these are a few of my favourite things - save the rhino are a few of my favourite things events...
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3. Theseareafewofmyfavouritethings
Eventsschedule2009-10
4. Waterfiltersenhancerhinoprotection:Indonesia
4-5. Asianrhinosaspeciality:Asia
5. Ultrasonography–theultimatetoolforSumatranrhinos:Indonesia
6-7. LondonMarathon2009–Ohsuchaperfectday!
8. Youhaveafriendrequest–SavetheRhinoInternational
9. Theworkhorseoftheskies:Zimbabwe
10-11. Smallthings–bigdifference:SouthAfrica
11. RhinoTrekSouthAfrica2010
RhinoClimbKilimanjaro
12. Lipstick,hula-hoopsandametal-detector:Africa
13. Commandcentre:Namibia
14. “What?You’regoingtocycle350kacrossDamaraland…
butwhywouldyoudothat?”:Namibia
15. Acaravaninthedesert:Namibia
TheSeventhDouglasAdamsMemorialLecture
16-17. Hornucopia
18. Saycheese:Zambia
19. TheQuizzogsRhinoHeroChallenge
20-21. Education,education,education:Kenya/Tanzania/Zambia
22. TheflyingFoxbat:Kenya
23. It’sallinthepoo:Kenya
24-25. Toolsofthetrade:Kenya
25. LastChancetoSeewithStephenFryandMarkCarwardine
26-27. Oh,givemeland,lotsoflandunderstarryskiesabove,
do[n’t]fencemein:Tanzania
27. Newsinbrief
28. Getyourownfavouritepieceofequipment…
29. Aweddingwithanunusualtwist
30. Coveryourtracks
31. Thankyou
Conte
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Events Schedule:
Last Chance to See with Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine Tuesday27October2009ING New York City Marathon Sunday1November2009Hornucopia: Save the Rhino’s 15th birthday auction November20093 Peaks 3 Weeks Challenge Africa January2010Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture: Marcus du Sautoy Thursday11March2010Virgin London Marathon Sunday25April2010Rhino Mayday Wednesday5May2010Comrades Marathon Sunday30May2010Rhino Trek South Africa 21-28August2010Go-karting (Datetbc)Rhino Climb Kilimanjaro Datestosuit
Formoreinformationaboutanyofthese,pleaseemail [email protected]
oralternativelycall + 44 (0)20 7357 7474.
RhinoMonitorfortheLowveldRhinoTrust
inZimbabwe,whoreceivedoneofthe
DisneyConservationHeroAwardsin
2009.Jacksonandtherestofhisteam
doadifficultjob,andhaveseenthewrong
endofAK47s.
And,butthisisgoingtosoundverytwee,
thereareyou,oursupporters.Overthe
15yearsthatwe’vebeeninexistence,
wecouldn’thaveachievedallthatwe
dowithoutyourhelp.WhenIthinkof
allthemarathonmilesinrhinocostume
thathavebeenrun,allthebeersdrunk
atourparties,alltheridiculousswimming
/climbing/cyclingchallengesthat
peoplehavedoneinourname,and
alltheproposalswe’veworkedon
together,Iamtrulyimpressed.It’s
beenajointeffort.
Iwasthinkingaboutmyfavourite
thingsintherhinoworld.Thereare
therhinosthemselves.Whocouldn’t
resistthesight–andsound–ofa
babyblackrhinocalfsqueakingforits
mother,aswesawandheardatChester
ZooinAugust,onourannualstaffouting?
Waybackin2001,inmysecondmonth
atSavetheRhino,Ihadameetingat
PortLympne,whenIfirstexperiencedthe
joyofscratchingarhinobehinditsears,
andseeingitsbacklegsbuckleinecstasy.
I’vestillseenfewerthan50blackrhinos
Iguessinthefield,buteveryonehasbeen
atreat.
Therearethepeopleweworkwithin
thefield.Theyaretrulyamazing,andit’s
ajoywhentheygettherecognitionthey
deserve,asdidJacksonKamwi,Senior
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens”. OK, this is a particularly nauseating song, but it did inspire us to ask the managers of the field programmes we work with to tell us about a few of their favourite things. As you’ll read in this issue of The Horn, it’s quite a mix.
Bring on the next 15 years, and let’s
hope those rhinos are off the Critically
Endangered list by then.
3
These are a few of my fa-vour-ite things
CATHYD
EAN
Cathy Dean Director
Over the 15 years that we’ve been in existence, we couldn’t have achieved all that we do without your help.
ThisblackrhinoatChesterZoohadusallentranced
Indonesia:
MynameisSugondoandI
havebeenamemberof
theWayKambasRhino
ProtectionUnit(RPU)for
tenyears.IliveinalocalvillagenearWay
KambasNationalParkandwasrecruited
tojointheRPUthroughaspecialselection
andtrainingprocess.OurRPUconsists
offourpeopleandwespend20dayseach
monthonpatrolintheforest.Whenwe
areonpatrol,wemakecampintheforest
eachnight,neartheriver,andmakerice
andcoffeeorteafordinner.Wehaveto
TheAsianRhinoSpecialist
Group(AsRSG)isoneofthe
SpecialistGroupsoperating
undertheSpeciesSurvival
Commission(SSC)oftheInternational
UnionfortheConservationofNature
(IUCN).TheIUCN’sSSCisascience-based
networkofsome7,500volunteerexperts
fromalmosteverycountryoftheworld,
allworkingtogethertowardsachievingthe
visionof“Aworldthatvaluesand
conservespresentlevelsofbiodiversity.”
Sugondo and Sectionov (Inov)RhinoProtectionUnitprogramme,WayKambasNationalPark
Dr Bibhab Kumar TalukdarChair-IUCNSSCAsianRhinoSpecialistGroup,SecretaryGeneral-Aaranyak,AsianRhinoCoordinator-InternationalRhinoFoundation
Water filters enhance rhino protection
- the ultimate tool for Sumatran rhinos
5
The Rhino Protection Unit (RPU) programme was initiated in Indonesia in response to the catastrophic decline in Sumatran rhino numbers. It works to strengthen the protection and management of the National Parks. RPUs exist in Bukit Barisan Selatan and Way Kambas National Parks in Sumatra, and Ujung Kulon National Park in Java.
OurthanksinturntotheMarkLeonard
Trust,whichgaveusagrantofjustover
£1,000,tobuywaterfiltersfortheRPUs.
ThisfollowedavisitbyTrusteeMark
SainsburytoIndonesia,whenhemetand
talkedwithmembersofthepatrolteams.
OurthanksalsotoPeterBernstorffof
VestergaardFransen,whichmakesthe
Life-Strawsystemwepurchased,for
makingthekitsavailableataspecialrate.
WewouldalsoliketothankChesterZoo,
whichgaveusagrantof£4,191forongoing
runningcosts(salariesetc)oftheRhino
ProtectionUnitprogrammeinSumatra.
We’redeeplygratefulfortheir
ongoingsupport.
Thanks!
4
Mostmembersaredeployedinmore
than100TaskForcesorSpecialistGroups
suchastheAsianRhinoSpecialistGroup,
whichaddressesAsianrhinoconservation
andrelatedtopicalissues,suchthe
reintroductionofspeciesintoformer
habitatsoranimalhealth.Members
include:researchers;governmentofficials;
wildlifeveterinarians;zooandbotanical
instituteemployees;protectedarea
managers;expertsonAsianrhinos;and
internationalNGOs.
Amongst other things, the AsRSG
aims to:
• ReviewthestatusandtrendsofAsian
rhinopopulationsinthewildand
captivityaswellascollateinformation
onpoaching
• Facilitateinformationexchangeand
collaborationbetweenrangestate
members,othermembersandinvited
delegates
• Providetechnicalinformationonthe
managementofrhinos,andfacilitate
cooperationonconservation-related
researchonAsianrhinosthroughthe
presentationofpapers
• Useworkinggroupsatthemeetingto
providetechnicalsupporttofacilitate
decision-makingandthedevelopment
andimplementationofappropriate
rhinopolicies,andtoadviceonthe
implicationsofvariouspolicyoptions
• Provideaforumforfeedback
fromdonoragenciestorhino
conservationistsinthefield
SincemyappointmentasChairinJune
2008,Ihavestartedtodevelopeven
greatercooperationbetweentheAsian
usewaterfromtherivertodrinkand
cook,becausecarryingwaterwithus
wouldbetoohardandtooexpensive.
