Rhino Horn

THAILAND - Bangkok Star - 18th August


A woman mourns over the body of her deceased husband after he had purchased
apparently purposely contaminated Rhino horn on the open market in Bangkok .
The source of the contamination is still to be verified but it is thought to
be from a private game farm somewhere in southern Africa .
Officials in Thailand are frantic to identify the source, as the powdered
horn is sold in miniscule amounts and they have no idea how much has already
been distributed thoughout Bangkok . Local hospitals are on standby for an
unprecendented influx of new cases.

Officials are unable get information as the rhino horn dealers in Bangkok
are being unco-operative. They neither want to be fingered as being the
provider of the poisoned horn, not do they want to reveal their illegal
international sources. It is believed that private game farm owners in
southern Africa are colluding between themselves to distribute an effective
poison that is harmless to the animals but harmful, or even fatal as in this
case, to those that ingest the contaminated horn.

A game farm owner from the North West Province who obviously wishes to
remain anonymous, has admitted to using the poison on 4 of his animals.
Three of them have shown no side-effects whatsoever 2 months after the
poison was injected into the horns. However the 4th rhino was slaughtered
and de-horned on a remote part of his farm in the last week of July. When
asked to comment on the death in Thailand from suspect poisoned rhino horn,
he refused to be drawn into the morals of the farmers joint action. He said
that there would be many more cases in the near future as he was personally
aware of at least another 5 slaughters of contaminated rhinos in the North
West Province alone.

Authorities in South Africa are unable to comment on the "poison" collusion
among the game farm owners nor are they able to verify the source of the
contaminated horn.

Despite the ethical furore the poisoning of rhino horn may trigger, to many
of us this is what we've been waiting for - It's great news in a desperate
fight - at last a positive way to fight back to help save the rhino, no
matter how illegal - after all the poachers & the "Rhino Mafia" & corrupt
politicians or official's acts are also very much illegal !! - all hell will
break loose but always remember - " 'n boer maak 'n plan" - this one's
desperate but terrific and will wake the Zim, Mozam, SA & Provincial Gov's &
Authorities & those further north from their arrogant/corrupt slumbers !!
The fight's really on - can't wait !! - Well done to the farmers & rhino
owners !!

ZWF Comments by Tim Condon

Please contact the ZWF Anti- Poaching Confidential Hot-Line with any
information in strictest confidence on any acts of poaching - rhino horn,
ivory & game for bush meat - to our email at
tim.condon@shaw.ca> !!

______________________________________

PLEASE FORWARD TO CONCERNED CONSERVATIONISTS, BIRD LOVERS, WILDLIFE RANGERS

& MANAGERS, NGO's, ECO-TOUR OPERATORS, POLITICIANS, MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES &

INFLUENTIAL PERSONS IN THE WORLD OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION.
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