Disinvestment in Rhino in South Africa (7-minute Video)

Pelham Jones, chairman of the Private Rhino Owners Association of South Africa, highlights the importance of the private sector in rhino conservation. In 2014, the private owners owned only about 25% of South Africa’s rhinos; today, they own around 50%.

But there is a problem; the economics of rhino conservation no longer makes any sense. Pelham Jones also discusses the mechanisms by which rural African communities in South Africa could benefit from rhino conservation.

By emulating the Namibian “Custodian Program,” communal game reserves with a core population of white rhinos could be established.

Once the number of rhinos on a reserve reached a certain point, some of the animals could be removed to populate another reserve.

However, the project would only work if the trade in rhino horn was legalized.