens that were prosecuted and convicted in our area."

NATIONAL PROSECUTING AUTHORITY OF SOUTH AFRICA – 2011, SOUTH AFRICA

9. STILL IMAGES, smuggled horns in suitcases

MARCH 2012, HANOI, VIET NAM

10.  SOUNDBITE (Vietnamese) Horn user:
"I decided to buy this piece because I'm getting old and I need some medicine. I heard from friends that this piece of rhino horn can cure many diseases, like stroke or fever… I heard the rumour that it can also cure cancer."
11. Close up, hand rubbing
12. Med shot, hand holding
13. Med shot, glass full of juice
14. Med shot, silhouette filling up glass
15. Close up, filling up glass
16. Med shot, silhouette drinking
17. Close up, rubbing
18. SOUND UP (Vietnamese) Horn Seller:
"The price is 144 million Vietnamese dongs for 100 grams, that's seven thousand US dollars."
19. Med shot, seller holding four pictures of horns
20. Various shots, seller's living room with horn on table
21. Med shot, scale
22. Close up, horn on table
23. Close up, seller grinding full horn
24. Close up, seller showing different pieces of horn

STORYLINE

In the run-up to RIO+20, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, which opens in Rio de Janeiro  (20 June), attention is being drawn to the plight of the world's rhinos, which are now facing extinction.

New figures released by CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, and South Africa's Department of Environmental Affairs show the number of rhino being poached has reached record levels.

Since the beginning of this year South Africa has lost 245 rhinos to illegal hunting activities. 2012 is likely to be the rhino's worst year, with a death toll that even surpasses last year's grim figure of 449. In 2007, 13 were killed.

SOUNDBITE (English) John Scanlon, Secretary-General CITES: 
"If the current trend in poaching of rhino continues the way it has, the worst-case scenario is that the rhino, this iconic species, will be driven to extinction in the wild."

Rhinoceroses are poached to supply an extremely profitable but poorly understood market. Based upon available information, the demand for rhino horn comes principally from Asia, with the major destination appearing to be Viet Nam.

A South African prosecutor says that in her Johannesburg area of jurisdiction that includes the main international airport, most convicted smugglers are from Viet Nam.  
 
SOUNDBITE (English) Marilé van Heerden, Prosecutor, National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa: 
"We have, in our cases in court, we have realized that most of the accused are people from Viet Nam with exception of one or two other people, it was all Vietnamese citizens that were prosecuted and convicted in our area."

There, according to a report commissioned by the CITES Secretariat, increasing levels of demand have been fuelled by rumours of rhino horn being a cure various ailments.

SOUNDBITE (Vietnamese) Horn User:
"I decided to buy this piece because I'm getting old and I need some medicine. I heard from friends that this piece of rhino horn can cure many diseases, like stroke or fever… I heard the rumour that it can also cure cancer."

The horn is also being increasingly used in a manner akin to a recreational drug, such as 'rhino wine,' to improve male sexual performance, and to treat hangovers and other ill-effects of the over-consumption of alcohol.

None of these uses are traditional usages of rhino horn, but they are big earners.

SOUNDBITE (Vietnamese) Horn Seller:
"The price is 144 million Vietnamese dongs for 100 grams, that's seven thousand US dollars."

The number of black rhinos in the wild is estimated at 5,000 individuals and that of white rhinos at 20,000. Both are found in Africa and their range and numbers declined very significantly in the past. Populations then recovered, particularly in Southern Africa. A fresh wave of poaching in the past few years, however, is posing a significant threat to this recovery. The western black rhino was declared extinct in November 2011.