Before we get into this story, let’s get some facts out of the way:
- Rhinos are an endangered species.
- For this reason, they are protected by law.
- There is a huge market for rhino horns in Asia
- There is no scientific consensus on any medicinal or aphrodisiac-like qualities of the horns
- As such, hunting rhinos for their horns is not only cruel, but also pointless.
Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s focus on this story of hunters turning into the hunted.
Some time last week, a group of poachers entered a South African reserve with with a high powered rifle, a silencer, an axe, and some wire cutters. These were tools commonly used by poachers to hunt rhinos and saw off their horns.
They also had enough supplies to last them several days, indicating that they had planned to stick around for a while, doing what poachers do; killing poor, defenseless, and beautiful animals.
Poaching is a big problem for conservation efforts in various reserves across Africa, and the trade of rare or endangered animals, and their body parts is alive and well in parts of Asia. Parts of China, Vietnam, and other countries pay highly for rhino horns due to superstitious beliefs that they help with fertility and virility.
Even taking superstitious remedies aside, there are also those who simply want rare animal memorabilia simply because these animals are rare and hunting them is illegal. That’s some supervillain level mentality, right there.
Anyway, back to the story.
So these poachers were traveling through the night to find their prey when they came across a group (pride?) of lions.
The owner of the Sibuya Game Reserve, Nick Fox told the Washington Post that they were alerted them to a loud commotion coming from the lions by an anti-poaching dog. (Yes, that’s a real thing that exists.)
Source: YouTube
They went to the area to find a human skull, along with half a pelvis. But they found very little else that resembled a human body.
It is unknown exactly how many men were in the group and how many of them were beset by the lions, but it is worth noting that there were three sets of shoes, gloves, and a backpack full of food left behind.
Following the incident, the lions involved were tranquilized and assessed by veterinarians and conservation workers, who concluded that their behaviour was no different from what was exhibited towards vehicles in the last 10 years.
“The general consensus in the game industry is that lions view a game viewing vehicle containing people as something entirely different from individuals who are walking on the ground,” Fox said. “At Sibuya Game Reserve we only view game from specialized game viewing vehicles and not on foot due to the extremely dense bush and thick forest on the Reserve.”
When asked by the poachers were attacked by the lions, Fox stated that lions were opportunists who would attack, regardless of their appetite.
If you run, they will surely chase you.
South Africa is the home of the largest population of rhinos and has seen a dramatic increase in poaching since the year 2007, despite the fact that it carries a jail sentence.
More than a thousand rhinos lost their lives in the year 2017 alone.
According to the Executive Director of the International Rhino Foundation, Sue Ellis, the poachers were members of well-organized criminal networks driven by the Asian market, and view the rhino’s horn as a valuable commodity worth more than gold or platinum.
“It’s not a crime of poverty,” she said. “It’s a crime of greed.”
As news of the poachers and their grisly fate spread around the world, Netizens around the world expressed feelings that ranged from relief to amusement.
While it is sad that living breathing humans lost their lives in a horrifying fashion, the fact remains that they were there to commit a crime, and to end the lives of endangered animals for profit.
As the old saying goes: “Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
The moral of the story is quite simple.
Please don’t hunt endangered animals, and please don’t pay for products made from them. Once they are gone, they are never coming back and our world is poorer for it.
Header Image Source: Focusing on Wildlife
