Boycott the Rhino Killers

668, I will give you a minute for that number to sink in because that is how many Rhinos have been slaughtered this year alone in South Africa, to fuel the demand for their horn by the Vietnamese and the Chinese. Here are two countries that do not care a single iota about animals or their welfare, whose cruelty towards animals is so horrific most people choose to ignore them, because they cannot comprehend such a level of cruelty. Perhaps other people cannot accept that a so called fellow human being can be capable of such cruelty (skinning dogs and cats alive for example). But the longer we do ignore this fact, the more species will become extinct at their hands. I fear there is not much feeling towards the wellbeing of any animals, let alone Rhinos.

The majestic Rhino, a beautiful species admired by all who have been fortunate enough to see one in the wild, are on the road to a human-fuelled extinction, a very short road indeed, as more are being killed now than are able to breed. They are killed in the most horrific way, usually after their horns have been hacked off whilst still alive by machete yeilding poachers. Can you imagine the pain, the distress? All because the Vietnamese and Chinese believe the horn is capable of curing things that it absolutely does not, as it is made from the same thing as human fingernails and hair, containing mostly keratin. It is purely superstition. They are going to cause the extermination of a species for something that is simply not true! An example is that it can cure hangovers. Can you believe that? That we may lose an iconic species because some brat has gone out drinking and due to the ensuing hangover wants to consume Rhino horn? What about an aspirin? Another reason is simply status. They believe if they are in possession of Rhino horn they will be respected by their peers, to show their fellow people they have arrived! This says a lot about them, that they garner respect to each other over slaughtered animal parts. These "people", are relentless in the extermination, I fear they will not stop as is evident by the ever growing illegal wildlife trade, mostly fuelled by the people of the east.

And when the Rhino is gone, what next? What new superstition will they make up to make more money? That a buffalos eye balls can cure hiccups? Perhaps that a hyenas tail hairs can cure dizziness? Or a giraffe’s hooves can cure swelling in the ankles? What will they make up next and what animal will be next on their hit list? Besides of course the already targeted tigers, lions, elephants and dozens more animals.

This petition is therefore not to save the Rhino directly as that battle is, as hard as it is to admit, mostly and inevitably lost. This petition is for people to pledge their support and to boycott the Chinese and Vietnamese through any means necessary, to show them we have had enough of their cruelty and will not support them any longer. How you do this and in what capacity you are able to do this up to you. For instance where you can, do not buy Chinese goods (this one is difficult as so much is manufactured there, but can be done in small amounts and the less people buy, the bigger the eventual impact). Do not visit China or Vietnam (remember by slaughtering all the Rhinos in South Africa they will do irreparable damage to the tourist industry there). Do not eat at Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants. Do not do business with them. Just do not support them in any way. As long as they are the root cause of so much death and destruction to what wildlife we have left, they do not deserve our respect and they do not deserve our support.

So let’s unite against this scourge, let’s do it for the last remaining Rhino. Sign this petition if you vow to not support anything or anyone from Vietnam or China!

694 is the new number, as it has been two days since the reporting of poaching statistics. Just to put this into perspective, in 2007 14 Rhino were poached. As you can see, we are running out of Rhinos fast.