World Rhino Day 2024

By Olivia Swaak-Goldman

On World Rhino Day, we reflect on the ongoing fight against the rhino horn trade and celebrate important victories, while recognizing the challenges that remain. Rhinos continue to be targeted by transnational criminal networks driven by greed, but recent developments in law enforcement, particularly in Southern Africa, offer hope and highlight the importance of international cooperation and robust law enforcement.

Major convictions: a major blow to rhino horn trafficking networks

This year, Mozambique achieved a major victory in the fight against rhino horn trafficking with the convictions of Simon Valoi, also known as “Navara,” and Paulo Zucula, two of the most notorious figures in the illegal rhino horn trade, as well as Chabane Assuba, a major rhino horn supplier and facilitator of the rhino horn trade. On August 16, 2024, Valoi was sentenced on multiple charges: 16 years for illegal wildlife trafficking, 8 years for criminal association, and 16 years for money laundering. Valoi was sentenced to 27 years in prison, along with fines equivalent to 16 years, a total of approximately USD 170,000 in compensation to the state, and the confiscation of assets worth approximately USD 140,625. Zucula was sentenced to 24 years, with fines of 16 years, a total of approximately USD 62,500 in compensation to the state, and assets worth approximately USD 265,625 seized. Assuba was previously convicted on March 21, 2024, of wildlife trafficking, money laundering and forming a criminal organization. He was sentenced to 30 years in prison and fines equivalent to two years.

These convictions, following their arrests in two separate operations in 2022 by Mozambique’s Serviço Nacional de Investigação Criminal (SERNIC) with the support of the Wildlife Justice Commission, represent a decisive blow to wildlife trafficking networks in southern Africa. Assuba worked with several major global criminal networks to supply rhino horn and facilitate shipments of wildlife products to Asia. Valoi, a prolific rhino poaching boss, was known to primarily target South Africa’s Kruger National Park. His arrest and subsequent conviction, along with that of his right-hand man Zucula, represent a significant disruption to the illegal wildlife trade in the region. The heavy sentences imposed on these criminals send a strong and clear message: involvement in the illegal rhino horn trade will lead to serious consequences.

Changing poaching dynamics: from Kruger National Park to new hotspots

From approximately 2008 to 2021, Kruger National Park was the epicentre of rhino poaching in Africa, but data since 2022 suggests a shift in poaching to other parks and provinces in South Africa, particularly Hluluwe-iMfolozi National Park in KwaZulu-Natal, and to other countries in southern Africa, such as Namibia and Botswana. The disruption of criminal networks targeting Kruger (such as Valoi’s network) may have contributed to this geographic shift, although the decline in rhino numbers in Kruger also plays a role.

Despite these shifts, rhino poaching remains a serious problem. In 2023, 499 rhinos were poached in South Africa alone, an 11% increase over the previous two years. This continued poaching activity underscores the need for continued vigilance and adaptive strategies in the fight against these criminal networks.

Figure 1: Shift of the main poaching threat to rhinos in South Africa to KwaZulu-Natal province, based on data reported by DFFE.

Globally, reported rhino catches have declined significantly

Despite a slight upward trend in rhino poaching over the past three years, there has been a sharp decline in reported rhino horn seizures globally. Both the number and quantity of rhino horn seized have declined steadily since 2021, reaching almost zero levels compared to the global peak in 2019. The apparent lack of seizures compared to the continued large quantities of poached horn available for illegal trade raises many questions. It is a major intelligence gap and a worrying trend, which could suggest that more rhino horn shipments are being successfully shipped undetected, that seizures are being made but not reported publicly, or that stockpiles of rhino horn are being built up.

Figure 2: Globally reported seizures of rhino horn from 2012 to September 2024, based on data collection from open-source reports.

Continuing challenges: the role of corruption and emerging smuggling routes

Corruption continues to play a significant role in enabling the rhino horn trade. As highlighted in our 2022 Global Threat Assessment on Rhino Horn Trafficking (also known as the ‘Rhino Report’), corruption permeates every stage of the illegal wildlife trade, from poaching to transport and sale. To address this insidious problem, concerted international efforts and stronger regulatory frameworks are needed to remove the corrupt elements that facilitate wildlife crime.

Furthermore, the shift of criminal activity to new regions, such as the use of Angola as a gateway for the rhino horn and ivory trade to Asia, and the emergence of Portugal as a major transit country, poses new challenges. This shift in trafficking routes underscores the need for a coherent global response to prevent criminals from exploiting vulnerabilities in different countries.

Capacity building in Mozambique: a crucial frontline in the fight against wildlife crime

Mozambique plays a significant role in wildlife poaching and trafficking, particularly within the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area (GLTFCA), which covers parts of Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Criminal networks based in Mozambique are key players in the illegal trade, with the country being used as a major exit point for ivory and rhino horn destined for Asia.

The Wildlife Justice Commission recognises the urgent need to strengthen law enforcement capacities in Mozambique and has therefore been actively involved in capacity building initiatives. Over the past five years, we have forged a strong partnership with SERNIC, focused on disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal networks engaged in wildlife trafficking. Together, we have played a critical role in the fight against organised wildlife crime, with SERNIC demonstrating an unwavering commitment to tackling wildlife crime in general, and rhino horn trafficking in particular, in order to protect endangered species and conserve the region’s biodiversity.

With the support of the Svenska PostkodLotteriet Stiftelse (Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation), the Wildlife Justice Commission has been able to support SERNIC, particularly in maximizing the effectiveness of the Control Centre we helped establish. Their support has also enabled us to provide advanced training and mentoring to SERNIC staff at key locations.

In addition, supported by the UK government through the Illegal Wildlife Trade Challenge Fund, our work in Mozambique also included targeted training and mentoring in intelligence analysis and investigations. Through “Train the Trainer” programs and on-site mentoring, we have enabled SERNIC officers in multiple provinces, including Maputo, Sofala and Nampula, to take decisive action against wildlife crime.

These initiatives are part of a broader strategy to disrupt the criminal networks that exploit Mozambique as a major transit point. The convictions of Valoi, Zucula and Assuba are testament to the effectiveness of these collective efforts, and show that with strengthened law enforcement, community engagement and political will, significant blows can be struck against those who threaten the world’s wildlife.

Strengthening global cooperation to combat rhino horn trade

While progress has been made, the fight against rhino horn trafficking is far from over. The Wildlife Justice Commission remains committed to supporting global partners in their efforts to dismantle the criminal networks that threaten the survival of rhinos.

However, the ongoing threat of rhino poaching and trafficking requires a sustained and coordinated international response. One of the key recommendations of the Rhino Report was that the rhino horn trade must be tackled as a transnational organized crime. The illegal killing of rhinos and the trade in their horns is a global criminal enterprise, made up of multiple criminal components that are driven by greed and the pursuit of significant profits. By using intelligence-led investigations, closing intelligence gaps, and pushing governments to take decisive action, we can continue to make progress in protecting one of the world’s most iconic species.

Together we can ensure rhinos have a future in the wild, free from poaching and human trafficking.