Rhino Relocations

[Peter Betts]

The LAST 2 Died Yesterday ..Are you surprised Govt of SA ..Stay out of meddling with MY heritage for political gain !!

[Lisbeth]

Peter, I really do not think that for once politics has much to do with it. More like earning some good-will with other African countries. Still politics, but not internally SA. Stupid and superficial way of handling the thing, certainly

[Klipspringer]

Black Rhino Moved from SA to Eswatini!
An exciting addition to Big Game Parks & The Kingdom of Eswatini

Following 11 months of preparation and planning, 16 critically endangered Black rhinos were successfully captured, translocated, dehorned and released into the Kingdom of Eswatini on 9 and 10 July 2019. An entire founder breeding group of Black rhinos was acquired during 2018 by Big Game Parks, the National Wildlife Authority for the Kingdom of Eswatini. This demographically complete group consisted of adult breeding bulls and cows, sub adults and small calves.

The rhinos were acquired from a private game ranch in South Africa, where the current rhino horn poaching pressure has driven the protection costs of all rhinos to unsustainable levels, both in the private and public sectors, leaving many rhinos at risk and rhino custodians forced to disinvest in rhino conservation.

While the poaching threat levels are potentially no different in Eswatini, very stringent and deterrent laws, together with solid political will and support for wildlife conservation, has seen Eswatini being able to keep poaching levels relatively low. Only three rhinos have been poached in the Kingdom in the last 26 years, while the Southern African region has lost over 8000 rhinos to poaching since 2008.


Many delays were experienced with this translocation, especially with respect to the bureaucratic nightmare of issuance and re-issuance of permits and ensuring that these animals were moved in the best manner and at an optimal time to minimise unnecessary stress.


The National Park to which the rhinos have been moved has been professionally assessed to have ideal Black rhino habitat and has been highly recommended by the IUCN’s African Rhino Specialist Group as a release site for this species.


Mr Ted Reilly, Chief Executive of Big Game Parks had the following to say:

“After more than 10 years of searching for a suitable group of Black rhinos for this introduction, last week’s relocation marks the end of the first phase of this project. With all 16 rhinos safely captured in South Africa, transported over 700 km across an international border, dehorned and safely released into prime habitat, the second and most arduous phase of monitoring and security has just begun!

“Intensive post-release monitoring is underway to ensure that any problems are quickly identified and that the rhinos all find water and settle into their new home. Additionally, anti-poaching measures have been increased in various forms, including the dehorning of all the rhinos.

“The success or failure of such a logistically complex operation rests very heavily on the team assembled to do the job. In this instance, Big Game Parks spared no effort or cost in ensuring that the best team possible was used for this translocation, and it included some of the world’s most creditworthy, experienced and renowned rhino vets and translocators. Given that calves less than six months of age have been translocated and successfully reunited with their mothers and that no notable injuries or mortalities have occurred, this has been well worth the effort and a testament to the team’s professionalism.

“Additionally, following the export of elephants from Eswatini to three AZA accredited American Zoos (Dallas, Omaha and Sedgwick County Zoo) four years ago, Big Game Parks is pleased to note the continued support of these zoos in funding aspects of Eswatini’s rhino conservation work, including a portion of the costs of the acquisition, translocation and security of these Black rhino, as well as the preparation of the release site for their introduction to Eswatini. This negates the allegations levelled at the zoos and Big Game Parks that the purpose of the elephant export was solely mercenary.

“In light of the fact that only 5000 black rhinos remain on earth, this is a very significant conservation initiative and we are very grateful to all of those that have selflessly contributed their efforts and expertise to this project.”








https://biggameparks.wordpress.com/2019 ... -eswatini/

[Flutterby]

Hope they will be safe there.

[Lisbeth]

[Lisbeth]

WWF project translocates 200th black rhino

2019-08-07 15:37

https://youtu.be/nE9-P8XBapI

The WWF's Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) in South Africa recently translocated its 200th black rhino to a 14 000-hectare reserve in the Eastern Cape.

