The Rhino Revolution
What is the real challenge in facing the rhino-poaching crisis today? Would it be the poachers? Or their security on a reserve? What about government action? These are all important but short-term complications that feed into the biggest issue of all: the demand.
What makes the demand of rhino horn so important? For those of you late in the game, rhino horn is believed to cure aliments such as fevers, hangovers and the flu. It is also an important representative of high status in culture by displaying the horn as a decorative piece or as a handle to a sword.
To anyone who is an outsider of Asian heritage and culture, you may think, “That’s so stupid, don’t they know how the rhino population is drastically decreasing because of their greed? Don’t they know that a rhino horn is just made of keratin and has no medicinal properties?” Although those points are true, have you ever realized that raising those questions offends the Asian culture? It is offensive in the sense that you are denying a cultural norm that they strongly believe in.
So what? Why would you care if you were offending people that are a large contender in driving the rhino horn demand? Offending them won’t change their outlook on rhino horn; it will just make them angry and continue the vicious cycle. So the real question is, how do we change the perception of a culture that resolutely believes in rhino horn?
Changing and challenging the perception of one of the oldest cultures of the world is a task that seems impossible. Their old wives’ tale is apart of them and we should just give up, right? What if Martin Luther King Jr. ignored racism in America? What if Mahatma Gandhi decided to not pursue British power? What if Nelson Mandela decided not to take a stand against Apartheid in South Africa? These three incredibly inspirational leaders faced odds that seemed impossible to grasp. Yet, their leadership, passion and rallying permanently changed the perception of cultures. We can do the same.
How do we go about this definitive task? There is no right or wrong answer. Changing the perception of an entire culture may take years to complete, but if we don’t act now there will be no more rhinos to fight for. There have already been over 558 rhinos poached this year and the poaching rate for rhinos has increased by 7,000% in the past 6 years.[1]
As collective citizens of the world, we need to be a single voice to the rhino-poaching crisis. The calling is now; it falls upon a generation to be great, we can be that generation.[2] A start could be educating those around you on the issue we face today. Maybe joining The March For Elephants and Rhinos on October 4th will raise awareness to this issue. Either way, we must be the change that you wish to see in the world.[3] I have a dream, that one day[4] we will give justice to the rhino with peace, what is yours?
-Lianna Nixon
[1] WWF, Rhino Poaching Sees 7,000% Increase In Six Years
[2] Nelson Mandela
[3] Mahatma Gandhi
[4] Martin Luther King Jr., I Have A Dream