The Plight of Rhinos
By siris
15 comments
On our recent holiday to South African, we stayed at a private game reserve, adjacent to Kruger National Park.
Kruger Park, which is of a similar size to the Country of Wales in the U.K., loses on average 3 Rhinos a day to poaching.
The private game reserve started The Rhino Survival Trust in 2011 after one of their female Rhinos was killed, leaving her injured 3 month old baby.
It took 2 days to find the traumatised animal in the bush of their reserve. It was touch and go if the severely dehydrated 3 month old baby would survive.
He also needing cataract operations on his eyes after his ordeal.
This is him today, 6 years on, rather short sighted, named Roccy.
The second Rhino, pictured, is a young female orphaned after her mother was killed on a neighbouring reserve and was purchased as a companion to him. In the photo below is the youngsters’ surrogate mother, who bottle fed the calves. They live in an electrified fenced compound close to the lodge.
Will they be able to go into the larger reserve when they are older with the mature adults?
There was another poaching attack in this main part of the private reserve in 2013, when 4 more Rhinos were shot, luckily surviving, after veterinary treatment, although the bullets remain in the animals even today.
What is the solution to keeping these animals safe in the bigger envirinment on the reserve.
If it can’t see you, you can’t see him? A bit dumb!
Chose another thornier bush?
A Rhino is killed for it’s horn, which has immense monetary value, sold on the black market as a supposed aphrodisiac in Chinese medicine.
As horn is only keratin, I would suggest to ignorant, uneducated people, that they should chew their own fingernails!!!!
The reserve Rhinos now have their horns removed by a vet. Unfortunately as horn grows about an inch a year, this procedure must be undertaken regularly. Poachers will apparently target an animal with only 3" of growth.
Another strategy….come out into the open at twighlight……
…..when there are friends around to deter poachers.
The reserve has also put some bodyguards to help with their protection. Sleeping on the job!
Ok to view from the safety of a safari vehicle in the company of a ranger….
….but I for one would not like to be prowling around
The photo below was taken in August 2017, at Marwell Zoo park, UK, near where I live, which is doing its bit for conservation of endangered species.
These Rhinos are as nature intended, even if not in their natural environment, but what is the long term future for such species otherwise?
29 Nov, 2017
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Comments
I think they should all be living naturally on patrolled reserves funded by The World Wildlife Fund.
30 Nov, 2017
Fantastic photos, Siris.
30 Nov, 2017
Poaching of any animal is atrocious. As a nail biter, my libido should be sky high if Chinese medicine is to be believed! I also hate the big game hunters who do it just for fun. I'm not a violent person usually, but I would like to see these hunters being hunted instead!
30 Nov, 2017
If an animal is raised for food, it's death should be humanly done. I'm Not talking of illegal killing of wildlife, although Impala are shot under licence on some reserves, and sold legally as meat, as their numbers are huge. The killing of an elephant causes distress to the remaining members of that whole family.
Education must be a start to the process of respecting local wildlife. The revenue from servicing the tourism industry should be an incentive.
30 Nov, 2017
Impressive photos Siris. You'll have many wonderful memories I'm sure. Well done. Thank you for sharing them with us.
30 Nov, 2017
Diana, Kruger has Rangers in the reserve, who are armed as their lives too can be at risk from the murderers. It has made a difference, but the area is vast, a losing battle.
Thanks Bg. Still got the CapeTown area to show, which was at the start of our holiday, S. Africa botanical gardens, penguins and other wildlife.
1 Dec, 2017
It was a wonderful holiday.
1 Dec, 2017
Thanks, Siris, for another great blog on these wonderful animals!
It's a shame that they are still hunted for their horns, but cutting them back & letting them regrow seems a brilliant way of conserving them for future generations to enjoy as well.
1 Dec, 2017
Very interesting blog, Siris ... I feel sad for the plight of rhinos, elephants and other creatures hunted ... very cruel.
2 Dec, 2017
Agreed Balcony, but the procedure of anaesthesia to cut back Rhino horn is not to be undertaken lightly. A possibility in private reserves which are relatively small and even some zoos have started to cut back their animals' horn as poaching has now occurred in a zoo in France. A Czech zoo this year has now started to dehorn its animals. This wanton killing for monetary gain of these animals makes me want to cry.
2 Dec, 2017
Shocking and sad what people will do for money....which zoo in France Siris?
2 Dec, 2017
Dd, A zoo at Thoiry, West of Paris.
2 Dec, 2017
The only way to keep the market value of the horn high is to kill and keep the numbers of Rhinos very low. There really is no interest in "live stocking" Rhinos for harvesting their horns.
2 Dec, 2017
A powerful blog which really highlights the plight of these, and other animals in the wild.
You have some wonderful photos here, such a pity that they are in danger.
A concern for all of us.
3 Dec, 2017
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It's wicked what people will do for money. As well as Rhino horn, ivory from elephants is another case of the ignorance of some people.
29 Nov, 2017