The Art Of Conservation Simon Borchert & Shannon Elizabeth

We recap the vicuna vs rhino horn trade debate from episode 6.
National Geographic cut all staff writers – and no-one is happy about it.
Rhino stockpiles were raided in South Africa. Can't say we didn't see this coming... And again it's an inside job. 
New York DEC puts confiscated ivory on display, but is it a good idea?
Conservation struggles in UK and Scotland, illustrating again that the challenge is indeed global.
GEF launches new fund that raises hope, but will the funds get to those who need it most?

The trade in the South American vicūna is often used as an example of how lifting trade bans can help people and animals alike, but is it a fair comparison for the rhino horn trade debate? Namibia is planning a mass dehorning. Is the government of that country bolstering rhino horn stockpiles ahead of their next effort to open trade? A recent study answers the question of what impact does dehorning have on rhino behavior.  Rhino poaching gang sentenced to terms ranging from 16-20 years.  Two documentaries to watch out for: Rhinoman follows the story of what it is like to be a ranger on the front lines, and Blood Lions is now broadly available. Watch them! A report on convergence intelligence from Earth League International makes for good reading. Homeland Security in the USA launches dedicated unit to combats the illegal wildlife trade.

Poaching kingpin arrested.
A recent report highlights the dynamic nature of global rhino horn seizures, with interesting results. With COVID having little impact on the size and frequency of seizures, we ask, yet again, why are we not inspecting and accounting for stockpiled rhino horn?
Poached rhino horn transport is changing. Transit routes are evolving but what is influencing this?
Yet another article about the claimed values of trophy hunting ignores the consistent fight to deregulate these industries, rather than supporting regulations that would hold the industry accountable and measurable in their social and environmental claims.
More than half of the world’s rhinos are now in private hands. But could this finally expedite much needed integration of interdisciplinary business models and break the monotony of current conservation arguments in generating desperately needed conservation revenues? We hope so.
And… ever wondered about a rhino’s fart…? Wonder no more…

A break through in the rhino poaching crisis with an arrest in South Africa’s eastern cape province. What will it mean to poaching activity in the area?
Do new game fences work to slow poaching? We question the recent investments in new security fences to protect rhino. 
A recent and seemingly bizarre series of events has seen a dramatic intervention with the new proposed changes to TOPS (Threatened Or Protected Species) regulations. What actually happened and what does it mean for conservation efforts in Southern Africa?
Is it right for the state to financially support captive lion breeders as they close their businesses? We debate the recent move to incentivise lion breeders to down tools.
South African hunting stats are in. We discuss what was killed, who killed it, and how much they paid to do so.
UK adds ivory from walrus, hippo, killer whales, narwhals, and sperm whales to the list of banned ivory.
And finally, the business that promised to bring back the woolly mammoth from extinction gains further momentum and investment. But should we really be bringing them back? 

Episode 2 of this season attracted a lot of interest and comment, we answer your questions in this episode:
The Platinum Rhino auction fails to solicit a successful bidder – what’s next for Hume and his rhino? We give the updates.
Rhino Horn trade is unlikely, but the current revenue models are also flawed – what are the challenges in innovating a new approach where renewables, carbon markets, ESG investments and the like are combined? 
Why is trade so challenging, surely we can flood the market? We discuss the challenges in opening the rhino horn trade and why we should be skeptical of trade while there are so many unanswered questions. 
How much does it cost to implement and run an anti-poaching unit? Are we over-investing in the militarization of conservation? We discuss the different approaches and the costs experienced in creating, implementing, and operating an APU.

With the world’s largest rhino breeding facility up for auction, the team discusses the potential outfall of this huge event.
Love him or hate him, John Hume plays an important role in rhino conservation. His often brash commitment to opening rhino horn trade has no doubt contributed to the divisiveness in rhino conservation., but one thing that cannot be denied is  his success in breeding rhino on an enormous scale. With public opinion divided as ever, it is important to understand how we got to this position, why the prior attempts at soliciting investment failed, and what we should learn from this watershed moment in rhino conservation.
It is a big topic and we welcome comment and questions to broaden the discussion. Send your questions or comments to info@artofconservation.com or on social media.