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US Tycoon Fights For White Rhino Trophy

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:00:00 GMT

One of the richest men in America is embroiled in a heated legal battle with South African wildlife officials to recover the trophy head of a white rhino bull.

The twist to the story is that the rhino at the centre of the row appears to be alive and healthy in Mkhuze game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal after surviving a hunting attempt more than three months ago by Texas property tycoon H Ross Perot jr, son of H Ross Perot, 79, former US presidential candidate who stood against George Bush (sr) and Bill Clinton in the 1992 presidential elections.

The animal was apparently shot and wounded by Perot jr in late July, but the bull ran off and wildlife officials have been unable to find any sign of a carcass or a wounded animal - indicating that it suffered a flesh wound or was not seriously injured.

professional hunter acting for Perot then engaged lawyers to allow a "follow-up" operation and it was agreed that Perot could have the animal's head if it was tracked down during a hunting operation scheduled to start this weekend.

But in a dramatic about-turn last night, conservation authorities pulled the plug on the second hunt and declared that Perot was no longer entitled to his trophy horns in any circumstances.

The initial decision to allow Perot's agents to have a "second bite at the cherry" drew strong opposition after it emerged that the animal would be shot by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife if there was a visible bullet wound from Perot's large-calibre hunting rifle.

Despite initial opposition, Ezemvelo later agreed that the trophy head and skin would become the property of Perot and could be shipped back to Texas. But last-minute discussions were held last night between Ezemvelo chief executive Bandile Mkhize and Andrew Zaloumis, chief executive of the IsiMangaliso Wetland Park world heritage site.

Shortly before The Mercury was about to publish the story, Mkhize and Zaloumis announced that there would be no second hunt and if Ezemvelo were to track down the animal and find that it was suffering they would put it out of its misery - but Perot no longer had any claim to its head.

Garry Kelly, the South African professional hunter who was sub-contracted to accompany Perot on the first hunt, had insisted that the primary purpose of the follow-up operation at Mkhuze was to ensure the wounded animal was tracked down and destroyed to spare it further pain and suffering.

Other sources felt the decision to allow a follow-up was "morally absurd" and merely a pretext to obtain the animal's head. They said the animal had suffered a flesh wound and was unlikely to bear any remaining visible wounds.

Kelly said the fate of the trophy head was irrelevant to him and he was simply completing his professional duty to follow the hunt to its conclusion. However, his attorney has stated that the current health status of the animal became immaterial to the trophy contract the moment it was struck by a bullet.

"The American client of my client (Kelly) has paid a vast sum of money, so there is an issue of getting the trophy... the legal issue is that there is a contract which says they are entitled and obliged to do what they are doing. The (American) client says he can't come back (to South Africa) and feels: 'I've paid for it and I want it (the trophy).'"

The Mercury has established from correspondence that Perot jr, 47, was accompanied on the recent African safari by one of his sons, Hill Perot, 27.

While Perot jr apparently bungled his shot in the controlled hunting zone of the Mkhuze reserve, Hill Perot is understood to have succeeded in bagging his own rhino trophy.

Judging from pictures posted on his "Facebook" and "MySpace" online networking sites, Hill Perrot already has an extensive trophy collection.

Neither Kelly nor his Pietermaritzburg attorney, Pat Dewes, would confirm the identity of their American client, but a spokesman for Perot confirmed his involvement through an e-mail message which referred all queries to Kelly.

Dewes said the American client (Perot) was "not a novice" and was required by the Ezemvelo hunting contract to undergo a marksmanship proficiency test before he was allowed to proceed with the hunt.

A flurry of legal letters was exchanged between Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and Kelly, reportedly with the support of Perot jr.

He insisted on an opportunity to do a follow-up hunt for the injured animal. But Ezemvelo CEO Bandile Mkhize declined this request on the basis that hunting rules and codes of conduct did not permit this. If an animal was wounded and could not be recovered it was considered forfeit. Mkhize also expressed concern about the difficulty of tracking and identifying the bull.

Last month, however, Ezemvelo acceded to Kelly's requests and allowed him permission for "one final search".

In a subsequent letter, Mkhize made it clear that the rhino could be shot only if the animal was identified according to agreed criteria and "if there is any doubt the animal will not be shot".

It made no mention, however, of the current health status of the animal being a factor in the decision to hunt it a second time.

Kelly's attorney has taken the view that if the animal was identified and shot by Ezemvelo officials his clients were automatically entitled to possession of the trophy head and skin.

Perot jr is listed on the Forbes list of America's richest people, although he is not quite as rich as his more famous father. Perot jr's wealth fell from $2,2bn to $1,25bn in the most recent Forbes list.

It is not known how much Perot jr paid for the hunt, but sources suggest a single rhino trophy hunting package would cost in the region of R500 000.

While the issue of rhino hunting remains contentious, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife offers at least two hunts in the Mkhuze reserve every year on a tender basis, and an average of 30 white rhinos are also auctioned annually to private buyers, including hunters.

Several conservation authorities have acknowledged the role of hunting and private ownership in boosting the species' recovery. But now the failed hunting attempt by Perot jr has raised fresh concerns around the issue of rhino hunting.

News items on this page are from external sources and the International Rhino Foundation cannot be held responsible for the authenticity of their content, nor for the continuing presence of original links.

