Podcast Summary: The Origins Foundation Podcast
Episode 605: Wicus Diedericks || Rhino Horn Trade Back On After 50 Years?
Date: November 5, 2025
Guests: Wicus Diedericks (Owner, Rockwood Conservation)
Host: The Origins Foundation
Main Theme & Purpose
This episode unpacks the repercussions of a groundbreaking South African court ruling that could re-open the international trade of rhino horn from conservation-bred rhinos for the first time in nearly 50 years. Wicus Diedericks—owner of Rockwood Conservation—joins to explain what the decision means, why he pursued the legal challenge, and how it could make rhino conservation sustainable amid escalating threats and funding issues. The conversation also explores the complex regulatory landscape, public misconceptions, the economics and ethics of horn trade, and the urgent stakes for rhino populations.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Stage: The Court Ruling
- [00:00–03:47]
- On Friday, a court ruled that CITES exemptions for conservation-bred rhinos are part of South African law.
- This compels officials to issue export permits for rhino horn from such facilities—potentially opening legal trade pathways, particularly to Asian markets.
- With the next CITES conference imminent, the decision has major conservation and policy implications.
2. Background & Rockwood Conservation's Journey
- [04:12–07:24]
- Rockwood covers 33,000 acres in South Africa's Northern Cape, home to over 430 white rhinos.
- The majority of South Africa’s rhinos are now on private reserves, which receive no government funding, unlike state parks.
- Diedericks started with cattle farming, converted the land to conservation use, and began acquiring rhinos through state auctions as populations declined elsewhere.
3. Challenges in Rhino Protection & Economics
-
[10:37–19:59]
- Experiences first poaching in 2015, prompting intensive protection zones and ongoing security escalation.
- Rhino prices crashed due to poaching risk—making rhinos economically unviable and pushing many owners out.
- The only viable financial model Diedericks saw was ethically harvesting and selling horn.
Notable Quote
"To safeguard a place like Kruger is almost impossible... That's just why it's so important that private reserves get a way to fund rhino conservation."
—Wicus Diedericks [06:38]
4. Legal & Regulatory Landscape: CITES, Permits, and Exemptions
-
[20:17–37:00]
- CITES governs international species trade; rhinos are highly regulated under Appendices I & II.
- Historically, horn trade effectively banned due to strict Appendix I controls.
- Diedericks sought a "Code C" exemption, allowed under Article 7 for conservation breeding, but the South African government refused export permits.
- Legal challenge argued the exemption was part of domestic law and should be recognized.
Notable Quote
"That exemption is widely used... millions of specimens are exported between countries under Code C every year... But for some reason, government wouldn't allow us to use it for rhinos."
—Wicus Diedericks [26:09] -
The court’s Friday decision confirms the exemption applies, requires immediate permit processing, and removes the need for import permits or non-detriment findings (NDFs).
5. Implications for the Rhino Trade & Conservation
-
[39:12–50:22]
- Horns are humanely and regularly trimmed, like nails, for safety and anti-poaching reasons.
- Stockpiled horn could be exported legally if paperwork is approved.
- Traceability is ensured by DNA certificates and the RHoDIS system—countering fears of laundering illegal horn.
- Legal trade would reduce incentives for poaching by lowering black market prices and providing conservation funding.
Notable Quote
"We're not saying it's a free for all now. We want that traceability, we want to have better enforcement."
—Wicus Diedericks [48:05]
6. Addressing Critics & Ethical Concerns
- Critics argue legal trade could mask illegal poaching. Diedericks rebuts by citing robust DNA traceability and strict legal frameworks.
- The proceeds must—according to court ruling—go directly back into conservation, not private profit.
7. The Conservation Funding Model
-
[55:14–59:47]
- Illegal trade in rhino horn is valued at over $100 million/year and traditional nonprofit fundraising models have not stemmed poaching.
- "Rhino horn is the most expensive renewable resource in this world," and, under the new model, its value would fund its own protection.
Notable Quote
"The money that we get can only be used for conservation purposes... the income that we get from rhino horn must go directly back into conservation."
—Wicus Diedericks [58:59]
Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes
-
Snakes and Ladders Analogy:
"It's like snakes and ladders. You guys are climbing the ladder and then somebody does something stupid and you just slide down."
—Wicus Diedericks [02:13] -
On Poaching’s Economic Impact:
"Your whole investment is at risk if somebody comes and kills it... People just got rid of their rhino."
—Wicus Diedericks [15:09] -
On Legal Frameworks and Trade:
"So the word ban doesn't exist in CITES... There's just certain strict rules."
—Wicus Diedericks [35:03] -
On Sustainable Resource Use:
"Rhino horn is the most expensive renewable resource in this world."
—Host [57:14] -
On Conservation Performance:
"If you look at where we are today with rhinos, have they done better or worse as a result of restrictions put in place by CITES?... They are not doing better."
—Host [53:53]
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00–03:47 – Introduction & news of the court decision
- 04:12–07:24 – Wicus Diedericks' background & private conservation challenges
- 10:37–19:59 – The economics and security of rhino protection
- 20:17–37:00 – Breakdown of CITES, legal loopholes, and court battle
- 39:12–50:22 – Rhino horn harvesting, tracing, and potential global trade resumption
- 55:14–59:47 – Financial models for rhino conservation, criticism of the status quo, and conservation funding future
Conclusion
The episode provides a wide-angle, impassioned, and technical look at the intersection of law, conservation, economics, and ethics in rhino protection. Wicus Diedericks argues that only by harnessing the remarkable economic value of rhino horn—responsibly and accountably—can the species stand a realistic chance of surviving the pressures of poaching and underfunding. The court's decision is framed not as the end, but as a pivotal new chapter in the future of sustainable wildlife management in Africa.
For listeners seeking a nuanced understanding of conservation politics, economic drivers, and legal mechanisms—the episode is essential and expertly demystifies a major conservation controversy.