Johannesburg – Africa’s iconic wildlife stands at a dangerous crossroads. The majestic elephants and rhinos, symbols of strength and beauty, now face an uncertain future.
In his new book, Conservation Challenge – The Case of Doomsday for Elephants and Rhinos, international award-winning environmental journalist Emmanuel Koro delivers a strong critique of global elephant and rhino conservation failures.
With thorough research and a proud African voice, Koro questions the long-standing systems that he believes have harmed wildlife and disempowered African governments and rural communities.
“The world is faced with an elephant and rhino conservation challenge that seems endless,” the book declares.
“It watches in dismay as poachers, habitat loss, human-wildlife conflict, and outdated international policies silently chip away at the fragile balance of nature.”
Through case studies, analysis, and direct critique, Koro identifies international ivory and rhino horn trade bans, enforced by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), as not only ineffective but detrimental to elephants and rhinos in particular.
He argues that these ivory and rhino horn trade prohibitions, imposed under pressure from Western governments and animal rights extremist NGOs, have “failed both elephants, rhinos and the African people.”
He believes African countries, especially in Southern Africa, have been denied the right to sustainably use and benefit from their ivory and rhino horn.
“There are no worse economic sanctions than the ongoing ivory and rhino horn trade sanctions which have been imposed on African countries for 36 and 50 years, respectively,” Koro writes.
He estimates that the continent is losing approximately US$1 billion annually, due to these prohibitions, funds that could have been used to strengthen elephant and rhino conservation.
Conservation Challenge offers practical, lawful and innovative trade options to raise the funds needed to tackle the elephant and rhino conservation challenges the world faces today.
Koro advocates for the legal and permanent trade in ivory and rhino horn, regulated under domestic and international frameworks to ensure transparency and sustainability.
“It has already been suggested by experts to pro-rhino horn trade Southern African wildlife authorities that: ‘If you can’t sell the rhino horn to Asian markets such as China, bring the market to Africa.’”
He highlights Article XIV of CITES as a little-known legal opportunity for trade, despite the ongoing international bans on ivory and rhino horn.
“The UN international wildlife trade regulating agency, CITES, under Article XIV allows legal domestic trade in wildlife, including rhinos and their horns, regardless of their endangered status. CITES doesn’t interfere with domestic trade.”
This, Koro suggests, gives African countries the legal space to design their own solutions.
One such proposal suggested by an expert named in the book is the establishment of rhino horn therapeutic spas in Southern Africa.
These spas would legally allow tourists to use rhino horn powder on African soil for whatever they believe it benefits.
This could bring significant tourism revenue while also helping to ease international restrictions on rhino horn trade.
“The book says the rhino horn therapeutic spas have great potential to bring a never-seen-before tourism boom.
“The large number of tourists coming to Southern Africa means good business for airlines, hotels, transport industries, restaurants, banks, bureaux de change, clothing stores, curio shops, and other related businesses.”
Another bold, legal, and practical option is the creation of a SADC Wildlife Exchange Market, modelled on the London Gold Market.
This would allow investors to purchase shares in ivory and rhino horn stockpiles without physically taking possession of them.
The book also explores underutilised provisions within CITES for non-commercial trade in endangered species products.
CITES Article VII and Resolution Conf. 11.15 (Rev. CoP18) permit non-commercial trade in Appendix I species products, such as ivory and rhino horn, for purposes like scientific research, education, medicine, and personal use, with strict permit requirements.
Koro argues that these legal routes could open up new, creative, and sustainable opportunities for African nations.
Despite having zero chances of CITES member countries’ two-thirds majority support for ivory and rhino horn trade this year, most SADC countries will predictably, again request CITES member states to support their rhino horn and ivory trade proposals at CITES CoP20 in Uzbekistan in November 2025 and in future conferences.
“Over the years, the percentage of votes against these proposals has been growing bigger and bigger,” Koro says.
“I predict that the Southern African countries are never going to attract enough votes for ivory and rhino horn trade within the CITES decision-making framework.
“The majority votes against, and abstentions for, the once-off international rhino horn and ivory trade now average above 84.25% and the trend is that opposition continues to grow.”
He urges pro-trade Southern African nations to accept the truth: the unpunished vote rigging within the CITES decision-making framework has made the trade bans on rhino horn and ivory effectively permanent. Legal alternatives are now essential.
Koro also critiques the once-off ivory sales of the past, approved by CITES, calling them “totally wasteful, literally dumping Africa’s white gold (ivory) into the Chinese and Japanese markets.”
According to Koro, these short-term sales generate little money and do not change the trajectory of elephant conservation.
He compares ivory to renewable resources like oil and gold, valuable commodities that can be legally traded under regulated systems for long-term benefit.
“In fact, once-off ivory trade suggests that Southern African countries go on elephant conservation holiday or break, until the next trade approval,” says Koro in the book.
“Yet, these countries need to generate through ivory trade, adequate, reliable elephant conservation income to ensure the protection of these majestic species daily.”
Beyond the ivory and horn trade, the book explores and dismisses as dangerous and counterproductive, controversial practices such as elephant contraception, artificial ivory, and the poisoning of rhino horn to deter poachers.
These subjects expand the conversation beyond economics into science, policy, and public ethics — offering a multidimensional perspective on the global elephant and rhino conservation challenge.
The book has received high-level endorsements.
In the foreword, Godfrey Harris of the Ivory Education Institute and a respected publisher of over 50 years calls it “a fresh look at how elephants and rhinos can best be conserved for future generations.”
Meanwhile, former CITES Secretary-General (1982–1990) and President of the Switzerland-based IWMC–World Conservation Trust, Eugène Lapointe, commends Koro’s “credibility and depth of insight, particularly regarding the inner workings of CITES and other global bodies”.
What makes Koro’s work stand out is his refusal to echo anti-ivory and rhino horn narratives.
He argues that elephants and rhinos will only be truly protected when Africans are empowered to permanently and legally trade in their ivory and horn.
“Either we pursue a path rooted in African sovereignty, legal trade and community-led stewardship, or we continue down a road paved with idealism and hypocrisy, where beautiful words hide broken ecosystems and dying species.”
Conservation Challenge – The Case of Doomsday for Elephants and Rhinos is not just another book about endangered species.
It is a call to action, a rallying cry for a new era of conservation led by those closest to the elephants, rhinos, the land, and the conservation challenge.
It calls on the world to move away from the ivory and rhino horn trade bans and instead work together in practical partnership and finally trust Africa to take the lead in elephant and rhino conservation.
However, in a strategic decision, Koro chose not to reveal the contents of Chapter 3, titled “True Colours of SADC Wildlife Authorities”, and Chapter 7, titled “Stop Telling Ivory, Rhino Horn Trade Ban Victim Stories”, to the media.
“These are a special treat for the book readers,” he said.
*The book is available at bookstores. The book can also be ordered by contacting: conservationchallenge@yahoo.com