6-Nov-09 2:00 PM

Zoo Hoping Rhino's 2nd Pregnancy Will Succeed

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 GMT

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Zoo is hoping a rhino's second pregancy will result in what officials say would be the world's first live birth of an Indian rhinoceros conceived through artificial insemination.

Zoo officials also say a successful delivery for 18-year-old Nikki would result in the first such calf produced using frozen and thawed sperm.

The nearly 2-ton rhino gave birth to a stillborn calf in 2008. The new delivery is expected in October 2010.

Nikki is on loan from the Toronto Zoo and is 133 days into a 480-day gestation period. The sperm came from a 38-year-old Indian rhino at the Bronx Zoo.

Male Indian rhinos have been known to injure females in natural breeding. The Indian rhino is ranked vulnerable on a threatened species list.

5-Nov-09 2:00 PM

Rhino Expecting Again

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 GMT

A Cincinnati Zoo rhinoceros whose groundbreaking pregnancy resulted in a stillborn calf in 2008 is expecting again.

If all goes well, next October the zoo will celebrate the world's first live birth of an Indian rhino conceived by artificial insemination. It would also be the first such calf produced using frozen and thawed sperm.

Nikki, an 18-year-old, 3,950-pound rhino on indefinite loan from the Toronto Zoo, is 133 days into a 480-day gestation period.

"It looks great. We have high hopes," said Monica Stoops, reproductive physiologist for the zoo's Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife, or CREW. She's the scientist who developed the techniques that made such a pregnancy possible.

Vinu, a 38-year-old Indian rhino at the Bronx Zoo, is the father. His sperm was collected in 2005 and stored for four years at 320 degrees below zero in CREW's CryoBioBank. The sperm was thawed for the artificial insemination procedure in June.

Stoops was confident the procedure would work because it had been successful before, in 2006. That time, Nikki experienced a normal pregnancy, but 492 days into it, on Jan. 5, 2008, she delivered a stillborn female calf.

"We knew there was a large chance that could happen because she was an older female having a baby for the first time," Stoops said. "As we've seen with all the stud book records we go through, all the females that have had stillborns with their first calf go on to have successful second births. That makes us feel really good."

Ideally, Stoops said, the zoo would breed the animals naturally. But male Asian rhinos - which include Sumatran and Indian rhinos - are extremely aggressive and are known to injure the females.

There are 60 Indian rhinos in captivity in North America, the zoo said. Cincinnati has no males and one other female, but "she has not been able to carry a calf," Stoops said. That female is expected to be replaced by another female from the Wilds, a wildlife conservation preserve in southeastern Ohio.

Successful breeding is important in maintaining the genetic diversity necessary to keep the population healthy.

The Indian rhino is one of five rhino species. It is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of threatened species.

The species nearly became extinct in the early 1900s due to loss of habitat and hunting. Thanks to conservation efforts, the population has grown and in May 2007 was estimated at 2,575, the IUCN says.

5-Nov-09 9:00 AM

Up to 70 Rhinos to Charge on to Streets of Cheshire West from Next Week

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 GMT

UP to 70 decorated rhino sculptures will stampede onto the streets of Chester next summer capturing the imagination of tourists and residents alike.

Rhino Mania, to be launched next week, follows in the footsteps of Liverpool’s successful Superlambanana public art festival and Manchester’s Cow Parade.

Organised by Chester Renaissance and Wild in Art, the 10 week happening, from early July to mid September 2010, will lead to the appearance of scores of 5ft by 6ft rhino sculptures created by local artists.

It will provide a trail through the city, from the river to the business park, out to the zoo – which has endangered black and one horned rhinos – and through Chester’s neighbourhoods, encouraging visitors to join the charge.

Organisers say the trail will attract thousands of people and encourage residents to be “visitors in their own city” – highlighting gems of the city, perhaps unseen by visitors and residents, as well as areas of development and regeneration.

5-Nov-09 8:00 AM

Quarter of Zimbabwe's Rhinos Killed by Poachers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:00 GMT

HARARE (Reuters) - Zimbabwe has lost about 200 rhinoceroses -- a quarter of its total population -- to rampant poaching over the last three years as security and the economy deteriorated, state media reported on Tuesday.

The southern African country has been badly damaged by an economic crisis, which critics blame on President Robert Mugabe's seizure of white-owned farms, including wildlife farms, to resettle landless blacks.

The director of the National Parks and Wildlife Authority, Morris Mutsambiwa, told a parliamentary committee that 86 poachers linked to international smuggling syndicates had been arrested this year alone.

"We have lost close to 200 rhinos in the last two to three years," Mutsambiwa was quoted saying by the Herald newspaper.

"From the intelligence we are gathering, we strongly believe that there are syndicates which operate in the region, involving locals."

Estimates put Zimbabwe's black and white rhino population at about 500 and 300, respectively.

Mutsambiwa said poachers were mainly targeting the low-lying south-eastern part of Zimbabwe and the Zambezi valley to the north. Asia seemed to be the main destination for the illicit rhino horns.

Mutsambiwa said the wildlife authority was unable to provide adequate security, hence the rise in poaching cases.

"We haven't been able to generate enough revenue for rhino protection. KwaZulu-Natal (in South Africa) spends $3,000 per square metre, while we spend less than $10," he said.

