Johannesburg - Behaviour change among rhino horn consumers can help stop poaching, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) said on Monday.
“Targeting behaviour change by users is important. New users and new markets have emerged, resulting in the spike in poaching,” chief executive Morne du Plessis told reporters in Johannesburg via video link from Cape Town.
“The horn was primarily for medicinal use. Now there is a form of new consumption by affluent businessmen, who use it as a social status and for corporate gifts.”
Du Plessis said most rhino horns went to Vietnam.
The Asian country is at the centre of the illicit rhino horn trade, where it has been used for many centuries in traditional Chinese medicines as a cure for various fevers.
The WWF launched the “Power Comes From Our Will” campaign in Vietnam on Monday, targeting men aged between 35 and 50 living in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Du Plessis said men in this age group believed rhino horn was an effective way to rid the body of toxins, enhance business relationships, promote masculinity, and improve luck.
“The campaign drives home the message that Vietnam's most impressive and charismatic men have created their own good fortune with their internal drive, dedication and talent, and know a piece of horn is no substitute for the power that lies inside of them,” he said.
On Monday, the organisation StopRhinoPoaching.com announced it had joined forces with the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and a mobile app called Seecrypt, which provides secure communication on cellphones and computers, to better protect rhino.
According to its website, StopRhinoPoaching.com raises awareness and support for the fight against poaching.
“We are at war with rhino poachers and when fighting a war we need to co-ordinate our plans and teams on the ground securely,” its director and founder Elise Daffue said in a statement.
“Poachers have learnt the trade of communication interception, but thanks to Seecrypt, we have now neutralised that advantage previously enjoyed by these poachers.
“To make an example, a voice call disclosing a rhino's location, or a photo shared on social media, can lead the poacher directly to the rhino if such information lands in the wrong hands,” Daffue said.
“Seecrypt's secure communications will go a long way to levelling the playing field.”
Seecrypt chief executive Mornay Walters said hackers getting hold of private data had dire consequences for rhinos.
“Tourists visiting our national parks can also help. Before you post that photo of a rhino on social media, or share it with a friend, please think about how the image, if intercepted, can end that rhino's life.
“We urge you not to share it or post it, but if you must then Seecrypt Lite is a free app that will allow you to share it securely.”
Walters said the application was available freely for download for compatible handsets and desktops. - Sapa