InIndonesiawehavearainyseasonand
adryseason.Duringtherainyseason,
wecanfindfresh,cleanwatertodrink,
butduringthedryseason,itisveryhard
tofindfreshwater.Thewaterwehaveto
useduringthedryseasonisoftenmuddy
andpolluted,butwehavenochoice–we
havetousethatwater.Everydryseason,
atleastoneortwomembersoftheRPU
becomesickfromdrinkingthedirtywater,
andmisspatroldays.Thisisbadforus,
andbadfortherhinos!
InMarch2009,SavetheRhinodonated
20waterpurifierstoourSumatran
RPUs.Eachunitnowcarriesawater
purifierwiththemonpatrol.Theyare
verypracticalandeasytooperate.Now
wecaneasilyturnmuddy,pollutedwater
intocleanwaterthatissafetodrink,and
wedon’tgetsickanymore.Havingthe
waterpurifiersalsomeanswedon’thave
tospendasmuchtimelookingforfresh
waterandcanspendmoretimedoing
surveysandpatrols.
Thank you, Save the Rhino!
IMAGES:R
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ATRANR
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ANCTUARY
Drs Robin W. Radcliffe, Dedi Candra, and AndriansyahSumatranRhinoSanctuary
Deep inside Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia, in a fenced sanctuary encompassing 100 hectares of natural rainforest, live five of the last Sumatran rhinoceros on earth. Just ten of these primitive hairy rhinos are held in captive facilities worldwide, making the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary (SRS) holder of half the extant captive population.
ThegoaloftheSRSistomanage
itscaptiverhinostohelp
augmentwildpopulationsthat
remainthreatened.Theanimals
arepartofaglobalmanagedbreeding
programmeforthespecies,withhopes
ofaddingnumbersthroughreproduction
andnewscientificknowledgethatwill
enhanceourunderstandingoftheserare
andsecretiveforestrhinos.Andalas,a
newherdbull,arrivedattheSanctuary
inearly2007andbroughtwithhima
revivalofhopeforthesanctuarybreeding
programmeasthecentre’snewest
breeder.Heisnowmeetingthefemales
onadailybasisandhasalreadybeen
introducedtohisfuturemates.
Makingthedecisiononwhentoputthe
rhinostogetherattherighttimecanbea
challenge,especiallyforaspecieslikethe
Sumatranrhinothatislargelysolitaryin
thewildandwouldnotnormallyassociate
withanotheradultuntilthefemaleisnear
oestrousandreceptive.Drs.DediCandra
andAndriansyahworktogetherwiththe
rhinokeeperstoultrasoundeachfemale
onaregularbasistolearnabouteach
female’sreproductivecycle.
Ultrasoundisnowapracticalpieceofthe
rhinoveterinarian’smedicalequipment
arsenalandallowsonetoplanthemale
andfemalerhinomixingsbasedon
thesizeofthefemale’sfollicle(which
containsthematuringegg).Workdone
attheCincinnatiZoohashelpedguide
effortstointroducerhinosatthemost
opportunetime.Ofcourse,ifafemale
doesbecomepregnant,theultrasoundwill
alsohelpmaketheexcitingdiagnosisby
allowingthedoctorstodirectlyvisualize
thefoetus.Partoftheeffortisbasedon
soundscience–theultrasoundallows
onetocarefullymeasureandrecord
thedailychangesineachrhinofemale’s
developingfollicle.Andanotherpartis
basedonsoundmanagement–following
behaviouralcluestohelpguidethemost
opportunemomenttoopenthegatethat
separatesthemaleandfemalerhinoceros.
AgreatdealofhoperestsonAndalas
asafuturebreedinganimalfortheWay
KambasRhinoSanctuary,andwiththe
helpofultrasoundwemayonedaysoon
seethebeatingheartofanunbornrhino.
Aboveandbelow:TheRhinoProtectionUnitsmakeregularuseofthewaterfiltersdonatedbySRI
Asian Rhinos a speciality
GrantOurverygratefulthankstotheTaiwan
ForestryBureau,foritsrecentgrantof
$5,000towardstheannualSouthEast
Asiaworkshop,tobeheldinFebruary
orMarch2010inBogor,Indonesia.
IMAGES:A
ARANYAK
rhinorangestates,byarrangingregular
meetingsandworkshopsasfollows:
• Bi-ennialAsRSGworkshopsinvolving
allAsianrhinorangecountries
• AnnualAsRSGSouthEastAsia
workshopsfocusingonJavanand
Sumatranrhinos(Indonesia,Malaysia
andVietnam)
• AnnualAsRSGSouthernAsia
workshops focusingonIndianrhinos
(NepalandIndia)
Top:SRSkeeperDedeAbove:AtypicalmealfortherhinosattheSRS
AsRSGChair,DrBibhabKumarTalukdaratatreeplantingceremony
Grants OurthankstoChesterZooandthe
RuffordMauriceLaingFoundation,who
gaveusatotalof£14,019towardsthe
ongoingrunningcostsoftheSumatran
RhinoSanctuary.
biodiversity.”planting
Events:
6 7
Sunday 26 April was one of those glorious days: it was warm but not too hot, there was a very slight breeze, most importantly it did not rain. And our London Marathon runners
had a wonderful day – and so did we! The runners have to complete 26.2 miles on the day, but to get to the start line they need to have put in hours and hours of training, and to have raised a minimum amount for Save the Rhino and the field programmes we support. You might have thought that the aches, the pains, the blisters and the dreaded “wall” would
have dampened their enthusiasm for the day, but not a bit of it. Just look at what they said and see their faces at the finish line…
London Marathon 2009
– Oh such a perfect day!
“Thankyouforeverything,itwasafabulousdayandIwasproud
tobepartoftheteam.”Annette Barrett
“JustwantedtoletyouknowthatIhadthemostamazingday
yesterday.Ilovedeveryminuteofit.Itwasalsolovelytomeetyou
andtheguysandIjustwantedtothankyouforallyoureffortsand
hardwork!”Charmain Berry
“Ireallyhadagreatdayyesterdayandthemassage,Tuskerand
warmwelcomeattheendwereamassivebonus.Itwasalsogreat
tofinallymeetyouandsomeoftheotherSavetheRhinogang.”
Angus Rissik
“ThanksLaurence,itwasagreatexperienceandIwasveryproud
torunforSavetheRhino.”Louise Bentley
“ThanksforeverythingyoudidtoorganizeeverythingforusRhino
runnersoverthepastyear.Itwascertainlyoneofthegreatestand
mostfundaysofmylife.”Paul Solkow
“Thanksforallyourhelpovertherecentmonths-theentireday
onSundaywasanamazingexperiencewhichIamstillbuzzingfrom
evennow.Whoknows,maybeIwillbebackinrunningshoesthis
timenextyear?Icertainlywouldn’truleitoutatthisstage.”
Neil Richards
“Thankyouforyourorganization!Itmadeitallgososmoothly.
Iabsolutelylovedit.Sendmethe2010applicationformplease.
I’mhooked!“Christine Davies
“Welldonetoallofyouforenhancingsuchamarvellousday.
Allthetraditionalrhinovalueswerepresentbythebucket-load–
excellentorganisation,greathospitalityandnaturalenthusiasm
andfriendliness.Alongdayforallofyou,butwemuchappreciated
whatyoualldidforus.“Nick Headly
“Justwanttosayabig,bigthankyoutoallofwhoworkedsohard
tomaketheeventhappen.”Raj Mann
“Thanksalotforthealltimeandeffortyouguysputinforallthe
runnersontheday.Pleasepassthisontotherestoftheteam.
Wasgreatlyappreciated(especiallytherubdowns).Havealready
putinfortheballotfornextyearbutwhetherIgetinornotI
willwanttobewearingtherhinobadgeifyouguyswillhaveme.
Thanksagainguys,wasanawesomeday.”Brad Van der Heim
“Ijustwantedtosaythankyouforallyourhardworkandforthe
opportunitytorunforyouguys!Ithasbeenthebestexperience
ofmylife!Itwasamazingtoseehowfamousandpopularthe
rhinoswerearoundthecourse!Thoseguysareamazing!Ireally
wanttodoanother!”Tracey Leadbetter
“GreattoseeyouallwelcomingmewhenIwassoknackered-
andIhadtheperksofafreemassage,twobeersandabanana!!”
