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How Do Rhino Poaching Affect The Environment

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Rhino Poaching affect on the Environment

Introduction- (arouse audience, outline of speech, justify why this issue is important)
There are less than 30,000 rhinos left in our world and 80% of these live in African savannah grasslands (Save the Rhino: study). Half of those are in captivity and national parks across the globe (Save the Rhino: study). This report will investigate the impact of rhino horn poaching on the environment, economy and society of Africa, as well as on the animal’s welfare.
Rhino are illegally poached for their horns because they are believed to have medicinal properties in China (Becker, R, 2013). They have a higher value than gold in the black market (The Independent: study) and therefore there is a high demand for …show more content…

Rhinos play a vital part in Africa’s ecosystem, which keeps a balance. Rhinos are also herbivores; some are grazers eating off grasslands and others browsers eating of bushes and shrubs. Therefore, removing the rhinos will change the biodiversity of the plant community. Poachers also only de-horn mature adult rhinos were the horn is large enough to make it worth it (Save the Rhino: study), which leaves the young rhinos that are dependant on their parents vulnerable, thus forcing them to fend for themselves. Baby rhinos have an extremely low survival chance without their mother’s nursing and parents’ protection that will mean that they will not be able to breed to replenish their …show more content…

This impacts the country with loss of revenue to the tourist industry as well as loss of jobs. With rhinos gone it would cause the collapse of Africa’s famous big five, which is one of the main attractions of Africa. With the rhino gone or near extinction, other grazers like young wildebeest and elephants become intensely preyed upon by lions, leopards and cheetahs that now face a limited food supply. The wildebeest and elephant population, which are also part of Africa’s Big 5, will also start to decline, further impacting negatively on Africa’s tourist industry and economy.
The WWF reports that there has been a 21% increase in the numbers of rhinos illegally killed form 2013 to 2014 due to corruption and organised crime syndicates. This has harmed the reputation and trust of the government in being unable to protect its natural heritage. Africa is a country know for its wildlife, and there are numerous wildlife organizations trying to protect this rich diversity of fauna and flora. Famous people like, Leonardo diCaprio and Prince William have become forerunners in wildlife conservation putting Africa and its policy on anti-poaching in the limelight. Countries like America have threaten to put trade sanctions on Africa if rhino numbers continue to decline due to poaching. If this happens Africa stands to lose a lot of

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