3-Nov-09 10:00 AM

Pittsburgh Zoo Hopes Rhino Match Produces a Spark

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT

Pittsburgh Zoo visitors could see some hot and very heavy action in coming days as black rhinoceroses Azzizi and Jomo meet and mate for the first time.

The courtship and coupling of the two-ton animals, if it occurs, has the potential to be violent, loud, lengthy and Earth-moving in a most literal sense, said Dr. Barbara Baker, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium president and chief executive officer.

"The courtship is usually very entertaining. It can be aggressive, loud and vocal with head-butting and hitting and nipping," Dr. Baker said at a news conference yesterday outside the one-acre rhino yard where the mating will take place. "He chases her. She chases him. They make a lot of noise.

"We just want to alert zoo visitors and make sure they know it's OK."

Azzizi, a 10-year-old female born at the Cleveland Zoo, and 14-year-old Jomo, who was born at the San Diego Zoo and came to Pittsburgh when he was a year old, are housed in adjacent stalls in the zoo's rhino barn but have never been together outside in the public yard. Rhinos in the wild are solitary animals except during mating season.

Dr. Baker said that when Azzizi, begins her next breeding cycle next week, they will meet for the first time outside and nature will be allowed to take its thunderous course.

The last black rhino birth in Pittsburgh was 30 years ago. If Azzizi and Jomo mate, a new rhino calf would be born in 15 to 16 months, possibly in January 2011. Rhino calves weigh between 70 and 100 pounds at birth. Adult black rhinos, which are actually gray, weight between 1,700 and 3,000 pounds.

Zoo officials and keepers have done everything possible short of Sinatra and chardonnay to make sure the tryst comes off without a hitch. They conducted blood tests that showed Azzizi is cycling regularly and had rhino experts from Berlin, Germany, do ultrasound testing to determine she is able to reproduce.

Because the mating can be rough, zoo keepers have begun giving Azzizi vitamin E shots to help alleviate any muscle soreness. Yesterday, a zoo keeper was filing down Azzizi's horns, which can be very sharp, to minimize the potential for injury to Jomo during courtship.

"It is tough to explain exactly what will be going on but we do know that during the mating ritual, their behavior is totally different from anything we have seen before or that our visitors have seen or heard," Dr. Baker said. "There will be zoo staff on hand to explain rhino behavior and we will block off areas around the rhino exhibit."

Zoo visitors wishing to view the rhino yard during the mating will be able to do so but from a greater distance than usual. Zoo officials will be on hand to alert parents with children.

There are 30 black rhinos in North American zoos and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan, which recommended the breeding in Pittsburgh, has set a target of four to seven births per year, a number needed to maintain a 3 percent birth rate, which would sustain the population. The goal is to grow the captive black rhino population to 72 rhinos. Black rhinos have a life span of 40 to 45 years in zoos.

There are five species of rhinos: the Sumatran, Javan, black, white and Indian. The black, Javan and white rhinos are considered critically endangered. Black rhinos, native to Africa, number about 4,240 in the wild. A global action plan to protect all rhinos is under development.

31-Oct-09 10:00 AM

Zoo Tries to Get Rhinos in the Mood

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 GMT

Pittsburgh Zoo visitors could see some hot and very heavy action in the rhino yard in coming days as black rhinoceroses meet and mate for the first time.

The coupling, if it occurs, will involve Azzizi, a 10-year-old female born at the Cleveland Zoo, and 14-year-old Jomo, who was born at the San Diego Zoo and came to Pittsburgh when he was a year old.

Barbara Baker, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium president and chief operating officer, held a news conference outside the rhino yard today to alert zoo visitors that they could be witness to some rough but "entertaining" animal sex.

"When in the mood," Dr. Baker said, "rhinos are very aggressive toward one another. They will roar, chase, and even hit each other before they actually mate. The entire breeding event can last anywhere from two to three hours and can sometimes be violent."

The last black Rhino birth in Pittsburgh occurred 30 years ago.

If the zoo's current residents successfully mate, a new rhino calf would be born in 15 to 16 months and weigh in at between 70 and 100 pounds.

Adult black rhinos, which are actually gray, weigh between 1,700 and 3,000 pounds. They are considered endangered in the wild where they number about 4,240.

There are 30 in North American zoos, and the Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan, which recommended the breeding in Pittsburgh, has set a target of 4 to 7 births per year, a number needed to maintain a 3 percent birth rate, which will sustain the population. The goal is to grow the black rhino population to 72 rhinos.

30-Oct-09 3:00 PM

Chester Zoo Rhino Calf Celebrates His First Birthday With a Tasty Treat

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:00:00 GMT

EASTERN Black Rhinoceros calf Asani tucked into his first birthday treat on Thursday.

Asani, who was born to mum Kitani on October 29 last year, celebrated the special occasion with a delicious carrot, beetroot, banana and courgette cake made by his keepers.

The calf, which has doubled in size over the last 12 months, made light work of his tasty treat.

Chas Mackenzie, team leader for the rhino section, said: “All ‘toddlers’ enjoy their first birthday and, although Asani is definitely bigger than your average one year old, he’s no exception when it comes to enjoying his birthday.

