

Armed rangers set off at dusk in pursuit of poachers. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a new danger, even to Africa’s endangered wildlife. With no tourists traveling to bring funds to the region, protecting black rhinos has become even more challenging. That’s because poachers—desperate to make a living—are becoming more daring.
Long before the coronavirus outbreak, poachers threatened rhinoceros populations. They kill the giant beasts to rob them of their horns for illegal sales. Some cultures mistakenly believe rhino horns have spiritual and medicinal value. People with those beliefs will pay big bucks for the shorn horns. They do not seem to know or care about the animals the horns are harvested from.
Managing animal populations is a challenge given to humankind from creation. It began with Adam naming the individual creatures. God’s great creativity and variety in filling His world with life was on display for Adam to see, understand, enjoy, and care for. After the Flood, God gave Noah and his family permission to use animals for food and clothing. But He never condoned misusing animals. Proverbs 12:10 illustrates one difference between righteousness and evil: “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.”
John Tekeles is a patrol guide and head of the dog unit at Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. He says the financial losses Kenyans are feeling due to coronavirus restrictions have put him on guard. “We are more alert because maybe more poachers will use this time to come in to poach,” he says.
Effective law enforcement is helping. The number of black rhinos in Africa has been slowly increasing, even though the species remains critically endangered, says a report by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
More than 130 black rhinos call Ol Pejeta home. That’s the single largest population in east and central Africa. But protecting them is expensive. Ol Pejeta spends about $10,000 per year per rhino on protection, conservancy director Richard Vigne says.
“That comes to close to $2 million a year,” he elaborates. “In the time of COVID, when tourism has completely stopped, where most of our revenue comes from tourism, . . . it’s a complete disaster. Our ability to look after the rhinos is compromised.”
Conservationists across Africa are now monitoring to see how poachers might try to take advantage, and whether even more rare wildlife will be targeted.
why doesn’t someone like Bill
why doesn’t someone like Bill Gates, or Jeff Bezos donate some money to help out with this?
2nd comment!!
This is sad!!! What if our kids and grandkids never knew northern white rhinos existed!!???
3rd comment
Considering how poplar rhinos are, I'm surprised more people aren't interested in helping them. Pray for the Lord's creation!
from us both
btw, what curriculum('s) r u all doing 4 school this year? our list is posted below: (it would b cool some of us were doing the same stuff! btw, we're homeschooled :)
Math: Teaching Textbooks
Language Arts: Learning Language Arts Through Literature
History: Sonlight Old World History
Science: Apologia Human Anatomy and Phisology
rhino murders!!!
Imagine taking care of 130 rhinos, no tourism + COVID .
That's really sad
It's interesting though to see all the weird effects of corona on things that you wouldn't have thought of. Global pandemics just set off a chain reaction, apparently.
this is Mylee
this is so sad. To above i defintly dont want my children not getting to enjoy rinos. Belwyn R. Not trying to be rude but you put that question on every article.
I sure hope that they don't
I sure hope that they don't go extinct, and that the people can get enough money to help the rhinos, and that the poachers quit and don't target other animals.
If I had the money I would go
If I had the money I would go there and protect them! #Rhinoprotectionsquad I DO TEACHING TEXTBOOKS TOO!
Oh no!
Oh, no, does that mean they're...endangered?