Africa Wild

Bushcraft wrote:Speaking of Obama

Posted by OD on facebook

Hi all,

I have had the great honour of being invited to the town hall meeting with President Obama.

It will be broadcasted live on various news channels this afternoon.

I'm hoping to ask him the following question about rhino poaching.

What do you guys think? And let me know of any suggestions.

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My name is Nadav Ossendryver. I'm the founder of latestsightings.com, a website with over 75,000 members dedicated to tracking and protecting wildlife. South Africa's wildlife is one of our most valuable resources. However, the rhinoceros is in extreme danger of being poached to extinction for their horns. What can America do to put more pressure on countries where these horns are being sold, and to stop the international smuggling of rhino horn, elephant tusks and other endangered species. Furthermore, will you and your administration stand with South Africa and our neighbours to put an end to this devastating practice before it's too late?

It's our neighbours that are killing our Rhino, I wouldn't stand with them in a cue at the toilet.

iNdlovu wrote:

Bushcraft wrote:Speaking of Obama

Posted by OD on facebook

Hi all,

I have had the great honour of being invited to the town hall meeting with President Obama.

It will be broadcasted live on various news channels this afternoon.

I'm hoping to ask him the following question about rhino poaching.

What do you guys think? And let me know of any suggestions.

------

My name is Nadav Ossendryver. I'm the founder of latestsightings.com, a website with over 75,000 members dedicated to tracking and protecting wildlife. South Africa's wildlife is one of our most valuable resources. However, the rhinoceros is in extreme danger of being poached to extinction for their horns. What can America do to put more pressure on countries where these horns are being sold, and to stop the international smuggling of rhino horn, elephant tusks and other endangered species. Furthermore, will you and your administration stand with South Africa and our neighbours to put an end to this devastating practice before it's too late?

It's our neighbours that are killing our Rhino, I wouldn't stand with them in a cue at the toilet.

Agreed iNdy, but political correctness is required if one is to be taken seriously by the Obama gang . It’s worth it if they buy in

Good speech, Odie!

The Rhino Orphanage
Rhino Mike butchered

A young rhino bought to act as a surrogate parent to orphaned babies has been shot and killed and his horn removed while a young female has been shot and wounded.
The five-year-old bull white rhino named Mike was killed at Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo while his fellow free-ranging surrogate parent Nana is being treated for gunshot wounds. Her condition is being assessed by specialists.
The resort is also home to The Rhino Orphanage, a centre which forms a vital part of the EWT Rhino Response Strategy, which was not breached or attacked.
Mike was donated by suppliers to health company Netcare to help raise orphans of the war being waged on South Africa’s rhino population.
The resort and The Rhino Orphanage were on a full security alert and now ADDITIONAL measures are being taken to protect the orphans and the staff on site.
A specialist emergency armed response team has been deployed and will remain at the site while whatever ADDITIONAL security measures deemed necessary are implemented.
Karen Trendler coordinates the Rhino Response Strategy and manages The Rhino Orphanage and says while staff are shocked and horrified, Mike’s death has acted as an inspiration to fight the battle even more vigorously. And she said everything possible is being done to help Nana.
She said: “We were all so fond of Mike and his death is a horrific tragedy. But we will not bow to this slaughter and have taken yet more action to try with all our power to protect the little ones and the staff who do such amazing work caring for them.
“The orphans are all safe and well as are the staff and The Orphanage was not breached. People must realise that this is a real war where the bad guys will do all they can in the name of greed and money. No animal is 100% safe but people should know we are doing everything in our power to preserve and protect the orphans. And the medical teams treating Nana are as good as it gets.”
The specialist emergency armed response team now stationed at the resort have access to air support in the form of the resort helicopter which has been made available for daily patrol flights and specialist anti-poaching operations.
This has been done in the past but operations have been intensified at the direction of Legend Lodges Hotels & Resort CEO Peet Cilliers will the full support of Managing Director Mart Cilliers.
Mr Cilliers said: “We are all horrified at this barbaric act and Mart and myself have put the full resource of the resort at the disposal of the experts who are doing an amazing job in attempting to battle the poachers and help the orphans. Our immediate response includes use of the helicopter and a variety of other measures. Like Karen and her team we are determined that we will not be shaken from our course of rehabilitating and saving orphaned rhinos despite this tragic incident.”
Meanwhile, specialist investigators are probing how the poachers attacked the rhino and are assisting the police and other agencies.
Karen Trendler said Mike’s death shows the scale of the problem and the need for international intervention. She said: “We know this horrific slaughter is funding international terrorism – that’s how serious this is. But our work will continue to try and save the species.
“The numbers are shocking and The Rhino Orphanage is still gearing up for an influx of the victims of this tragedy. Calves are the neglected victims – orphaned, traumatised and often frequently injured they need intensive and specialised care. Calves remain with the mothers for three years and sometimes more - we need to treat the trauma and injuries and provide the maternal care that has been brutally denied by the poachers. The calves need amazing amounts of dedicated, specialist care – and that’s why we created The Rhino Orphanage.
“We have specially trained carers, specialist facilities, and some amazing supporters who make our work possible. Now more than ever we are working with our friends to continue what we started.”
The orphanage has specialist facilities to care for these often extremely young and badly injured creatures, giving the babies the very best chance of one day returning to the wild where they belong.
It is further supported by a range of partners including FNB Investment Products, New Holland, Lafarge and others.