“Asani’s name is Swahili for rebellious and he is certainly a proper handful but we’re hoping he behaves like the perfect birthday boy today.”

Asani was the first Black Rhino to be born at the zoo in tenyears and the first newborn for Kitani.

His arrival was even more significant as the Eastern Black Rhinos remains perilously close to extinction in the wild with only 700 animals left.

Asani was joined by another black rhino calf in May this year with the arrival of Bashira, born to mum Ema Elsa.

30-Oct-09 3:00 PM

Animals Gorge Themselves on Gourds

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT

TAMPA - The trick was on the Lowry Park Zoo visitors at today's annual pumpkin toss, a holiday treat for the animals.

Alex, a 12-year-old chimpanzee, decided to throw the pumpkins at the crowd, who watched various animals chomp and play with carved pumpkins, stuffed with goodies.

Jane LeFave, a zookeeper, said Alex is basically entering his teen years "and he has to show off."

He is the only male in the compound, she said, and "he has to display and show he's in charge."

The pumpkin toss is a special enrichment program for the animals, with each pumpkin filled with peanuts, dried fruit, honey and other treats, depending on the recipient. The enrichment is designed to stimulate them, change their routine and increase social interaction.

"Although they get daily enrichment, they only get the pumpkins once a year," LeFave said. "The pumpkins can keep them busy for a good hour."

The Indian rhinoceros received pumpkins cut in half to keep them from choking. Java, born July 7, didn't know what to do with hers and kept moving it with her snout.

The white tigers used theirs as balls and threw them in the water.

The crowd of parents, pre-schoolers and nature lovers applauded as the orangutans caught the pumpkins in their hands and quickly devoured the holiday treat.

Bill Stentz of Land O'Lakes brought his daughters, Alex, 3, and Maggie, 1, to the pumpkin toss.

Alex, dressed in an orange shirt and skirt, liked the tigers' reaction best.

"I like it that they throwed them in the water," Alex said.

30-Oct-09 10:00 AM

China Sticks to Anti-ban Stance

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:00:00 GMT

KATHMANDU, Oct 29: Restating its stance in favor of tiger farming, the Chinese delegation at the ongoing Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop said Wednesday that China cannot put an end to its tiger farming as medicine produced from tiger parts is supplied to 60 countries.

Professor Xiong of Beijing University in his presentation at the interaction said that although China recognizes the need to stop habitat loss, it will be extremely difficult for the country to put a ban on tiger breeding and farming, a participant of the program told myrepublica.com on condition of anonymity.

The source said that China´s anti-ban stance was criticized by other participants. Stephen Board, Executive Director of Traffic International, is said to have pointed to the need of “attitudinal change” by countries involved in tiger farming. Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Russia, among others, are also said to be engaging is breeding practices, besides China.

The media was prohibited from attending the interaction.

Stating that the total trade in animal parts has now crossed $10 billion in Asia alone, which is second only to the illegal trade in arms, the Global Tiger Workshop has pointed out the urgent need for governments to design proactive national policies aimed at nipping poaching in the bud.

In addition, participants have strongly urged decision makers to change the paradigm of the management model and equip the concerned departments with new and modern technology to fight poachers. Similarly, they have stressed capacity-building of staff and strengthening the intelligence unit to identify poaching sites. Moreover, they have urged states to formulate a clear system and revive the existing mechanism between and among countries to stop trafficking in animal parts.

Save the Tiger Fund, the US-based Rhino and Tiger Conservation Fund and Panthera Foundation have jointly pledged 3-4 million US dollars to identify top priorities and support government efforts to fight illegal trade in tiger parts.

The workshop on Wednesday deliberated on topics ranging from steps to be taken to integrate nature conservation into development priorities and arresting habitat deterioration caused by infrastructure development and land use to engaging communities to protect tiger landscapes and helping people come out of the poverty trap, which, they said, requires “game changing actions” in order to reverse the current trajectory of extinction.

The participants also discussed strengthening wildlife enforcement and governance, improving landscape management and capacity development, suppressing demand for wild tiger parts, enhancing demand for live wild tiger, estimating conservation resource needs and developing innovative financing mechanisms.

India urged to hold anti-poaching talks

In a bid to seek renewed commitment in controlling illegal trafficking in animal parts and poaching activities from its southern neighbor, the Nepal government has asked the Indian side to hold the much-delayed secretary-level meeting on transborder cooperation as soon as possible. India has delayed the talks for three years.

“India has lagged behind in the regional effort to strengthen transborder cooperation to control poaching,” a Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation official said, adding, “We have strongly urged the Indian side to hold the talks without further delay.”

Asked to comment, spokesperson at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Shiva Raj Bhatta said, “The Indian delegation at the tiger workshop has reassured us that the talks will be initiated soon in Delhi.”

Secretary-level talks, which are supposed to design bilateral mechanisms for border management, regulation and control against poaching activities, especially illegal trade in tiger parts, have been held twice in Kathmandu in 2001 and 2006 and once in Delhi in 2003.