Andy Byerley
“Laurence-ithasbeenanabsolutepleasure-andifyou’llhaveme
-I’llbebacknextyear-butjustdon’taskmetoweartherhino!!!”
Louise Jeffery
VIRGIN LONDON MARATHON 2010
Want to join our team next year?
Wehave50guaranteed
placesintheVirginLondon
Marathon2010.
To find out how to get a
place, please contact
Laura Adams on 020 7357 7474,or email her: [email protected]
Remember, if you get a
place in the ballot, you
can still run as part of the
Rhino team – it’s better
running together.
Win the race against time: extinction or survival
With 50 guaranteed Gold Bond places you too can help Save the Rhino
For more information call
020 7357 7474 or [email protected] charity 1035072
It’s better...
...running together
SavetheRhino’smasseursgetadefinitethumbsup!
Whatmorecouldarunnerwanttoseeatthefinishline?
Update
whiletheplaneistossedaroundinthe
turbulentair.Itstoleranceofextreme
flyingconditionsmakestheHuskyan
aircraftthatpassengerswithqueasy
stomachsshoulddefinitelynotgetinto.
Whenradio-tracking,itiseasyforthepilot
torollawingupwithoutdeviatingfrom
course.Thisallowsthestrut-mounted
antennatoscanfromtheareabelowthe
planetothehorizon,butbeingwhatis
technicallydescribedasanunbalanced
turn,itinevitablyunbalancesthestomach
ofapassenger.
SomesaythattheHuskyisjustan
imitationofthefamousPiperSupercub,
whichlooksverysimilar.Nottrue.
TheHuskyfliesjustasslowlyasthe
Supercubbutalsomuchfasterand,most
importantly,hastwicethefuelendurance
thatisamajorfactorinourrhinowork.
AgreatsafetyfeatureoftheHusky
comparedtoothersmallaircraftisits
structuralstrength.Ihavecollidedwith
bigbirdslikeeaglesandvultures,which
arealwaysariskwhenflyinglowabove
areaswheretherearealotofanimal
carcasses,suchasduringthedevastating
poachingthataccompaniedlandinvasions
inZimbabweanconservanciesin2001-4.
Abirdstrikecreatesamightybangandan
equallymightyfright,particularlywhen
theextentofthedamageisunclear.The
Husky’stailstrutoncecutatawnyeagle
almostinhalf.WhileIwastryingtowork
outwhathadhappenedtomyviolently
pitchedaircraft,thevetwhohaddarted
arhinowasshoutingovertheradiotobe
givendirectionstothecollapsedanimal.
Ifhehadlookeduphewouldhaveseen
theeaglefalldowntomakeadirecthit
ontherhino.TheHusky’srobustlanding
gearalsoenablesmetolandonawide
varietyofsurfaces;roughpatchesof
openground,overgrownairfields,roads.
TheonlylandingproblemI’veincurred
waswhenthetailwheelsnappedoffas
itcaughtinasmalltermitehole.Thetail
wheelspringhadfinallyfatiguedafter
thousandsoflandings.Nottobebeaten,
wepatchedupthebentandtornrudder
andmadeanewtemporaryspringto
completetheopbycuttingacar’sleaf
springinhalf.
Thisremindsme,aLandCruiseris
anotherformofreliablekit.Thefirst
temporaryspringwemadefortheHusky
wasfromaLandRoverspringbutitwas
toosoft–aLandCruiserspringdidthe
job.HavingopeneduptheHuskyversus
Supercubdebate,I’llleavetheLand
CruiserversusLandRoverissueto
anotherdiscussionaboutfavouritekit
forrhinoworkinAfrica...
8 9
Zimbabwe:
You have a friend request - Save the Rhino International
Lucy Boddam-WhethamFundraisingManager
When the likes of Facebook, bebo and Myspace first entered our lives, who would have thought they would lead to such a revolution in communication and social media; helping to launch unknown bands and singers, playing a vital part in lobbying and campaigning and even in helping charities raise much-needed funds? A savvy fundraising charity in the 21st century should not be without these tools.
Withthepowerofthe
internetincreasingly
beingusedasacost-
effectivefundraising
andawareness-increasingtool,itwastime
forSavetheRhinototestitsdigitalskills.
Inspring2009,therhinopoachingcrisis
inZimbabwepresentedtheurgentneed
foranappeal.So,inpartnershipwiththe
InternationalRhinoFoundationintheUS,
welaunchedanonline,paper-freeeffort
toraiseemergencyfundsandtoincrease
awarenessoftheworkoftheLowveld
RhinoTrust.ThiswasafirstforSavethe
Rhino,andwewerekeentoexplorethe
possibilitiesandavoidthecostsnormally
associatedwithapostalcampaign.
Wereallydidlearnaswewentalong.
Wethoughtitimportanttosetupan
appeal-specificJustgivingpagesothat
everyonewasabletoseethefundraising
targetandprogress.Byallowingdonorsto
posttheircomments,theuseofJustgiving
allowedustocreatemoreofadialogue
withoursupporters.Thiswasalsotrueof
Whatfirstcomestomind
whenIthinkalongthese
linesistheplanethat
Iflyonrhinoops.Itisa
two-seaterAviatHuskythatwasdonated
bytheBeitTrusttwentyyearsago.
Itismainlyfabric-covered,thereforevery
light,buthasapowerful180-horsepower
engineandapropellerwithanadjustable
pitch,givingahighpower-to-weightratio.
Theplanefliesitself–orperhapsitisjust
that,afterover3,000hours,I’vehave
becomesousedtoflyingit,Idon’tthink
aboutthecontrolsmostofthetime.
Itgracefullyallowsmetodotightorbits
overarhinoatrelativelyslowspeed,
nosepitcheduptothelimitsofthepitch
control,withouthavingtotakemyeyes
awayfromtheoperationbelowmeto
anxiouslymonitorinstrumentsthatI’d
certainlywantkeepcheckingifIwasflying
mostotheraircraftsoclosetothespeed
atwhichIcouldstallorspin.
Ihavedonethatkindofopsflyingeven
inhorribleplacesliketheChipinge
mountains,whereastandingwaveof
windcomesoverthemountains,pushing
theplanedownintothedeepvalleys.
Youhavetoorbitwithinthevalleyswith
wingflapsdowntoenhancelift,andalot
ofpower,adjustingforthevariablewind
directionindifferentpartsoftheorbit,
thespecificcausewesetuponFacebook,
whichhelpedustoreachawideraudience
andtoreceiveadditionaldonations.
Acrosstheworld,anaverageof
5,000,000,000minutesisspenton
Facebookeachday.Thisissurelysetto
increaseaspeoplebecomemoreandmore
activeincommunicatingtotheworldwhat
theycareabout,sothepotentialofthesite
isenormous.Asasmallcharitywithlimited
resources,usingsuchtoolsisacost-free
wayofcommunicatingwithourexisting
supportersandalsoreachingawider
audience.SavetheRhinocould/would
neverlaunchacostlymarketingcampaign,
sotheuseofsocialmediaisacost-
effectivealternativethatticksallourboxes.
Wesentthreeappealupdateemailsto
ourRhiNEWSsubscribersoverasix-week
periodandpostedregularupdatesonour
ownwebsite.Theseupdatesallowedusto
communicatequicklyandefficientlythe
problemsofthecrisisbutalsoenabledus
todelivernewsfromthefieldasandwhen
ithappened,aswellasupdatingsupporters
ontheprogressoftheappeal.
Anotherfirstforuswasanonlinewebinar
(oronlinepressconference).Organised
bytheInternationalRhinoFoundation,
thewebinarmeantthatjournalistsfrom
aroundtheworldcouldtalklivetoRaouldu
ToitoftheLowveldRhinoTrust,SusieEllis
oftheIRF,MichelleGaddfromUSFWS,and
CathyDean,ourDirector.Statistics,maps
andimageswereavailabletoallattendees
astheytalked.
Theonlineappealwascertainlyalearning
experienceforus.Followingitssuccess,we
havestartedusingtwitterandwhoknows,
nextyearwemightevenattemptanonline,
interactiveRhinoMayday.Watchthisspace…
The workhorse of the skies While various fancy gadgets make our jobs easier, we rely primarily upon some indispensable workhorses to get the job done.
Raoul du ToitDirectorLowveldRhinoTrust
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The appeal raised more than US $120,000, of which Save the Rhino raised $31,000, and resulted in more than 50 articles in major media outlets and hundreds more smaller pieces.
