Singapore authorities have just announced a big step forward. They confiscated 20 rhino horns, the largest single seizure of this type in the country’s history. This massive operation underscores the constant struggle to protect our wildlife, especially when it comes to poaching and the illegal trade of rhinoceros horn.
This clearly worked, as from 2018-2021 poachers killed more than 2,700 rhinos in Africa. South Africa was the epicenter of this tragedy, accounting for a shocking 90% of these poaching activities. Once celebrated for its rich biodiversity, The Kruger National Park has recently gained notoriety for being one of the deadliest escapes from rhino poaching. The majority of these rhinos were killed by poachers in this region. These poachers were spurred by the enormous black market demand for rhino horns in some Asian countries.
During a routine check in their facility, a cargo handler in Singapore became suspicious after smelling an unusual odor from a package. This detection helped drive a recent seizure. When officials looked, they found that the horns had been deceptively labeled as “furniture fittings.” This tactic highlights the desperate and creative measures traffickers will employ to avoid detection.
Defined to be from white South African rhinoceroses, the 20 horns have a total estimated market value of approximately $870,000. Their soaring cost is due largely to the fact that they’re luxury goods. Even in many parts of Asia, people ascribe all sorts of supposed healing powers to them. Rhino horns are sometimes prized as status symbols, increasing demand and consequently driving former poaching actors.
Despite a steady increase in the illegal rhino horns trade and poaching in the past few years, these acts remain to this day major drivers of rhinoceros extinction. South Africa holds the key to the future of global conservation. Nearly 80% of the world’s rhinoceroses call its borders home. The country faces the double task of fighting poaching and responding to an ongoing international demand.
Enforcement authorities announced through their press release that they will crush the seized horns. They are subject to the stringent requirements of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The previous largest seizure in Singapore was just over 34.7 kg of rhino horns confiscated in October 2022.