29-Oct-09 3:00 PM

More Teeth to Stop Poaching

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:00:00 GMT

That poaching is rampant in India is hardly news and it would be an understatement to say that the menace is on the rise. But a recent news about a one-horned rhinoceros being killed at the Rajiv Gandhi Orang Wildlife Sanctuary, on the northern banks of the Brahmaputra, 140 km from Guwahati, gives pause for thought. Two poachers were killed in a shootout with forest guards on October 19. One of them, Harmuj Ali, had been released from jail just 10 days earlier. He was nabbed last June after killing a 25-year-old female rhino in the same park. The number of rhinos killed so far this year in the park has risen to six, with two dying of ‘natural causes’, against the seven in 2008. For all the awareness camps conducted and hi-tech training provided to the guards, such incidents rob the sheen of the India Rhino Vision-2020 programme, a project aimed at the long-term conservation of rhinos in Assam.

It would be a tall order to expect the government to curb the demand for rhino horn, ivory, tiger skin and rare reptiles in the international market, but it could certainly increase the quantum and severity of punishment for poaching. This should be backed by expediting the legal course. Punishment must be quick. Going by the Harmuj Ali experience, four months is small change for the lakhs of rupees a rhino horn fetches in the international market.

The case of Harmuj Ali also throws light on the fact that our jails do little to reform a criminal, which is the purpose of these institutions. They serve more as a place for criminals to cool their heels for a while. After they are released they go on the hunt again.

Though the government has grander plans for conservation and has tied up with the WWF and International Union for Conservation of Nature, it has failed to address the concerns of the forest guards. Reports say that many of the guards have been working as temporary staff more than two decades. Irregular salaries and non-regularisation of jobs certainly weigh down on the morale of the guards who have threatened suicide if the government fails to recognise their demands.

Wildlife protection is a demanding task and the government seems to have realised the importance of it, but it cannot save the remaining endangered animals unless it wins the trust of all parties involved, because the enemy is focused. Greed is, after all, a great motivator.

29-Oct-09 3:00 PM

African Rhino', Now at Jaldapara

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 GMT

JALPAIGURI: Here's a chance to catch a glimpse of one of Africa's most magnificent mammals the two-horned rhinoceros in North Bengal's Jaldapara forest.

No, the animal is not roaming the forest's grasslands, which is still the domain of the one-horned Indian species. The African variety is depicted on the forest department's booking slip for Holong or Mendabari bungalows.

The goof-up, though unintended, packs in a whole lot of irony. Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is a rhino-gazing hot spot, being one of the the few forests in the world where visitors can see the great one-horned rhinoceros.

It has also been in the news recently for poaching. Less than a month back, a gang of hunters shot and injured a rhino, which escaped out of the forest only to be confronted by villagers armed with stones and sticks. The frightened animal fell into a river and died.

So the blunder comes as an embarrassing slip for the forest department. Though Jaldapara falls in Jalpaiguri district, it is under the jurisdiction of Cooch Behar forest division, Wild Life III, and has its office in Cooch Behar. What is more appalling is that the state's forest minister, Ananta Roy, also hails from the same district. The Cooch Behar forest division prints the booking slips from Cooch Behar itself.

"I had been to Mendabari recently with my family and friends. My daughter first spotted the mistake and asked me what a picture of African rhino was doing on the slip. I had no answer," said Partha Dhar of Jalpaiguri.

Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is one among four forest tracts in India where the one-horned rhino can be seen in the wild. The others are Assam's Kaziranga and Manas national parks and Bengal's Gorumara National Park. Rhinos can also be seen in the Terai region of Nepal. There are about 3,000 Indian rhinos in the wild, half of them in Kaziranga alone. Jaldapara has around 130 animals and attracts thousands of tourists every year.

The conservation status of African rhinos is much better though. At least 17,000 two-horned rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) are roaming the wild.

28-Oct-09 10:00 AM

Spotlight on Sumatran Rhinos

noemail@rhinos-irf.org — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:26:23 GMT

Hello [firstname],

Torgamba cools off in his mud wallow.

Would you like to learn more about Sumatran rhinos? The Sumatran rhino, also called the “hairy rhino” because of its hairy body and tufted ears, is the most endangered of all rhino species because of its rapid rate of decline. Only around 200 animals survive in dense forests in Indonesia and Sabah, Malaysia.

Sumatran rhinos face tremendous poaching pressure, and are now also quickly losing their habitat due to massive deforestation – in Indonesia, an area of forest the size of a football field is destroyed every minute! Sumatran rhinos now exist only in protected areas where they are physically guarded from harm by Rhino Protection Units.

Because of their shy, solitary nature and their remote jungle habitat, there has been little research conducted on Sumatran rhinos in the wild. And, because these rhinos are so rare, there are only 9 in captivity in the world – two at the Cincinnati Zoo, one at the White Oak Conservation Center in Florida, one in Malaysia, and five at the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary.

Rosa takes a walk in the forest.

The Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) is a 250-acre complex located within Way Kambas National Park in Sumatra, Indonesia. Its five rhinos – Andalas, Rosa, Ratu, Torgamba and Bina -are part of an intensively managed research and breeding program aimed at increasing our knowledge about the Sumatran rhino with the ultimate aim of increasing the population in the wild. At the sanctuary, the rhinos reside in large, open areas where they can experience a natural rain forest habitat while still receiving state-of-the-art veterinary care and nutrition.

