Rhinoceros Horns in Trade on the Myanmar–China Border

Rhinoceros horns in trade on the Myanmar–China border

C HRIS R. SHEPHERD,THOMAS N.E. GRAY and V INCENT N IJMAN

Abstract The illegal trade in rhinoceros horn, driven largely from a mean of  per year during – to , in by the demand from East and South-east Asia, is a major  (Anonymous, ). This has affected the viability of impediment to the conservation of rhinoceroses globally. populations and undermined decades of concerted, and suc- We surveyed the town of Mong La, in eastern Myanmar cessful, conservation action that had led to population re- on the border with China, for the presence of rhinoceros covery of both black and white rhinoceroses since the mid horn. No rhinoceros horn was observed in  or , th century (Milliken, ; Van Noorden, ). and other African wildlife was rare or absent. During visits Rhinoceros poaching in Africa is a direct result of in- in  and  we observed two horns, presumed to be of creasing demand in South-east and East Asian countries the white rhinoceros Ceratotherium simum, and one horn where cultural, historical, medicinal and more modern be- tip, small discs from the horn core, horn powder and horn liefs render rhinoceros horn a luxury good, an investment bangles. Shops selling rhinoceros horn all specialized in opportunity and a status symbol (Milliken & Shaw, ; high-end and high-value wildlife, mostly for decorative pur- Gao et al., ). Three decades of unprecedented social, poses, including whole elephant tusks, carved elephant political and economic transformation have generated im- ivory, carved hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius ca- portant opportunities for improvements in quality of life nines, and tiger Panthera tigris skins. Organized criminal and increased purchasing power across the majority of syndicates are involved in the wildlife trade between Asian economies. However, this has also given rise to trends Myanmar and Africa, possibly via China. Mong La’s geo- such as the conspicuous consumption and individual own- graphical position on the border with China, limited control ership of unique, precious and rare wildlife products, and by the central Myanmar Government, and the presence of created unsustainable demand for illegal wildlife products. the Chinese entertainment industry provide ideal condi- We provide data on the availability and price of rhi- tions for a global wildlife trade hub catering for the noceros horn in Mong La, an open wildlife market in Chinese market. Solutions require more intense collabor- Myanmar, on the border with China, based on surveys con- ation between the Myanmar and Chinese authorities to ducted during –, showing an increase in the avail- curb the trade in African rhinoceros horn in this part of ability of rhinoceros horn and demonstrating demand, and Asia. high prices, predominantly from Chinese consumers. We visited Mong La on five occasions (February , Keywords Ceratotherium simum, CITES, conservation, February , January , and February and March horn, illegal wildlife trade, Mong La, white rhinoceros ), during which we conducted surveys of the town’s he dramatic acceleration in levels of poaching of ele- open wildlife market and its wildlife shops. Apart from  Tphants Loxodonta africana and rhinoceroses in south- the survey in March , when time constraints prevented ern and eastern Africa has been identified as one of the most us from visiting all wildlife shops, all outlets selling wildlife important challenges facing biodiversity conservation were surveyed and any rhinoceros horn on display was (Wasser et al., ; Milliken & Shaw, ; Underwood noted; the trade in wildlife in Mong La is open and few, if et al., ). Rates of poaching of the white rhinoceros any, of the products are hidden from view, and this open-  Ceratotherium simum, and to a lesser extent the black rhi- ness has not changed in the years we have visited this noceros Diceros bicornis, in South Africa have increased market. The open market offers a variety of mostly local species for sale, including the Bengal slow loris Nycticebus bengalensis, the red muntjac Muntiacus muntjak, the Eurasian wild pig – CHRIS R. SHEPHERD (Corresponding author) TRAFFIC Southeast Asia, Petaling Sus scrofa and many more, whereas the shops specialize in Jaya, Malaysia. E-mail [email protected] luxury items such as trophies, carnivore skins and elephant THOMAS N.E. GRAY* WWF–Greater Mekong Programme, Phnom Penh, Cambodia ivory. Although the trade is open, especially in the high-end shops, with a variety of protected species on display, traders VINCENT NIJMAN Oxford Wildlife Trade Research Group, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK were wary when dealing with luxury wares and it was challen- *Currently at: Wildlife Alliance, Phnom Penh, Cambodia ging to obtain detailed information on aspects of the rhi- Received  July . Revision requested  September . noceros horn trade other than the presence or absence of Accepted  December . First published online  March . horns.

Oryx, 2018, 52(2), 393–395 © 2017 Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S003060531600168X Downloaded from https://www.cambridge.org/core. IP address: 170.106.202.226, on 28 Sep 2021 at 19:32:34, subject to the Cambridge Core terms of use, available at https://www.cambridge.org/core/terms. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003060531600168X 394 C. R. Shepherd et al.

