Shoot to kill?
(This article was originally published in The Horn: Spring 2012. Author: Laura Adams, Office & Communications Manager, Save The Rhino)
Last year, Save the Rhino received an email from a concerned supporter after a comment on a well-known rhino conservation blog apparently ‘celebrated’ the death of five poachers, shot by rangers in South Africa. What were Save the Rhino’s views on the shooting, they asked? Is it ever OK to defend a policy that can mean the loss of human life in order to protect wildlife?
Save the Rhino’s position, and the policy adopted by most of the programmes that we support, is to shoot-to-kill only as a last act and in self-defence. Anti-poaching rangers must first do all they can to avoid this. In the event of a contact (a ranger meeting a poacher), it would be much more beneficial if they were caught and arrested, giving the opportunity to recover valuable information about who has commissioned them to turn to poaching, information about the supply chain, and smuggling routes. If a poacher fires – they virtually all carry guns these days – and endangers the ranger’s safety, then rangers may fire back, with the chance that lives may be lost in this exchange.
Many anti-poaching and monitoring programme staff in the field are armed but not all. Those protecting National Parks or Game Reserves usually are, while those protecting rhinos and other wildlife in conservancies (private or community-owned) are not. It’s a tough ask to face a poaching gang when all you possess is a torch, a phone and a GPS. Some rhino holders are applying for Police Reservist status, which would allow named individuals to bear arms; others have come to arrangements with local police forces or the government department to carry out joint patrols. Whoever is protecting the rhinos, is it morally acceptable to shoot to kill?
Very occasionally, shoot-to-kill is not only tolerated but encouraged, as a way of sending a very clear signal to poaching gangs, and rewarding the bravery of the rhinos’ protectors. In Kaziranga National Park, India, forest guards receive a cash bonus to their salary if they successfully wound and kill a poacher. This stance has affected funding; indeed this policy caused the BBC Wildlife Fund to pull out of planned funding for the programme a couple of years ago.
Furthermore, in Kaziranga the forest guards will not be prosecuted for shooting a poacher, whether in self-defence or as a pro-active ambush or attack. The issue of indemnity for armed wildlife guards is an important one for many field programmes, whose staff risk being caught up in lengthy court cases and even prison, while acting in the line of duty.
Protecting rhinos endangers lives. Mohammad Hasen Ali, a ranger at Rajiv 
Gandhi Orang National Park in Assam, India was fatally wounded when apprehending a poacher and declared dead on arrival at the nearest medical centre. His family received $2,000 in compensation. Conversely, a Zambian poacher has just been killed, one of a group of three armed poachers who resisted arrest and shot at rangers in Tshakabika, Sinamatella in Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. There are casualties on both sides.
In South Africa, 232 suspected poachers were arrested in 2011. But of these how many will actually end up being sentenced? Why we don’t hear of more poachers going to prison, and why is it so hard to convict a poacher?
- The disparity between sentencing in different countries is great. The law in many countries does not assign long prison sentences to wildlife crime. In Zambia, possession of rhino horn or a conviction of poaching can receive a sentence of 20 years, while in Kenya, the penalty for poaching is simply a fine (and a relatively low fine at that)
- Even where tough laws do exist, for a criminal case, it is difficult to prove beyond all reasonable doubt that a poacher is guilty. To do so would require DNA analysis linking the rhino carcass, the horn and the poacher. Too often, the expertise is not available for this type of sophisticated analysis. Even in South Africa, where this facility is available, many poachers are currently awaiting trial dates, and appeals have been sent out for more evidence from the public to complete these prosecutions. If a poacher is apprehended before an attack, there is very little to prove, except armed trespass
There is general frustration about the prosecution of rhino poachers. It is important to build the political will to ensure that prison sentences are given. Time and time again, poachers are acquitted at trial. If this is the case, then legal measures to crack down on poaching are not working. Poachers who do not receive a prison sentence are free to return to national parks and poach more rhino.
The highly organised nature of poaching syndicates means that the poacher ‘on the ground’ is doing the dirty work, but somewhere much higher up the chain is a criminal gang, very literally, calling the shots. This makes convicting poaching offences harder, and means that killing a poacher will achieve very little in terms of reducing the number of poaching incidents. Syndicates can easily find another person willing to take the risk and shoot a rhino. And that puts those who protect the rhinos in an unenviable position.
Photo credits: Tony Fitzjohn, Steve Robbins
(22) Comments
The time has come to extend extraordinary measures to ensure that our animal population is allowed to exist in the manner in which they were intended before man came along and ruthlessly exploited them. I wholeheartedly agree with predjudicial actions against any person or entity that would strive to profit from the further depletion of our declining animal population. I also include property developers that love to develop properties to allow people to "commune" with nature, and then when these people actually meet the animals that inhabit these areas, find that they are "dangerous", and want them eliminated so that they feel "safe".
The only good poacher is a dead one. Better still, start with the scumbags who like their ivory and rhino horn trinkets.
death sentance must come back for poachers
If something isn't done then Rhinos will become extinct. Then what will the Chinese do? Poachers should be shot..simple as that or do we just accept almost 600 rhinos killed in 2012 acceptable.