Keep reading to learn more about each of the five rhinos at the SRS. If you’d like to continue receiving information and updates on Sumatran rhinos, you can become Facebook friends with Andalas, Rosa, Ratu, Torgamba and Bina - just click on the link under each rhino if you’d like to become friends. And, if you want to help support the SRS rhinos, you can choose a rhino to “adopt.” By “adopting” a rhino for yourself or as a gift for someone else, you’ll help pay for your rhino’s food and medical care, and you’ll receive an adoption certificate, biographical sketch and photo. Click here to adopt a rhino.

Andalas
Andalas, the Cincinnati-Zoo born rhino who was transferred to Indonesia from the U.S. in 2007, just turned 8 last month! We can’t believe how time flies – it seems like only yesterday we were celebrating this little rhino’s birth. (Andalas was the first Sumatran rhino born in captivity in 112 years.) But Andalas isn’t a little rhino anymore – now he is the largest rhino at the SRS and has recently reached sexual maturity. Having been born and raised in captivity, Andalas is comfortable with humans and is a very playful rhino. While on walks in his forest enclosure, Andalas always tries to “play” with his keepers – often resulting in his keepers having to climb a tree to avoid him. After all, when a 1,700 pound animal wants to play with you, things can get a little dangerous. Because the SRS is located within Way Kambas National Park, other animals, like tapirs, bears, deer and wild pigs, often travel through the sanctuary. Andalas delights in chasing away the pigs that routinely wander into his enclosure. Early morning is Andalas’ favorite time of the day. Every morning, he waits for his keepers at the gate to his enclosure, and starts calling for his breakfast as soon as he hears their approach.

Ratu
Ratu is the most “wild” of all the Sumatran rhinos at the sanctuary. She loves hiding in the forest, and knows every inch of her enclosure. Her keepers have to search the forest for her every morning when they arrive to feed her and conduct a health check. Ratu is very sensitive to her environment – anytime she hears a frog croak, or a branch fall, she stands quietly with erect ears, and then sounds an alert. She routinely patrols and marks her territory by scraping branches and urinating. Even though Ratu exhibits the most “wild” behavior of the SRS rhinos, she still has a great relationship with her keepers. She likes to try to play with them in the forest, running, rubbing her head against them and sometimes jumping and bucking like a rodeo horse. She knows her name and will follow when her keepers call to her.

Rosa
Rosa is the largest female rhino at the sanctuary, but she’s actually still just a teenager. Unlike most Sumatran rhinos, Rosa isn’t shy at all – she is extremely acclimated to people and loves their company. (She was actually moved to the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary from Bukit Barisan Selatan National Park because unfortunately her lack of fear made her too vulnerable to poachers.) Every morning, Rosa waits by the far edge of her enclosure, listening for her keepers, and then walks alongside them to the gate. She knows when they are supposed to arrive, and if her keepers are running late in the morning, she starts screaming for them, and everyone at the sanctuary can hear her. Sumatran rhinos are known for their unique squeaking and chirping vocalizations, but Rosa is the loudest of all the rhinos – she practically sings!

Bina
Bina is the grand old lady of the SRS. Generally a calm, quiet rhino, she is usually happy alone, taking walks in her forest enclosure. Bina can be unpredictable though, and sometimes she’ll chase her keepers. She can also get “jealous”. Torgamba is Bina’s favorite male rhino, and sometimes if she sees or hears another female with Torgamba, she makes lots of noise.

Torgamba
Torgamba is the oldest male Sumatran rhino at the SRS, and the oldest Sumatran rhino in captivity in the world. All the female rhinos at the SRS respect him, and so do the keepers. When Torgamba decides to do something, no one can stop him. Because of Torgamba’s age, he suffers from chronic renal disease and anemia, but he remains in great spirits (and remains very interested in female rhinos as well!). Ratu is Torgamba’s favorite female at the SRS.

Please consider becoming a Facebook friend or adopting a rhino today, so you can learn more about the SRS rhinos, as well as Sumatran rhinos in the wild. And while you’re online, check out the Zoo Boise Conservation Awards. Help IRF’s Sumatran and Javan rhino program to win a $25,000 grant for by voting online (voting ends October 31st).

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28-Oct-09 8:26 AM

Different Shade of Green

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

IT may be one of the highest-billed wildlife tourism spots in the country but the lush Lower Kinabatangan forest in the east coast of Sabah is taking on a different shade of green – that of oil palm fields.

Plantations owned by public-listed companies, private enterprises and family growers have carved up the floodplain, pushing wildlife into pockets of forest. In response to the situation, conservationists way back in 1998 called for the creation of wildlife corridors so that animals like the orang utan, elephant and rhinoceros can migrate from one pocket of forest to another.

Sabah declared the creation of this wildlife haven in 1999, calling it Gift To The Earth. But the gazettment of 26,000ha under the Wildlife Conservation Enactment 1997 came six years later, after more forests had been cleared, resulting in further fragmentation. The initial size of the sanctuary was 50,000ha.

Meanwhile, non-governmental groups like the World Wide Fund for Nature Malaysia and Hutan (an orang utan conservation outfit run by a French couple) have begun reforestation with the participation of villagers.

However, these small scale initiatives are no match for the rapidly expanding plantations.

Oil palms are planted right up to the river bank. Countless media reports highlighted the largely illegal encroachment into river reserves but the problem persisted. It is not only wildlife that is affected; the livelihood of villagers is compromised by dwindling catch of prawns and fish.