During the first two visits few, if any, wildlife parts and – follows, but with an apparent slight delay, the in- derivatives from Africa were observed (Shepherd & Nijman, crease in availability of ivory and elephant parts in Mong La, ). During the third survey large volumes of ivory, pur- the former probably originating mainly from Africa portedly including African ivory (Nijman & Shepherd, (Nijman & Shepherd, ). Although it is difficult to obtain ), and a single rhinoceros horn were observed. Based evidence from market observations alone, the availability of on the approximately square-shaped base of the large the parts of several high-value species (rhinoceros, hippo- horn, we identified it as that of a white rhinoceros. In potamus, elephant) in the same shops, all originating from February  we observed rhinoceros products displayed the same region (i.e. sub-Saharan Africa), suggests these openly in three shops. Rhinoceros horn was available in parts have been brought in along the same routes and pos- four forms: as raw horn tip (one observed, priced at CNY sibly by the same syndicates. , (USD ,), tentatively identified as that of a It is likely that the volume of rhinoceros horn currently white rhinoceros), in small c.  g discs originating from available in Mong La is significantly higher than we observed the horn core (– observed, priced at CNY , or during the  surveys. The observation of rhinoceros horn USD  per g), as powder claimed to be rhinoceros horn jewellery, in the form of bangles, may indicate speculative de- (species undetermined;  small container), and in the form mand, with rhinoceros horn products being regarded as a of bangles of c.  cm diameter (– observed). In March high-yielding investment product, as has been suggested for  a fourth shop displayed a single horn of a white ivory (Gao & Clark, ). Crookes & Blignaut ()reported rhinoceros openly on the counter. the  wholesale price of rhinoceros horn in South Africa The shops where the rhinoceros horn products were ob- was USD , per kg. Our quoted prices are equivalent to served all specialized in high-end and high-value wildlife, USD , per kg, when traded in small quantities, and the mostly for decorative purposes. Items on offer included displayed price for the raw horn tip was . USD ,.Given whole elephant tusks, carved elephant ivory, carved common the open nature of the trade, and that this information was hippopotamus Hippopotamus amphibius canines, Tibetan obtained by our local guide through conversations with ven- antelope Pantholops hodgsonii heads, tiger Panthera tigris dors, we do not believe these prices are significantly inflated, and leopard Panthera pardus skins, and helmeted hornbill but are indicative of the increasingly large amounts some peo- Rhinoplax vigil casques. pleinAsiaarewillingtopayforrhinoceroshorn. Mong La’s geographical location on the border with Both China and Myanmar are signatories to the China, limited control by the central Myanmar Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Government, and the presence of the Chinese entertainment of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), making any cross-border industry provide ideal conditions for the town to have devel- trade in rhinoceros horn illegal, as all five extant rhinoceros oped as a global wildlife trade hub catering for the Chinese species are listed in Appendix I of CITES (). The open market (Nijman & Shepherd, ;Nijmanetal.,). All display of the horns in Mong La illustrates the lack of con- clientele in the markets were Chinese, the currency used cern for national laws prohibiting the trade. With no was the Yuan Renminbi (CNY), and the language of daily Myanmar Government presence currently in Mong La, in use in Mong La is Chinese. It is reasonable to assume the pro- our view it is imperative that the Government of China in- ducts for sale in Mong La are intended primarily to meet the tensifies its scrutiny and enforcement efforts at the Mong demand in China. There is an increasing focus on Vietnam as La–Daluo border crossing, making it a non-viable option a major destination for rhinoceros horn (Milliken & Shaw, for smugglers. In recent years two of the organizations we ); however, our findings indicate demand from Chinese work for, TRAFFIC and WWF, have engaged with both consumers. The species on offer, including high-value species the Myanmar and Chinese governments regarding the not native to Myanmar and several African species, suggest trade in wildlife on the Mong La–Dalou border, as well as that organized criminal syndicates are involved in the wildlife with the CITES Secretariat. TRAFFIC continues to monitor trade between Myanmar and Africa, sometimes via China trade in key areas, such as Mong La, to influence and inform (traders mentioned the African products were coming in other conservation organizations, media and governments via China, presumably as it would be riskier to sell these to take appropriate actions. TRAFFIC’s information is also openly in China itself). Increasingly it becomes clear from used to guide capacity building and training efforts for en- field observations, market surveys and analysis of seizure forcement agencies, and to support enforcement actions. data and prosecutions that poaching operations involving WWF–Greater Mekong opened an office in Myanmar in rhinoceros horn, and the subsequent smuggling of rhinoceros  and has engaged with the central government regarding horn, have become more sophisticated, better planned and the seriousness of wildlife trafficking in Mong La and its links professionally executed (Warchol, ;Milledge,; with international criminal syndicates. As Myanmar’s Special Wright, ; Ayling, ; Wyatt, ). Regions become more integrated with Union government as The observed increase in availability of rhinoceros horn part of the ongoing peace process, we anticipate opportunities in Mong La on the Myanmar–China border during for increasing law enforcement effectiveness in Myanmar.

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