Thankyoutoeveryonewhosupportedour
appeal,inparticular:FriendsFoundationof
SafariparkBeekseBergenandDierenrijk,
DublinZooandStuttgartZoo.Specialthanks
alsotoSusie,Maggie,KellyandAprilatthe
InternationalRhinoFoundationforalloftheir
helpandtoAlexRhindforhelpingwiththe
designofouremailandwebupdates.The
LowveldRhinoTrusthasnowsuccessfully
moved46criticallyendangeredblackrhinos
outofareaswheretheywereparticularly
vulnerabletopoachers.SinceMay,eight
poachershavebeenkilledintheLowveld
duringarmedconfrontationswiththe
police.Therehavebeensevenknownrhino
poachinglosses.Tolearnmoreaboutthe
appealpleasevisit:www.savetherhino.org
The Convention on International Trade
in Endangered Species (CITES), to which
Zimbabwe is a signatory, is likely to discuss
censuring Zimbabwe at its 2010 Conference
of the Parties, because of the country’s
inadequate actions to halt poaching.
TwitterStartfollowing
SavetheRhino
onTwitterby
goingto
RaoulhasworkedtirelesslyinconservationinZimbabwesince1986
CarlatherhinolikedtoleadWilliamwheneverhewentouttocutbrowseforher
www.twitter.com/savetherhino
Events:
1110
Dave Robertson and Dirk SwartHluhluwe-iMfoloziPark
Fiona MacleodEventsManager
Rhino Trek South Africa 2010Saturday21toSaturday28AugustFieldequipmentisessentialfor
ourfieldrangerstobeable
todotheirjobseffectively.
Ourfieldrangersworkunder
difficultconditions,inremoteareasand
ofteninextremeweather.Havinggood
basicequipmentliketents,sleeping
bagsandbackpacksmakesthisfar
moretolerable,andgreatlyimproves
staffmoraleandeffectiveness.
Recentgrantshaveenabledthepurchase
of60belt-sizedfirst-aidkitswhich
havebeenagodsend.Thekitsareofa
comfortablesizeandeveryfieldranger
andfencelinerisinpossessionofone,
andisactivelytakingthemintothefield
withthem.60x18-litregreendaypacks
werealsopurchased.Thesmilesonlaw
enforcementstafffacesafterreceiving
themwerepriceless;theycannowcarry
waterbottles,raincoats,firstaidkits
andbinocularscomfortablyintothefield,
allowingthemtoconcentrateonthe
jobinhand.Fencingplierswereissued
toeachfencelinemaintenancestaff
member.Theseversatileinstruments
arethemostimportantitemneededto
maintainthefenceinthefield.Theyare
usedtocut,join,tighten,andappend
electricfencecomponents.AM36electric
fenceenergiserwasalsoprocured.This
energiserisextremelystrongandcan
ensurethat360kmofelectricwirefence
linehas10,000volts,thusensuringthe
utmostintegrityofthenorthernboundary
ofHluhluwe,whichbordersveryclosely
withimpoverishedcommunitieswho
cannotaffordtohaverhino,elephant
andbuffaloploughingthroughfarmland,
orleopardandlionkillinglivestock.We
alsonowuserapid-chargeAAbattery
cellchargers.Accordingtorecords,1
rechargeablebatteryisequivalentto
over1,000normalbatteries!Sothisisan
environmentallysoundandcheaperway
ofensuringthatalltorchesarelitand
GPSsarekeptworking.
OntheiMfolozisideofthePark,12
CampingGazstovesandextracylinders
wereboughtforfieldrangerscampingout
inpoachinghotspots;17backpackcovers
tomakepackswaterproofandassistwith
camouflageforextendedpatrols;and
13hikingmats.Alotofpoachingtakes
placeatnightoverfull-moon,orlatein
theafternoonatlastlight.Thisisatime
whenitisdifficultforfieldrangerstobe
outinthefieldfarfromtheiroutpostsif
theyarenotcamping.Beingabletocamp
aroundtheclockreducesthehitandmiss
approachtoanticipatingwhenpoachers
willbeinaparticulararea.Fieldrangers’
movementsshouldbeunpredictableto
poachers.Bywalkingintoatemporary
baseundercover,andstayingthere,well
hiddenforafewdays,poachersgenerally
donotknowtheirwhereabouts.Ifthey
stayeverynightattheiroutpost,itisa
loteasierforpoacherstopostlookouts
forthem.
Thearrivalofthetwo-wayradiosnow
providesgoodcommunication,which
isessentialforeffectiveanti-poaching
work,aswellasrhinomonitoring,and
ensuringsafetyofstaffworkingina
dangerousenvironment.Thetwo-way
radiosaresomewhatdifferenttothe
oldermodelswehavebeenusingand
havebeenverywellreceived.Theyhave
anextrasecurityfunctionthatscrambles
communicationtootherradiosonthe
samefrequency,whichdon’thaveacode
numberenteredintothem.Theadvantage
tothisisthatitensurescompletelysecure
conversationbetweenwhoever’susing
thenewradiosduringanti-poachingwork,
buttheycanalsobeunscrambledfor
generalcommunication.Communication
isprobablyoneofthemostimportant
aspectsinlawenforcementwithin
thePark.
Thefactthatstaffarehardworkingand
honestreflectsontheirhappinessinthe
workplace,havingbeengiventhebest
supportpossibletodotheirjobstothe
higheststandards.Ourfunderscontinued
supportinthestruggletoprotectand
conserveourwildlifefromunscrupulous
poachingsyndicatesandothersuch
pressuresisgreatlyappreciated.
SpendaweekinAugust2010withSavetheRhinoforatrekking
challengethroughsomeofSouthAfrica’smostbeautifulgame
reserves.
IntheheartoftheKingdomoftheZulu,atthefoothillsoftheLebombo
Mountains,thejourneybegins.Withfivedaysoftrekkingthroughsome
ofSouthAfrica’sbestgamereservesandcampingunderthestars,you
canbeassuredofatrueAfricanexperienceandtheopportunitytoget
upcloseandpersonalwithsomeofthemostamazingcreaturesthat
walk,swimandflyonourplanet.Theamazingchallenge,whichallows
youtoseetheareayourmoneywillbehelping,concludeswithasafari
intheHluhluwe-iMfoloziPark.Youareguaranteed
toseewhiterhinosandmay
seeblack.
South Africa:
Small things - BIG difference
Living the dream
One of the perks of our job is to be able to hand out much-needed field equipment and take photos of happy rangers to send back to our much-appreciated funders.
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At just under 20,000ft,
Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest
peak and the highest free-
standing mountain in the world. Images
of the towering snow-covered cone rising
majestically from fertile green foothills
have become a powerful example of
Tanzania’s extraordinary extremes.
Thechallengestartsintherainforest;
hometoelephant,buffalo,antelopeand
monkeys.Higherupyou’llcrossmoorland
andbeyondthisliestherockandice
zoneasyouslowlyapproachthesummit.
Whetheryoureachtheverysummitornot,
you’llbegreetedbystunningviewsacross
Arrests
Dirk Swart; Lucy Boddam-Whetham
-----Original Message-----From: Dave RobertsonSent: 28 August 2009 14:06To: Dirk Swart; Lucy Boddam-WhethamCc: Cathy DeanSubject: Arrests
Some positive news from iMfolozi is that we arrested four rhino poachers red-handed two nights ago. A field ranger reported hearing a rifle shot late in the afternoon (traditionally a high risk time - poachers shoot an animal at last light and exit the Park under cover of darkness). We all raced to close off inside the Park while Lawrence Munro, the section ranger at Makhamisa section in the south, called the police from the nearest station at KwaMbonambi. He met up with them and they did a road block outside the Park on an access road. They were just in time to stop a pick-up with four people in it. Lawrence noticed blood on their clothes and when they were made to get out of the vehicle, he saw a .303 rifle inside. When they looked in the back, they saw two fresh white rhino horns dripping blood. We believe from their footwear and other factors that they are the same guys responsible for most of our poaching as well as the spate of poaching at Ophathe Game Reserve this year. We located the carcass early yesterday morning and recovered a bullet from the head. It’s sad that we lost another rhino, but at least this one didn’t die in vain. We’re going to push for very heavy sentences. We’re all over the moon here - everybody’s been putting in huge effort for a long time and this has made it all worthwhile. The field rangers have had permanent smiles on their faces since the arrest!
will be helping, concludes with a safari
You are guaranteed
Receivingnewkitisagreatmoraleboostfortheteam
Wewouldreallyliketothankthefollowing
funders,whohavesupportedHluhluwe-
iMfoloziPark,inmanycasesforseveral
years:ColchesterZoo’sActionfortheWild
fund,SafariClubInternationalFoundation,
SafariClubInternational(LondonChapter),
andSalzburgZoo.Wearesopleasedthat
theirdonationsarehavingsuchanimpact.