It is puzzling that state authorities like the Land and Survey Department preferred the “soft approach” rather than booking culprits for violating licensing conditions. Department director Datuk Osman Jamal said the persuasive method was more effective than prosecuting errant land owners as “one case could take years before it is concluded”.

A conservationist pointed out that Section 26 of the Land Ordinance is vague on the minimum size for river buffers and gives discretionary power to the state government to decide on that. He said developments of more than 500ha, which most plantations are, would be required by law to set aside riparian reserves.

Meanwhile, scientists warned that the Sabah orang utan population is reeling towards extinction if nothing is done to halt deforestation. In the last two years, orang utan researcher Dr Marc Ancrenaz of the Kinabatangan Orang Utan Conservation Programme has observed an unusual behaviour among the orang utan population that he had followed since 1997 – the primates are walking on the ground as shown by footprints found in oil palm estates. Known as an arboreal ape, orang utans hardly venture to the ground. With decreasing forest cover, the animal appeared to have adapted to its changing environment.

Ancrenaz acknowledged that scientists’ knowledge of orang utan has increased tremendously in the last few years. “They are much more adaptable to the changing environment than we thought. We know primates are smart creatures. They are surviving for the time being but we don’t know for how long.”

In a three-year DNA profiling study of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, wildlife geneticist Dr Benoit Goossens of Cardiff University and Dr Isabelle Ancrenaz of Hutan found strong evidence of a population collapse that coincided with deforestation. They warned that the population could go extinct in 50 years if nothing was done to reconnect fragmented forests and isolated populations.

At the recently concluded Orang Utan Conservation Colloquium, participants comprising orang utan experts, state officials, local and international NGOs and the plantation industry called for a minimum of 100m for wildlife corridors along riverbanks to be acquired by the Sabah Wildlife Department.

27-Oct-09 11:00 AM

Rhino Poachers Warned

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

SA National Parks (Sanparks) boss Dr David Mabunda has declared war on rhino and wildlife poachers in the flagship Kruger National Park following the slaughter of more than 90 rhinos across the country this year.

Mabunda was speaking in Skukuza camp last week at a passing-out parade for 57 new field rangers appointed to combat the recent spike in rhino poaching.

Of the 94 rhino poached this year, 37 were killed in Kruger park, 21 in KwaZulu-Natal, seven in Gauteng, nine in Limpopo, five in Mpumalanga, 10 in North-West and four in the Eastern Cape.

Mabunda said R5.2 million had been allocated to the new anti-poaching and wildlife protection plan.

Apart from the recruitment of new rangers, Sanparks had also acquired several new patrol motorcycles and bicycles, as well as sophisticated surveillance equipment including a light aircraft.

Mabunda also welcomed a recent decision by the government to redeploy military patrols along Kruger's 450km eastern border with Mozambique.

26-Oct-09 11:00 AM

Rhinos Moved to Secret Home in KZN

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:00 GMT

Fourteen black rhinos were released into an undisclosed game reserve in northern KZN last week as part of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project.

The aim is to forge new territory for the critically endangered black rhinos by establishing founder populations on viable land.

The 14 animals represent the fifth founder population of black rhinos in KZN created through a project which is a joint initiative by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) and Ezemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife.

The rhinos were recently airlifted out of reserves under the control of EKZNW. WWF project leader Dr Jacques Flamand said the project has shown how one species can help many other species.

“Black rhino range in KwaZulu-Natal has increased by more than 25% [about 90 000 hectares] over the last six years. That is excellent for black rhinos, but also for many other species that live alongside them. This includes cheetah, wild dog, vultures, elephants and many of the lesser-known species that also need large areas of undisturbed wild land.”

The project has also shown that partnerships between landowners and formal conservation authorities can be a success, Flamand said.

In terms of the project, EKZNW retains ownership of the founder population of black rhinos, and ownership of their progeny is shared.

Because of South Africa’s unprecedented wave of rhino poaching the site on which the latest black rhinos were released has not been publicly disclosed.

The project concept is being expanded from KZN into other SA regions.

26-Oct-09 11:00 AM

Cops Hunt for Poacher Pal- Cellphone Clue to Guwahati Linkman

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:30:00 GMT

Guwahati, Oct. 26: Police and the wildlife crime control bureau have launched a massive manhunt to trace the subscriber of a mobile number which was recovered from a poacher who was shot dead at Orang Rajiv Gandhi National Park recently.

A source today said the mobile number — 9613748650 — recovered from the poacher was actually registered in the name of a person based at Guwahati.

“We feel this person could provide us vital clues about the rhino horn racket,” a senior police official said without divulging the name.

The cell phone was recovered from Harmuj Ali, a dreaded poacher killed in an encounter with forest guards at the national park, along with another poacher.

The duo managed to kill a rhino and were about to flee with the horn when forest guards accosted them.

Harmuj, arrested several times earlier on charges of killing rhinos both at Kaziranga National Park and Orang, hailed from Sonitpur district.

The mobile phone recovered from him, along with other items, showed that several calls were made to Dimapur and Manipur, apart from those to a Southeast Asian country.

The source said there were several missed calls to Harmuj’s cell number after he died in the encounter on October 17.