Death to all poachers.
Poachers should be flayed alive and then shot. I would volenteer to do this for free.
They are the scum of the earth. I am ashamed to belong to the same species as these c***ts.
I support killing the poachers. These brave people who risk their lives to kill these poachers are god in my eyes.
What is the BEST thing we can do for the Rhino ? IMO,
Get to the TOP of this criminal Gang ! That is how to put an end to this for good! We have to eliminate the demand -
Those at the top of this horrific crime care about MONEY , they do NOT care about the poachers, and they have other poachers ready to poach if we kill them off !
Sometimes it is not possible, but when a poacher Can be caught, get him to Talk , get the info on these Gangs calling the shots THEN give the poacher the death penalty! YES, they deserve the death penalty,
-otherwise, more poachers will be sent out , like said in the article above.
Of course these poachers deserve to die, but SO do ALL those in the Criminal gang behind the scenes!
First, FORCE Them to speak out ALL they know! then fry them!
Shoot every one if those bastards who kill and buy ivory.
I support the immediate execution of both rhinoceros and elephant poachers. It may not be the most effective method of combating criminal ivory trading syndicates. It is, however, a punishment fitting for any human being who commits the heinous act of murdering a sentient, loving animal. When the killing is followed by the act of ivory removal, a bestial, desecrating process, it only further solidifies in my mind that these people lack the respect for any form of life, to deserve life for themselves.
After watching Battleground: Rhino Wars on Animal Planet, I was curious to the punishment received when caught poaching. It is horrible to see most get let go with a slap on the wrist and return to poach again. If they are caught poaching they should be shot, period! What makes humans so fricking important compared to other living things. The human race is the biggest parasite ever to live on earth.There are too many idiots in this world. If everyone had the opinion of most posters commenting here, the world would be a much better place. Too bad animals can't poach stupid humans.
Hunting Rhinos, Tigers dolphins whales and any other animals who abide by mother nature and do not stamp their injustice upon the earth should carry the death sentence. When I look into my animals eyes I see an honesty and trust you will never experience from a human. I am sickened to be a human being and would gladly permanently remove all poachers from the planet which I am perfectly equipped to do with or without weapons. We are the single most unpleasant parasite on this planet, make no mistake I would kill you all to save one tiger.
Why on Earth would ANYONE NOT SUPPORT the killing of poachers by these poacher-hunters? Why would anyone CRY over it???
If sentencing poachers is so difficult surely shoot to kill is the best option? The ultimate sacrifice may be the best deterrent.
The charge is genocide, and the penalty.... you know what it is
Shame on all corrupted judges and officials they should also be punished
Poachers deserve to die, there's no two ways about it, shoot them on the spot, saves the long drawn out court cases that fail to deliver justice.
I'm doing a project on anti poaching efforts and I have to say I would rather die than be forced to poach, even with all the monney they get out of it!
Poachers from Mocambique , Zimbabwe and any one of these countries that send poachers to our parks , should be tortured to the extreme them Cut Off their Genitals send one in 5 back to spread the word then shoot all poachers like Rabid Dogs they are , let South Africa be the worst place in the Continent to Poach anything Get the message out pay bonusses to the rangers for every dead Poacher. I will hunt then down for Free and so Should every citizen shoot the bastardos on site on every farm that protects Rhinos and Wild life with full backing of our legal System and every South African should be out to protect our precious endangered Species . Good Citizen
Are they hiring? I won't even hit a guy if I can avoid it, but I'd kill poachers for subsistence wages.
I, too, am wondering if any of these wild life ranger positions are available? I'd volunteer to shoot poachers and take down these criminal enterprises pillaging our world. Sounds right up my alley!
I for one, volunteer to track down, bind and return the poachers to a tribunal for the purpose of information extraction. I would then be happy to execute the poacher. A sure way to stop the poaching is to target the poachers assets and if need be, family members. If we are to save the animals, we must be willing to do whatever is required.
1. Establish a task force of ex-special forces who are willing to track and kill poachers. Arm them and supply them as required.
2. Pay the task force members for their services based upon a head count.
3. Use the media to inform poachers what their fate will be at the hands of the special ops task force.
4. Watch the rhino, elephant and tiger population rebound
It is that easy. Anything less will only forestall the inevitable end of the animals.
RJC.....You must've read my post earlier this year.....I'm with anyone who believes in the most vicious and extreme measures to get the rot out of the communities that harbour, fail to report and simply ignore poachers in thei midst....catch the poachers, take them "home" kick everbody's arse, kill the shit and the keep doing it!!! Forget the top dogs in the syndicates....we'll never get there, just keep cutting them off at the knees, over and over and over.........
Those heartless poachers do indeed deserve to be executed. Elephant and rhino populations deserve to be abundant along with all the other animal species that are endangered. Poachers are an abominable species of human beings that should become extinct! I think any animal lover would agree that poachers are unwanted piles of cancer and they do indeed need to be wiped out. So that endangered animals can once again repopulate and live in their deserved harmony.