Hung up on history

For over half a century, Dr. Ian Player, until his death in November 2014, was considered the pre-eminent authority on rhino conservation.  He was famed for spearheading 'Operation Rhino', an initiative credited for saving the southern white rhino from near-extinction caused predominantly by uncontrolled hunting.  

When Player became involved in conservation during the 1950s as a game ranger in Africa’s oldest official nature reserve, Imfolozi, there were less than 500 southern whites.  Through Operation Rhino, Player led a team who pioneered the methods used to immobilize and translocate large game animals.  Many rhinos were relocated to other protected areas of their former habitat to establish new breeding populations which allowed the species to recover.  Later, controlled hunts and live exports generated funding for domestic conservation projects.  

Fast forward fifty odd years and again rhinos are under siege.   Opportunistic hunters have been superseded by organised criminals and how best to incapacitate them has been a topic of venomous debate, during which time in excess of eight thousand rhinos in South Africa alone have perished.  Many reasons have been cited to justify trading horns above other plausible solutions, but none more so than Player's purported endorsement.  

According to trade advocates, irrefutable evidence of his support can be found in the 2014 film “Rhinos in Crisis: A Blueprint for Survival” produced by the Conservation Imperative, of which Player was the first patron.  In the film, Player states (59:16) “When it comes to the question of whether rhino horn should be sold or not there is only one answer, they’ve got to be sold”.  However, conveniently omitted was the fact he was referring to horns sourced from natural mortality and limited sales from government stockpiles, not farming and regular horn harvesting.  In fact, Player did not support rhino farming.  During an interview with National Geographic published in April 2012 he was asked if a rhino that has been dehorned, or one that is farmed, is still a rhino? His reply was concise.  “A rhino without its horn is like an elephant without its trunk, and I’ve been quite adamant about that from the beginning. Nor do I like the idea of farming rhinos”.  

Then again, the following year, in January 2013, less than one year before the film’s release, Player was interviewed by Safari Talk, stating (4:50) “I personally am not in favour of rhino horn farming”. 

It’s not the first time the Conservation Imperative has been economical with the truth to suit their agenda.  The organisation has a history of publishing out of context material and misleading content produced by trade prejudiced academics.  But why would the Conservation Imperative misrepresent their own (now deceased) patron to add credibility to a proposal they already purport to be fully feasible?  Surely, if trade is the viable solution it’s claimed to be, there would be no need for further approbation?  

Dr Player acknowledged environmental issues are emotive and would have been acutely aware of the friction and animosity surrounding the debate about sustainable use and the horn trade.  He supported a plethora of working initiatives, favouring a multifaceted approach to combating the crisis.  It’s plausible, in the immediate years prior to his passing, he would have been keen not to alienate himself or discourage any effort which could halt the criminality of poaching.  It therefore seems disingenuous he would only endorse one possible solution, particularly the one which most contradicts the values of The Wilderness Foundation, an organisation founded by Player over forty years ago.  “It’s the wildness of the animal that makes it so appealing to us” Player claimed in an interview with National Geographic's Rachel Lang in 2012.

Executing some of Player’s historical ideologies to solve this modern crisis is disadvantageous.  Many of his sentiments regarding sustainable use are considered unethical and irrelevant by modern standards and are neither realistic nor practical in today’s current climate.  Wild game recreation (trophy hunting), particularly that of endangered species, is largely considered a lawful extension of colonial exploitation.  Intensively farming rhinos is a regressive form of husbandry in an era where focus is primarily geared to re-wilding rather than promoting captivity.    

Surely the most appropriate course of action for the Conservation Imperative would be to release the raw, unedited footage of their interview with Dr. Ian Player to quash further speculation and promote transparency within the organisation?  It would be a far greater legacy to promote a solution which embraces the past and Player’s principles rather than attempt to misrepresent them.