Wild life Conservation and weapon collecting.......
 

Hi, everyone,
went to the Zoo recently .......at the Rhino enclosure was this sign....(in two parts ..photos below). I wondered how others feel about the implications of horn, ivory etc used in the adornment of weapons....not the antique variety but the more recent.....the 'faked antiques' and 'high end' tourist/ ceremonial.. which often use authentic materials....

Well, people back in those days were not aware about wildlife conservation or statistics, they just kept slaughtering those poor creatures almost to extinction.

It is a terrible state of affairs. Especially as I believe the quality is often suspect if one ignores the perceived value of the materials. I do not see why any educated person/collector would want the destruction of one of these animals today. Just for a knife handle.

Rhino horn was greatly desired as medicine in the far east and a there was a great market in the horn for that use. The animal were being slaughtered for their horns

Education has shown that the horn has no medicinal value, but old habits are hard to break.

Some recent controversy here in South Africa over restoration of the rhinoceros. It takes a great deal of money. EcoTourism brings some money, but no where near enough. But it has been found careful selective sport hunting of a few past prime adults brings in the need money, far more than all ecotourism without endangering the restoration.

Preservation exclusionist are objecting loudly. But the scientific community is returning to the old ways of thinking saying that hunting has to be part of conservation process to controll excessive population growth when no other predators exist.

One of the early believed 'properties' of Rhino horn was that it could counteract poisons....hence the reason for many 'quality' drinking vessels in Asia, Europe and Africa were made of horn.......poison was often the weapon of choice at that time.
The belief persisted for some time, it seems that no-one tried to prove/disprove the theory

Big game hunting makes a massive contribution to conservation. It also probably benefits the tribal people more than the pure conservation Douglas mentions. Which often well intentioned, can end up valuing the animals more than people.

I agree Tim....the art of conservation is not to 'single' out species that need 'special' attention.....it is to view the eco-system as a whole. If animals are left un-checked ....especially where their natural predators are in low numbers.... population 'explosions' occur which often has a detrimental 'knock on' effect on the local fauna and flora.
There was an interesting programme on recently about small lion groups living wild in INDIA (!!??), I missed the reason as to why they are there. However, even though there had been a few attacks on humans..the locals (generally living in poverty)were very keen that the preservation of these lions was extremely important to them.
The devistation of the Rainforest in South America and Equatorial Africa has had significant repocussions to the local Tribes....hunting food is increasingly difficult as there is less game, and larger numbers are unable to provide for their families forcing many to 'adopt' Western livestyles.

Many tribes were/are fully aware of the importance of 'living in harmony with nature'...never taking more than they need...to ensure 'Nature' had a chance to replenish it's 'stock'.

Its ironic that 'Western civilisation' fails to understand this concept, and it is their actions that are destroying those that do.