It formed part of an ongoing initiative to increase the numbers of this critically endangered species.

The project looks for new areas to establish populations of black rhinos where they have space to breed, and has successfully created 12 new populations in South Africa since 2003.

In its latest move, the BRREP joined hands with private landowners, the local community and provincial government in the Eastern Cape to create the 14 000-hectare reserve. They are all now joint custodians of the group of black rhinos.

A SANParks game capture team was contracted to carry out the translocations, using a combination of helicopter airlifts and road transportation. The operation took four days.

"This move has gone very well so far and we are monitoring the animals closely. They are all still exploring the reserve and some are starting to show signs of setting up home ranges already," said BRREP project leader Dr Jacques Flamand, following the move.

"It usually takes a couple of months before they have all completely settled. Their new home is wonderful habitat for black rhino, so we're very pleased and hopeful that they will contribute meaningfully to the numbers of this endangered species," he said.

The black rhino population across Africa plummeted, from around 100 000 in the 1960s to fewer than 2 500 by the mid-1990s, due to poaching and habitat loss, according to the WWF.

Through conservation projects like BRREP, black rhino numbers have doubled to over 5 000.

Approximately 2 000 black rhinos are currently found in South Africa.

[Klipspringer]

https://citizen.co.za/news/south-africa ... -to-death/


environment 8.8.2019 06:30 am


SA black rhinos in Chad starved to death


The mortalities were linked to insufficient uptake of nitrogen and some micro-nutrients, African Parks’ spokesperson Fran Read said.
The four critically endangered black rhino (Diceros bicornis) which died shortly after arrival late last year in Chad’s Zakouma National Park, managed by African Parks, appear to have basically starved to death.

“The mortalities were linked to insufficient uptake of nitrogen and some micro-nutrients, which appeared to have suppressed their immunity to secondary infections,” said African Parks’ spokesperson Fran Read yesterday.

“Extensive research has been undertaken and several other complimentary studies are under way to increase knowledge. These will be incorporated within full scientific reports.”

The May 2018 translocation from South African National Parks stock of six rhino was initially widely celebrated.

According to a press statement at the time, the rhinos had been held in bomas for two months after their arrival in Chad on May 4, before being released into a temporary sanctuary for another two months to enable their acclimatisation to the environment.

“In late August, the sanctuary fence was removed and the rhinos were free to roam the wider park where they continued to be monitored. The carcasses of two of the rhino – a bull and a cow – were discovered in separate locations on October 15, 2018.”

Two weeks later, two more dead black rhino were found on November 6.

“Low fat reserves suggest that maladaptation by the rhinos to their new environment is the likely underlying cause,” a joint Chad/ South Africa statement read.

“Nitrogen exists in soil and is ingested by animals through vegetation which take it up through their roots,” Read said.

“This [and nitrogen levels] is a complex cycle that varies across environments, even within landscapes, and by prevailing climatic conditions.”

The two surviving rhinos remain in Zakouma where they continue to be closely monitored.

INFO

After energy, nitrogen is quantitatively the most important nutritional requirement for growth of gastrointestinal tract microorganisms. In the rumen and other pregastric environments, nitrogen is derived primarily from the plant material of the diet. – Digestion of Nitrogen in the Rumen by Michael A Cotta and James B Russell.

– amandaw@citizen.co.za

[Lisbeth]

And this only comes out now

“Extensive research has been undertaken and several other complimentary studies are under way to increase knowledge. These will be incorporated within full scientific reports.”

The above should have been done before not afterwards

How can they have been so superficial not to be sure that EVERYTHING is OK to support the rhinos coming from a completely different ecosystem

Great way to save our rhinos

[Flutterby]

So infuriating!!

[RogerFraser]

thats really sad how could this relocation even be approved without all the proper research being done first on the available grazing