The wildlife crime control bureau has contacted the cellphone companies for details of the call lists.

“We were surprised when we found that the cell phone number used by Harmuj was indeed registered in the name of a person in Guwahati. We are looking for him. We are sure we will get more information about rhino horn racket for this person,” a police official said.

The city police were contacted by the wildlife crime bureau in this regard.

A source in the forest department said poachers, mainly sharpshooters, are sometimes hired by persons involved in the trade of animal parts.

“There is huge money in the trade of animal parts, especially the rhino horn, since there is great demand for them in the international market. There are instances of poachers being hired by the persons involved in this racket,” a forest department official said, adding that a poacher on hire is provided with all the necessary facilities to kill a rhino or a tiger.

Six rhinos have fallen prey to poachers’ bullets at Orang this year alone. Concerned over the increasing poaching activities at the national park, the authorities there had taken the help of the army to conduct regular patrols along with forest guards.

Army personnel also conducted flag marches along the boundary of Orang twice last month.

A park official said apart from the army, they had sought help from the people of villages located on the fringes of the park.

“We have sought help from the village defence parties to work in close co-operation with the forest staff and provide information regarding poachers’ movement,” the official said.

26-Oct-09 9:30 AM

Elephant Safari Stopped in Jaldapara

Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

JALDAPARA: The forest department has decided to stop elephant safari in Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary following the recent incidents of rhino poaching. This has robbed the sanctuary of one of its biggest attractions.

The withdrawal of the elephant safari, forest officials claimed, would deny poachers access to the core area of the sanctuary. The forest officials strongly believe that poachers often took the safari in the guise of tourists to locate the rhino habitation and the tracks followed by the pachyderms.

The real losers, tour operators felt, will be the tourists. People used to book the safari months ahead of their trip.

A one-hour safari took the visitors near the impenetrable core of the forest, where rhinos are found in good numbers. Each tourist used to be charged Rs 150 per ride. Six kunkis (trained forest department elephants) were used for the three-shift safari. Elephant safari is the best way to follow the movements of a rhino.

"But after the autopsy report confirmed the bullet injury the body of the rhino found in the sanctuary a few weeks ago, the forest officials of the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary decided to stop the elephant safari.

On October 9, officials spotted an injured rhino in the forest. In order to tend the injury, forest officials reportedly fired a tanquilliser at it. The rhino lost balance on the sloping river bank, fell into the river and drowned. A post-mortem later exam revealed a bullet had been lodged in the male rhino's head, between his ear and jaw.

The carcass of a female rhino was also found in the forest with a deep wound on one of its legs.

These two cases sent the forest officials into a tizzy. Vigil was stepped up immediately to an unprecedented scale. Patrols both on elephants and jeeps are criss-crossing the forest 12 to 14 times a day.

However, the withdrawal of the elephant safari has irked the tourists. "Withdrawing elephant safari to curb the poachers is a ridiculous decision," said Sahadeb Nag, a wildlife enthusiast.

25-Oct-09 8:00 AM

Centre Forms Team to Probe Rhino Deaths

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:00:00 GMT

New Delhi, Oct 23 (PTI) Alarmed at the spurt in rhino poaching cases at Assam's Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, the Centre has constituted a two-member team to probe into the deaths of the one-horned endangered animal.

A decision in this regard was taken recently by the Environment Ministry which felt that despite various steps by the state government for rhino conservation, the situation remained alarming in the Park, situated near the northern banks of the Brahmaputra river.

As many as six rhinos have been killed in the sanctuary this year so far. Seven were poached last year.

"A team consisting of Bibhab Talukdar, an independent wildlife expert from Assam and a representative of Wildlife Institute of India (WII) would visit the affected area and prepare an action plan for further action.

"The report should be submitted within two months," an Environment Ministry official said.

23-Oct-09 2:00 PM

Boost for Black Rhino Population

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:00:00 GMT

Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife has given away 14 more black rhino as part of a bold project to expand the living space of the critically endangered species.

The rhinos - worth roughly R500 000 each - were released into a new game reserve in the north of the province on permanent loan earlier this week.

The exact location of the reserve has not been disclosed because of the recent spike in rhino poaching, which has led to the slaughter of more than 130 rhinos around the country in the past 18 months.

Only 4 000 black rhino remain in the wild throughout Africa after a wave of poaching that led to the butchery of more than 62 000 of the animals in the four decades before the early 1990s.

At one point, there were only 2 000 rhino left alive, but their numbers have recovered slowly over the past two decades.

The joint range-expansion project between Ezemvelo and the conservation group WWF aims to spread the rhino out to new land to avoid keeping all the animals in one basket (Ezemvelo).

While Ezemvelo retains ownership of the founder population, 50 percent of the calves they give birth to will be become the property of the new custodians.

The project also helps to create extra conservation land for rhinos and other animals.

Dr Jacques Flamand, the WWF project leader, said the latest donation meant that the total living area of black rhinos in KZN had increased by more than 25 percent (90 000ha) over the past six years.

The latest donation brings to more than 80 the number of black rhino to be released in five areas of range-expansion land controlled by private or communal owners.

All five founder populations are in KZN, but Flamand said there were plans to extend the range expansion project to other provinces and African countries.

22-Oct-09 8:00 AM