Thanks!
Rhino Climb KilimanjaroDates to suit
theMaasaiplainsandtheeuphoriaof
standingontopoftheworld.
Gettogetheragroupoffriends,andwe
canarrangeanadd-onvisittotheMkomazi
RhinoSanctuary,whereyoumightseea
blackrhino,andwillcertainlyseewilddogs.
Visitourwebsitewww.savetherhino.org
fordetailsoneitherofthesechallenges.
Always dreamt of going on safari and seeing the big five? Or taking on a physical challenge of a lifetime? We can help you do both…
All readers of The Horn!
Cathy Dean
Richard expands his latest theory
to delegates at the 2008 AfRSG
meeting in Lake Manyara, Tanzania
1312
Iusedmyfavouritepiecesof
equipmentintheearly1980s,when
Iwasdoingfieldworkonapplied
whiterhinograzingecologyin
iMfoloziGameReserve,SouthAfrica.Park
managementatthetimewereconcerned
aboutthepotentialfor“over-grazing”by
whiterhinosasaresultoftheParkfence
preventingtheirdispersal(apopulation
regulationmechanism).
ThegrassiniMfoloziwasnotonly
respondingtobeingeatenbywhiterhinos,
butalsobyotherlargeherbivoressuchas
buffalo,zebra,impalaandwildebeest,as
wellasbyinsects.Tobetterunderstand
theimpactofgrazingbywhiterhinoon
otherherbivorespecies,andonthegrass
itself,aswellastheimpactofgrazingby
otherspeciesonwhiterhino,Istudied
grassresponsestoobservedgrazing
patternsofarangeofcommonspecies.
Oneyear,aspartofthiswork,Ihadabout
1,700markedstudygrasstillersoftwo
ofthemajorgrassspeciesintheReserve.
(Thetermtillerreferstoanindividual
grassshootthatsproutsfromthebase
ofagrasstuft/plant.)Thestudygrass
plantsweremarkedwithsmall,grey,
numberedmetaltagsandoneachplant
twosampletillersweremarkedusingvery
thinredandblacktwistedwirecollarsat
theirbase.
Iwentbacktothesemarkedstudytillers
inthefieldeverythreeweeksduringthe
growingseasontoseeifthey’dbeen
eaten,andifsohowandbywhat.This
allowedmebothtodeterminewhattypes
ofgrazingregimeswerenatural,butalso
howthegrasstillersrespondedto
differentlevelsandpatternsofdefoliation.
Acheap“treasure-hunter’s”metal
detectorprovedveryusefulforfinding
theironbarsmarkingtheendofthe
transects,andalsoforfindingsome
ofthemarkedgrassplantsalongthe
transect.Apinkandwhitecandy-striped
hula-hoopalsoprovedtobeauseful
markerforcircular“quadrats”when
monitoringgrassspeciescomposition
andstudyinggrazingpatternsbya
numberofkeylargeherbivorespecies.
IneededtobesurethatIdidn’tdouble-
recordanygrazingonmystudytillers
whenIcamebackonsubsequentvisits.
Seeingasmostanimalsareprettycolour-
blindandlipstickislargelymadeofwax,
Ithoughtlipstickmightbesuitablefor
markinganygrazedgrasssurfaces,and
shouldn’tundulyputofftheanimalsor
insects.Althoughthecoloureventually
fadedinthesun,thelipsticklastedlong
enoughthattherewasneveranychance
ofdouble-counting.Zululandsummer
temperaturessometimesexceed40°C,
andoneproblemwasthatthelipstick
couldmelt.Asitmeltedlessinthe
Zululandheatthanotherbrands,andwas
easytosee,Yardley’sRaveRedlong-
lastinglipstickendedupbeingmybrand
Africa:
Lipstick, hula-hoops and a metal-detector
Command centre
Richard EmslieScientificOfficer,IUCNSSCAfricanRhinoSpecialistGroup
Mark JagoGameCaptureVeterinarianMinistryofEnvironmentandTourismWhen I got a request to write an article for The Horn on a piece of
equipment I found particularly useful in my work, I was initially at a bit of a loss as to what to pick. Writing something on some of the amazing new machine learning / data mining / artificial intelligence or multivariate ecological statistical software packages would not be of much interest to most readers. So, I decided to write about lipstick, a metal detector and a hula-hoop.
The Rhino Recovery Car, together with its crates and trailers, has permitted the Namibian Ministry of Environment and Tourism to move more black rhinos safely, efficiently and at considerably less cost.
ofchoice.Tothesurpriseofthefemale
shopassistantsatthechemistin
Mtubatuba,Iwouldusuallybuyfiveto
tenlipsticksatatime.Pocketsfilledwith
partiallyusedlipstickscertainlydidn’t
quitefitthearchetypalimageofthe
ruggedbushranger/researcher
wearingkhaki!Whocares–itworked!
Interestingly,Ifoundthatmanyofthe
experimentalsimulatedgrazingregimes
beingusedbyanumberofacademic
researchersatthetimeborenorelationto
howthegrasseswereactuallybeingeaten
inthewild.Theresultsfrommymonitoring
ofgrazinginthefieldandobservations
ofgrazingpatternsofkeyherbivore
specieshelpedguidethedesignofsome
simulationdefoliationexperimentsthat
Iundertookinalargeherbivore-proof
exclosurethefollowingyear.
Namibia:
Thesoundofthe21st-century
mobilephonescreaminga
wake-upcallatfiveo’clockin
themorningdragsmepainfully
fromabrieftwohoursofsleepundera
crystalclearstar-spangledAfricansky.Itis
cold,evencolderthanwhenweoff-loaded
ourpreciouscargooftwofemaleblack
rhinosthenightbefore,deepintothe
heartofDamaralandinwesternNamibia.
Thesoundofvoicesandthearomaof
coffeedrivethelackofsleepaway,and
asthefirstraysofsunshinecreepabove
thehorizon,theroarofthehelicopter’s
jetenginesignifiesthestartofanother
rhinocaptureforNamibia’sMinistryof
Environment’srhinocaptureteam.
Captureisfast,challengingworkrequiring
aboveallthecombinedeffortofa
numberofindividualsunitedintoone
well-oiledteam.Alongsidethepeople
thereisabatteryofhighlyspecialised
vehiclesandequipment.Thishasbeen
modifiedcountlesstimesovertheyears,
asmoreisunderstoodaboutthebest
waytocaptureandtransportrhinoand
thetechniquesimprove.Captureofwild
creaturesisbydefinitionstressfulfor
theanimalsconcerned,buttheteam
continuouslystrivestominimisethis
stressandtoensureasefficientandas
safeanoperationaspossible.Itwaswith
thisphilosophyinmindthattheRhino
RecoveryCar(RRC)andtheLightweight
RhinoCrateandTrailersystemwasbuilt.
Thesepiecesofkithaveprovedtobe
highlysuccessful.
FundedinpartbyOpelZoo,theRRChas
broughttogetherintoasinglevehicleall
thekitneededtocarryoutthenumerous
proceduresthatarerequiredforarhino
tobetranslocated.Theconverted4x4
Landcruiserisalwaysthefirsttoarrive
bythesideofthesleepingrhino.It
carrieswatertocooldowntherhino,
ropestosecureandmoveit,bush-cutting
equipmenttocleararoadinforloading,
andamyriadofveterinaryequipment
tomonitorandsupportourprehistoric
patient.Supplementaloxygen,pulse
oximeters,thermometers,coolingfans
areallreadytohandatasecond’snotice.
Aportablegeneratorpowersthedrill
thatneatlyfitsaradiotransmitterinto
thehorn,sotheanimalcanbelocated
andmonitoredaftertranslocation.
Equippedwithbothground-to-airand
inter-vehicleradios,theRRCisthe
commandcentreforeachandevery
rhinocapture.