This is NOT what I need to read first thing on a Sunday morning (mourning).

Maybe we should limit the number of visitors to Timbi and not give out too much detail regarding the location and layout of the centre on the open forum.

Legends Golf & Safari resort is in the Waterburg, just south of Potgietersrus. I was up there for a conference for 3 days at the beginning of June. One of their 3 orphans had been cut badly around the head by pangas, obviously to drive it away whilst the poachers were de-horning its mother. This place is your typical game farm with a big golf resort on the premises where individuals can buy land and build fancy houses. The security is non existent on the game farm. They do not allow visitors to the orphanage bomas, but the adult rhino that were shot here are on the game farm, not in the orphanage. They continuously phone Petronel for advice on subjects ranging from baby rhino care to layout of Bomas and then they publicly stand up and say they are the experts and were the first orphanage in the country. They gave a 10 minute presentation to the conference delegates whilst I was there and it went over like a lead balloon.
In my opinion, they are a Micky Mouse outfit with a lot to learn, but that's just my opinion.
Having said all that, if their motives for running the orphanage are pure, they deserve support and no matter who they are it is extremely disappointing to have any rhino poached no matter where they are.
The bottom line is that they had better beef up their security.

Richprins wrote:Good speech, Odie!

OD never got a chance to ask his question

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Sprocky wrote: Maybe we should limit the number of visitors to Timbi and not give out too much detail regarding the location and layout of the centre on the open forum.

There has never been any detail regarding the location of the new centre, and there won't be. The layout is still in its formative stages! No visitors in large groups that I know of yet? It is difficult to reach.

Three held for rhino poaching in iSimangaliso park

July 1 2013 at 12:01pm
By LAUREN ANTHONY

Three suspected rhino poachers were arrested in connection with the killing and the possible wounding of another rhino in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park this weekend.

The men were set to appear in the Mtubatuba Magistrate’s Court on Monday after a female white rhino was killed and de-horned on Saturday in Mehlemamba, in north-eastern KwaZulu-Natal.

Spokesman for Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, Musa Mntambo, said rangers heard gunshots and discovered the rhino and several spent .458 cartridges.

The suspects were arrested at their home in Mfekayi near Mtubatuba after a tip-off. A .458 rifle, nine rounds and an axe were recovered.

The Department of Agriculture and Environmental Affairs said the men confirmed they had shot at and possibly missed another rhino.

“There was no blood trail but they might have shot and wounded the rhino,” Mntambo said.

“A helicopter will be used to search for the rhino but as yet, it hasn’t been found.”

Investigations at the scene revealed footprints left by the poachers which could be linked to other rhino poaching incidents in the area.

Jeffrey Zikhali, spokesman for the KZN agriculture MEC, Dr Bonginkosi Meshak Radebe, said this was an international problem and it was necessary to hit the emotional nerve of those involved.

Zikhali said the MEC was pushing for strict sentences to be handed down in rhino poaching cases.

In total 41 rhinos have been poached in KZN, 13 of them in iSimangaliso, and 30 arrests have been made.

iSimangaliso has 71 black rhinos and 145 white rhinos.

In South Africa the number of rhino poached this year is 448 with about 130 arrests made. Last year the total number of rhinos poached was 668.

lauren.anthony@inl.co.za