When researching the illegal wildlife trade, very often some tentacles lead back to South Africa. Not only when it comes to rhino horn, abalone and lion bone but in this case to one of South Africa’s biggest company: Naspers, a major shareholder in Tencent, who in turn owns WeChat, a Chinese multi-purpose messaging, social mediaContinue reading “The African Ranger Awards and the Demand Side of the Coin”
Category Archives: Rhino Horn
Heath to Wealth
On the Trail of Asia’s Shifting Rhino Horn Market By Karl Ammann, Published in the Wildlife Ranching magazine, November-December 2018 As long as consumers want rhino horn, South Africa will lose its rhinos to the slow, agonising blows of the poacher’s machete. In this extensive investigation, undercover Swiss filmmaker Karl Ammann finds that blackmarket sentimentsContinue reading “Heath to Wealth”
Of Tiger and Lion Bones, and the Legalizing of the Rhino Horn Trade
Value additions to lion bones sold into the Traditional Chinese Medicine Market: Trophy hunter in SA books a lion ‘hunt’ of a captive born cat for approximately U$8000-25000 (the cost of hunting a female is a fraction of the cost of hunting a male). The taxidermist, in collaboration with the hunting company arranges for theContinue reading “Of Tiger and Lion Bones, and the Legalizing of the Rhino Horn Trade”
On the trail of Asia’s shifting rhino-horn market
By Karl Ammann • Published in the Daily Maverick on May 11, 2018 As long as consumers want rhino horn, South Africa will lose its rhinos to the slow, agonising blows of the poacher’s hacksaw. In this extensive investigation, undercover Swiss filmmaker Karl Ammann finds that black market sentiments have shifted from health to wealthContinue reading “On the trail of Asia’s shifting rhino-horn market”
The Real Ivory Game
Published in SWARA Magazine – April – June 2018 China’s new domestic ban on the ivory trade presents all the makings of excellent global public relations, but it could do more harm than good without effective enforcement. At the end of 2017, China declared that it had closed down the domestic trade in ivory. Conservation-establishmentContinue reading “The Real Ivory Game”
From Health to Wealth – Understanding the trade in rhino horn in the age of affluence
Felix Patton and Karl Ammann – Published in Pachyderm No. 57 July 2015–June 2016 If demand reduction strategies are going to be effective, it is essential that the understanding of the usage of rhino horn and rhino horn products is accurate. Judging by what is being published in the media–in print and online–this is notContinue reading “From Health to Wealth – Understanding the trade in rhino horn in the age of affluence”
China, Ivory and Wishful thinking…
In early December 2015, a press release by Sam Smith (Wild Aid campaigns push price of Ivory into the ‘free-fall’ zone) documenting the decline in price of illegal raw ivory in China, was picked up by a wide range of media outlets. The Secretary General of CITES, John Scanlon, commented that the bottom had droppedContinue reading “China, Ivory and Wishful thinking…”
Wishful thinking and Rhino Conservation
Finally some good news in the context of rhino poaching: A press release circulated on Oct. 20th 2014 tells the concerned public that: INTEREST IN RHINO HORN DROPS IN VIETNAM. The story goes on to describe how a survey was conducted amongst 1000 rhino horn consumers, firstly in 2013 and repeated in 2014 by visiting the same respondents.Continue reading “Wishful thinking and Rhino Conservation”
The Rhino and the Bling
So your latest model Ferrari is parked in a prominent spot outside the top five-star hotel in the capital. You are meeting friends for a drink and since it is pleasantly warm you wear a short sleeve shirt so there is no way they can miss the golden Rolex on your left wrist – theyContinue reading “The Rhino and the Bling”
Tiger cake and rhino horn – a walk on the Asian wild side
By Karl Ammann – Published in SWARA, Issue of July-September 2012 Two years ago I was filming in a new casino town on the Laos/China border. These new enclaves are built on leased territory, like Macau, and all laws go out the window. Gambling, prostitution, drugs and illegal wildlife consumption become the main economic activitiesContinue reading “Tiger cake and rhino horn – a walk on the Asian wild side”
The world of Karl Ammann 