AfewyearsagoPierreduPreezandhis
colleaguesintheMinistryofEnvironment
andTourismstartedlookingattheoption
ofusinglightweightrhinocratesand
trailerstorecoverandtransportblack
rhino.Costingsignificantlylessthan
theoldersystems,thesehavenow
beenrefinedintoveritablefirst-class
travellingcompartments!
Thecratesaresignificantlysmallerthan
theirpredecessorsandconstructedof
theminimalamountofsteelneededto
containarhinosafely.Withdoorsatboth
ends,rhinoscanbeeasilyloadedand
offloaded.Theinteriorislinedwithrubber
conveyorbeltingtominimizeanychance
oftherhinoinjuringitself.Withairvents
cutintothesidesandback,trapdoors
onthetopwhichmaybeopenorclosed,
andthecratepaintedwithaheatresistant
paint,criticaltemperaturecontrolis
aboutasgoodasitgets.Thecratescan
berapidlywinchedupontoalow,simple
trailer,whichthenispulledbyastandard
ToyotaLandcruiserfromtheremotest
partsoftheNamibianbush,beforebeing
cross-loadedbycranetothelarge6x6
transporttruck,whichcancarryupto
threecratesatpresent.
Alltheequipmentrequirescontinual
maintenance,forwearandtearis
significant,buttheequipmenthas
undoubtedlybeenanessential
factorinhelpingNamibiapursueits
ambitiousandsuccessfulblackrhino
conservationprogramme.
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OurthankstoOpelZooinKronberg,
Germany,foritsgrantof50,000eurosover
aperiodoffouryears,aspartoftheEAZA
RhinoCampaign.
Thanks!
Richardgetsupcloseandpersonalwithwhiterhinos
Thetranslocationteammudwrestleswitharhino
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Thingsdon’talwaysgotoplan!
Events:
14
WearereallygratefultoRichardKeyser,
andJustineandTerenceRyan,who
togetherraisedawonderfultotalof£1,932
forSavetheRhinoTrust,aswellasgetting
theoddblisterintothebargain.
Thanks!
“ What? You’re going to cycle 350k across Damaraland… but why would you do that?”
Richard KeyserRhinosupporterandcyclist
Earlier this year, I met someone who has now become a very good friend. He runs a tourism company selling safaris and has a huge energetic respect for his country and African wildlife. Last year he decided it was time to “put back in” and so “challenge4acause.com”, a fundraising division of his company that aims to support worthy causes across southern Africa, was launched. The first adventure for challenge4acause was a cycle across Damaraland, Namibia to raise money to support Save the Rhino Trust Namibia.
LastAprilaspareplaceopened
uponthechallenge4acause
teamandso,withadegreeof
anticipation,Ijumpedonboard.
TwodayslaterIleftCapeTownforhome
withaheftytrainingprogrammeand
fundraisingplaninhand.Threemonths
passedquicklyandinthesmallhoursof
Saturday4JulyweflewtoNamibiawith
littlerealunderstandingofthemental
andphysicalchallengethatlayahead.
WearrivedatCampOneinPalmwagat
duskafter15hourstravelling.Overwhelmed
bythecountry’ssimplicityandbeauty,
andalsofeelingalittlemisplaced,Imissed
dinnerandwenttobedspeechless.
DayOnecommencedandthefirsttasteof
whatwasaheadloomed.Wesoonlearned
thatroadtrainingdidn’tprepareusfor
thetrackatall!Ishouldhavecycledfrom
RichmondtotheThamesBarrieratlow
tidealongtheThamesbeachesforseven
hoursatatimewearingadozensweaters!
Hillswereparticularlyhard,butthe
rewardsofspectacularviewsnotseen
anywhereelseexceptonafilmsetofStar
Warsandrawnatureendlesslyongoing
withanemptinessthatsomehowwasso
full,inspiredustopedalharder.Going
downhill,travellingat50kphthrough
roughcobbles,rock,sandandgravel,
wasalsohardandconsiderablymore
dangerous!Theworstthingyoucoulddo
wasbrake,andaftertwodaysofcutsand
bruiseswesoonlearnedtogowiththeflow
andtohellwithit!
Wehadbeengrantedaccesstocycle
throughsomeconservanciesinthearea
andcampinthewildernessofthis
desiccatedenvironment.Justwhowould
daregoforthatmidnightpee?!Forme,
anovicecamper,arachnophobe,and
someonewholikesprivacy,thethoughtof
basictoiletarrangementshadcausedmany
acringeandagiggle.Inreality,thetoilet
wassurprisinglyliberating,especiallyat
4amwiththestars,themoonsandthe
shadows!Theshowerbuckethangingfrom
anoverhangingrockalwayshadaview
todieforandthehalf-bucketrationwas
plentytokeepclean,butnotenoughto
soakupthevista.
It’struetosaythatonedayofgetting
toknowsomeoneinaremoteandwild
environmentisequaltothirtydaysin
“realtime”.I’veneverexperiencedsuch
camaraderieandifitwasn’tfortheteam
spirit,smiles,laughter,games,pranks,and
supportwehadforeachother,thenour
challengewouldhavebeennear-impossible
tocomplete.
Didweseearhino?No,butwesawso
muchmore.WouldIdoitagain?Yes,
infactI’ddoittwice.Bringonnextyear…
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Since 2003, Save the Rhino has held an annual Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture around the time of Douglas’s birthday. Douglas Adams died unexpectedly in 2001 and these Memorial Lectures continue to explore themes that Douglas was interested in.
ExplorerBenedictAllenhas
supportedSavetheRhino
TrustinNamibia,aprojectalso
supportedbySavetheRhino
International,formanyyears.Duringa
triptotheSkeletonCoastin1995,where
Benedictsingle-handedlytrekkedupthe
1,000-milecoast-line,hetrainedthree
camelstoaccompanyhimonhisjourney.
Followingthetrek,hegavethecamelsto
SavetheRhinoTrustwheretheyareused
aspartoftheanti-poachingpatrol.Benedict
wasthereforeaperfectspeakerforthe
DouglasAdamsMemorialLectureseries.
ThetalkwasentitledUnbreakableand
Benedicthighlightedthathumansareinfact
physicallyaveryweakspecies:putahuman
intheArcticOceanandtheywillbedeadin
twominutes,butthatinmomentsofcrisis
humansdrawontheirstrengths.Byway
ofexplanation,Benedictwentontotalk
abouttimeswhenhehasalmostdiedand
howitwasduringtheseriskymoments
thatherealisedwhathisstrengthsand
weaknesseswere.
Benedictentertaineduswithsome
fascinatingstoriesfromhiscareeras
anexplorer.OncewhilstintheAmazon,
heoverheardgoldminerssayingthey
wantedtoslithisthroat.Heescapedon
hiscanoe,butthatcapsizedandlefthim
withnothingexcepthisdog.Asketchhe
madeshowedhimandthedoglookingat
eachother,bothseeingpotentialdinner.
Afteroneofthehardestdecisionsofhis
life,Benedict“won”,andhemadeittothe
edgeoftheforestwherehewasfound.
ManyofBenedict’sbooksarestillinprint,
andweurgeyoutoreadthemifyou
haven’talready.Thank you
verymuchtoBenedict
Allenforgivingup
histimetogive
theLecture,to
DaveStirling
foractingas
compére,and
toExplorefor
sponsoring
theevent.
Fiona MacleodEventsManager
The Seventh Douglas Adams Memorial Lecture
Benedict Allen: Unbreakable
Namibia:
Laurence SmithMichaelHearnIntern
Byastrokeofgoodfortune,Save
theRhinoTrust’s(SRT)dilemma
wasaddressedcourtesyofone
intrepidBritishexplorer,
BenedictAllen.Duringhis1995trekin
Africa,Benedictutilisedthetraditional
lorryofthedesert;thecamel.Suchanimals
hadalwaysrepresentedatantalising
(yetprohibitivelyexpensive)meansof
overcomingtheinaccessibilityofthe
Kunene’scorerhinoareas,soitwaswith
greatexcitementthatSRTlearntof
Benedict’sintentionstodonatehisentire
camelteamtotheongoinganti-poaching
andmonitoringworkoftheTrust.
Priortohavingcamels,theamountofdays
spentonactivepatrolwaslimitedbythe
amountofsuppliesthatcouldbecarriedby
thedonkeys.Benedict’sgenerousdonation
ofhiscamelshasallowedforthecreation
ofadedicatedcamel-basedpatrolteam.
Asthecamelscancarrysignificantlymore
storesthanthedonkeys,anti-poaching
andmonitoringeffortscannotonlytravel
furtherintoonceinaccessibleareas,but
canremainthereforupto10dayswithout
theneedforre-supply.
Asidefromthepracticalbenefitsofhaving
desert-adapted,four-leggedlorries,
thesheersizeofthecamelsalsomakes
themformidableadversariesagainst
thelionsoftheKunene.Forthetrackers,
thepresenceofthecamelsisofgreat
reassurance.Theynotonlyhelptodeter
thelionsduringthearduoustrekstothe
basecamps,butalsorepresentaneffective
earlywarningsystemshouldanywildlife
encroachtooneartothecamp.
Offeringsecurity,entertainmentandall-
terrainheavylifting;forthosetrackers
thatdependuponthecamels,theyare
thegreatestvehicleofall!
Although much of Save the Rhino Trust’s work is undertaken using 4x4s, there are areas of the Kunene Region in Namibia that are simply inaccessible to conventional motorised transport. This has always posed a significant challenge, as these areas are also those with some of the highest rhino concentrations.
A caravan in the desert
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The 8th DAML
WeareverypleasedtoannouncethatonThursday11
March2010,ProfessorMarcusduSautoywillbegivingtheEighthDouglasAdamsMemorialLecture:42:theanswertolife,theuniverseandprimenumbers.Ticketsarenowonsalewww.savetherhino.org
(WealsostronglyrecommendMarcus’sbooks:ourDirectoriscurrentlyreading“TheMusicofthePrimes”,andwilltackle“Finding
Moonshine”next!) 15
Above:BenedictAllenhadtheaudienceenraptured
Below:TheSRImerchandisestall
TheTeam-hopefullysomeoneknewwhichway!
DIYIfyoufancydoing
yourownDIYchallenge
andraisingmoneyforSave
theRhino,thenpleasee-mail
16 17
Events:
Hornucopia
Bidding at the auction
Fiona MacleodEventsManager
From: Cornucopia (noun)1. Classical Mythology. A horn
containing food, drink, etc., in endless supply, said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea
2. A representation of this horn, used as a symbol of abundance
3. An abundant, overflowing supply4. A horn-shaped or conical receptacle
or ornament
ToaccesstheauctionwhenitgoesliveinNovember,visitwww.eBay.co.uk(charitypages)orusethedirectlinkthatwillbeavailableduringtheauctionfromwww.savetherhino.org.Ifyoudonothaveaccesstotheinternetyoucanstilltakepartintheauction;wecanacceptsealedpostalbidswhichwewillplaceoneBayonyourbehalf.DetailedbiddinginstructionswillbepublishedintheauctioncatalogueandontheSavetheRhinowebsite.
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SavetheRhinoregisteredasacharityon28February1994,
whichmakes2009our15thBirthdayyear.Incelebration,weshallbeholdinganonlineauction,Hornucopia.This
Novemberahostofexcitinglots,somewacky,someglamorous,andsomemoney-can’t-buy,willbeauctionedwiththeaimofraisingaminimum£15,000forrhinoconservation.AnonlinecataloguedetailingallthelotswillbeavailableontheSavetheRhinowebsitewww.savetherhino.orgfrommid-Octoberbuthere’sjustalittletasterofwhatwillbeavailable…
Cath Lawson OfficeandCommunicationsManager
AbottleoftheHouseofCommonsblendedScotchwhiskysignedbyBaronessMargaretThatcher
Alifesizesculptureofarhinohead
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Lunch with Carol ThatcherDonatedby Tom Kenyon-SlaneyAthree-courselunchwithahousebottleofwineatBromptonBar&GrillinthecompanyofjournalistandauthorCarolThatcher.
A week in County DonegalDonatedby Tom Kenyon-SlaneyAweek-longstayinabeautifulcottage(sleepseight)inDonegal,Ireland.Eightmilesfromthecoast,thecottageoverlooksLochGartanandtheGlenveaghNationalParkandisgreatbaseforarelaxingholiday.
A rhino-sized paintingDonatedby Jonathan TrussAlife-sizeoilpaintingofablackrhinopaintedbywildlifeartist,JonathanTrussespeciallyforHornucopia.TheintentionisthatJonathanwillpaintthisduringNovember,withaweb-camtrainedonhisstudiosothatviewerscanseeprogresslive.
Namibian rhino safariDonatedby Expert Africa and Wilderness Safaris Namibia Afour-day(three-night)safariattheDesertRhinoCampinDamaralandfortwopeople–includingaccommodation,mealsandactivities.Thisremotecampstandsinavastscenicareainnorth-westNamibia:about5,000km2ofsemi-desertwildernesswhichsupportshealthnumbersofantelope,pluslion,cheetah,leopard,desert-adaptedelephantsandathrivingpopulationofwildblackrhino.
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Thatcher.
Kenyan rhino safariDonatedby Ol Donyo Wuas, Borana and Safarilink AviationAsix-nightsafarifortwoguestsatOlDonyoWuas,ChyuluHills(3nights)andBorana,Laikipia(3nights)withinternaltransferflightsdonatedbySafarilinkAviation.WhilststayingatOlDonyoWuas,therewillbetheopportunitytogoonpatrolwiththegamescoutssupportedbySavetheRhino;whilstatBoranaguestswillspendadayintheLewaConservancy,wheretherearealmostguaranteedsightingsofitsblackandwhiterhino,andperhapsthepossibilityofvisitingrhinoorphansbeinghand-rearedatLewa.
SAVETHERHINO
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Vogon-tasticAhandcraftedmodelofCommanderKwaltzbyJimHenson’sCreatureShop.Standing18cmtallandweighingover6kg,thispieceisamust-havecollector’sitemforfansofTheHitchhiker’sGuidetotheGalaxybyDouglasAdams.Resistanceisuseless!!!.
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AcopyofAWildLife:AdventuresofanaccidentalconservationistinAfricabyDickPitman
AUniquEcorhinomadeentirelyfromrecycledflip-flops.
PLEASENOTE:Thisisjustanexampleoftheartist’swork
Asignedcopyof100AnimalstoseebeforetheydiebyNickGarbuttwithMikeUnwin
AseriesofsixbooksaboutTheartofthegunbyRobertM.LeeandR.L.Wilson
Zambia:
1918
Say cheese
Claire LewisTechnicalAdvisor,NorthLuangwaConservationProgramme
One of the biggest challenges we face at North Luangwa with the black rhino reintroduction programme is the adaptation phase. We take a number of steps to ensure that this phase is as smooth as possible. Capturing camera-trap images of rhinos is critical to monitoring this process…
The Quizzogs Rhino Hero Challenge
Cath LawsonOfficeandCommunicationsManager
On 24 May 2009, Clive Anderson made a BBC Radio 4 appeal in aid of three environmental education programmes – in Laikipia, Mkomazi and North Luangwa – supported by Save the Rhino International. The appeal was heard by, among many others, the Director of Quizzogs, Roy Dunmall, who has since very kindly named Save the Rhino as Quizzogs’ first charity of the year.
Quizzogs(www.quizzogs.com)
isanonlinequizsitedesigned
forprimaryschoolchildren,
basedontheKeyStages1
and2oftheNational
Curriculum,intendedtofillthegaps
createdbyunexpectedteacherabsences
andactasahomeworktool.Twonew
quizzesareavailableeveryweekduring
termtime,oneforeachkeystage,and
eachquizcontainszonesformaths,
English,science,generalknowledgeand
potluck.Untilnowschoolshavehadto
payforaccesstothefullQuizzogssite,but
fromSeptember2009,accesswillbefree
anditishopeditwillbecomeanationwide
educationaltool.
ThecollaborationbetweenSavetheRhino
andQuizzogs,theQuizzogsRhinoHero
Challenge,willrunthroughoutthe2009-10
academicyearandwillextendtoany
schoolsigneduptotheQuizzogswebsite
thatwishestopartakeinthechallenge.
Duringtermtime,SavetheRhino,through
theQuizzogswebsite,willprovideprimary
schoolchildrenwithchunksofrhino-related
informationaswellassomegreatphotos
andfunactivities.Eachterm,oneortwo
fundraisingactivitieswillalsobepromoted
soastoraisefundsforthethree
environmentaleducationprogrammesthat
wereoriginallyhighlightedbytheRadio
Fourappeal:LaikipiaWildlifeForum’s
EnvironmentalEducationProgramme,
Kenya;Mkomazi’sRafikiwaFaru(Friend
oftheRhino),Tanzania;andNorth
Luangwa’sConservationEducation
Programme,Zambia.
Thefocusoftermone(September-
December)willbeageneralintroduction
tothebiology,behaviourandconservation
ofrhinoscoveringtopicssuchasthefive
speciesofrhino,thethreatstorhinos,
anddifferentconservationapproaches.
Childrenwillalsobeencouragedinterm
onetopartakeinanownclothesorfancy
dressdayandaChristmasrhinoquizat
thecostof10pandacleanfirstclass
stamprespectively.TheChristmasrhino
quizwilldrawonallthatthechildren
shouldhavelearntbyfollowingSave
theRhino’supdatesthroughoutthe
termandprizeswillbeawardedtothe
bestperformers.
Intermstwo(January-March)andthree
(April-July)thefocusofeducational
materialwillshifttoenvironmental
educationandwiderconservationissues
respectively.SavetheRhinowillcontinue
toprovideinformationandactivitiesona
widevarietyoftopics,aswellaspromoting
linksbetweenUKprimaryschoolsandthe
insituprojectsthattheyareraisingfunds
tosupport.ParticipatingUKpupilswill
havetheopportunitytowritetochildren
attheeducationprogrammesbeing
supported,andwillreceivewritten
andvideoupdatesfromtheprojects.
Additionalfundraisingactivitiesplanned
include:theopportunitytosponsor,and
possiblymeet,aLondonMarathon2010
rhinocostumerunner;aphotocompetition;
anda‘SavetheDay’whichwillcoincide
withRhinoMayDay2010.
Thereareover20,000primaryschools
and41/2millionpupilsintheUK,sothe
potentialforthisendeavourisawesome.
WeareverygratefultoallatQuizzogsfor
offeringusthisopportunity.Itjustwaits
tobeseenifUKprimaryschoolsareup
tothechallenge!
Rhino
On 24 May 2009, Clive Anderson made a BBC Radio 4 appeal On 24 May 2009, Clive Anderson made a BBC Radio 4 appeal On 24 May 2009, Clive Anderson made a BBC Radio 4 appeal On 24 May 2009, Clive Anderson made a BBC Radio 4 appeal
many others, the Director of Quizzogs, Roy Dunmall, who has many others, the Director of Quizzogs, Roy Dunmall, who has many others, the Director of Quizzogs, Roy Dunmall, who has
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thepaparazziinhisface!Thecamera
trapshavebeengreatatprovidingus
withmomentsofrhinobehaviournot
normallyseenandtheyhaveallowed
ustoremotelymonitorrhinocondition
withoutdisturbance.
FornewsonNLCP’sConservationEducation
Programme,andrecentgrantsfromUSFWS
andDisneyWorldwideConservationFund,
pleaseseepages20-21.
Education
Translocatingawildrhinofrom
oneenvironmentandplonking
theminanotherisabitlike
takingaSaharadwellerand
dumpingtheminAlaska.Youwouldn’t
knowwhereyouwere;orwheretofind
water,food,asafeplacetosleep;or
whetheryourneighbourswerefriends
orfoes!
Usingabomacarespecialistcanassist
intheadaptationphase.Abomacare
specialistisveryimportanttogainingan
insightintoeachindividuals’character
priorto,andpost,arrivalandcanprovide
pointersonarhino’sgeneraldisposition,
levelofconfidenceandpossiblereactions
tonewandunknownsurroundings.
Predictionsdon’talwaysholdtrueonce
theanimalisreleased,butitcertainly
helpstoknowabitmoreabouteach
individual’spersonality.
ThetranslocationstoNorthLuangwa
NationalParkhavealltakenplacetowards
theendofMay.Thisistheearliestafter
therainshavefinishedthatalargeplane
likeaHerculesC130canlandonthegrass
airstrip.Anylateronintheyearwould
pushthereleaseoftherhinosintodrier
anddrierconditions,givingthemeven
lesschancetoadapt.
Inordertomitigateanydrasticdropsin
condition,wehavesetupseveralfeed
sitesaroundtherhinosanctuaries.These
sitesarecarefullyplacedinareasthat
certainindividualsfrequent.Weput
outchoppedupKigeliasausagefruits
andEuphorbiaspp.stems,aswellas
bonemealandsalt.Ifwenotice,from
rhinoscoutmonitoringreportsand
photographs,thatananimalisnot
pickinguporislosingmorecondition
thanwewouldlike,thenwealso
supplementwithlucerne(alsoknowas
alfalfa;amajorfoddercrop),sugarcane
andsweetpotatoes.Wedon’taimtooffer
supplementaryfeedforthelongterm,
rather,justtohelpsomeanimalsget
overtheirfirstdryseasonandthrough
thedifficulttimes.Weestimateittakes
12-18monthsbeforeananimalhas
properlyadaptedtotheconditionsin
NorthLuangwa.Evenoncefullyadapted,
wemaintainacloseeyeoneachanimal
throughmonitoringpatrols.
Eachanimalisseenbytherhinoscouts
onaveragetwoorthreetimespermonth.
Thescoutstakephotosandestimatea
conditionscoreforeachanimal(ranking
oneforverypoor,throughtofiveforvery
fat).Theyalsocheckdungscrapesand
bitestakenofvegetation,notingdown
thespeciesbeingeaten.Wetrytoleave
therhinosthemselvesaloneasmuch
aspossible,sohaveputinplaceseveral
remotesensorcameratrapsatthefeed
sitesandatwell-visitedcrossingpoints
tocapturerhinosinaction.InMarch
2009,thedividingfencebetweentwo
sanctuarieswasremoved.Speculative
betswereplacedonwhichspecies,and
moreimportantlywhichrhinos,would
crossthegreatdivide.Wesetupseveral
cameratrapsalongtheroadthatfollowed
thefencebut,todate,notonerhinohas
movedsanctuaries.
Justaboutalltherhinoshavehadtheir
picturestakenatonetimeoranother,
butonefemale,Twashuka,seemsto
spendhertimerootingoutcameraboxes
andregularlyshowsupinpictures.She
seemsunfazedbytheflash.Twashukais
generallyoneoftheeasierrhinostotrack
onfootandit’sthemoreshyindividuals,
likeKango,thatwe’dreallyliketosee.
Kangomakesanappearanceaboutonce
ortwiceayearforafewdaysandthen
goesbacktohisnormaldailylifewithout
IfyouwouldlikeyourschooltobepartoftheQuizzogsRhinoHeroChallenge,andQuizzogs
moregenerally,pleasecontact:[email protected]
Are you up for the challenge?
Cameratrapsareautomatedcameras.Motionorinfraredsensorsdetectthepresenceofananimalandaphotoistaken
Kenya/Tanzania/Zambia
2120
Environmentaleducationprogrammesareoftenstillseenasanadd-on,asa“nice-
to-do”adjuncttotheoverallconservationprogramme.AttendeesattheAfrican
RhinoSpecialistGroupmeetingheldinJune2008inLakeManyara,Tanzania,
ratedenvironmentaleducationprogrammesasthelowestofalltheKey
Componentsandsubcomponents,whenconsideringAfricanrhinoconservationpriorities
forthenext10years.
Inmanycases,webelievethattheenvironmentaleducationprogrammes,targetedat
schools,beingcarriedouthavenotbeenproperlythoughtthrough.Thereisatendency
forthemtofallintoseveraltraps:
• Thinkingintermsofwhatcanbeoffered,ratherthanwhethertheprogrammemeets
theoverallconservationgoalsoftheNGO
• Replacingtheworkofschoolteachers,ratherthanaddingvaluetoit
• Programmestryingtobeallthingstoallpeople
• Lackofpreparatoryworkandfollowthroughmeansthattripsareregardedasafunday
outandquicklyforgotten
• Inadequatemonitoringandevaluationoftheeffectivenessoftheprogramme(typically,
reportsconsistofnumbersofpeoplewhohavebeenthroughtheprogramme,oroftrips
made,ratherthananydataonthedifferencetheprogrammehasmade)
• Localschoolsareoftensowoefullyunder-resourced,thatanythingofferedisabonus;
teachersarethereforereluctanttoprovidehonestfeedbackandcritiqueprogrammes
Thesepitfallsareunderstandable,giventhatrhinoprogrammemanagersarenoteducation
experts.However,withthehelpofMaggieEsson,EducationProgrammesManageratChester
ZoointheUK,wearetacklingtheseproblemshead-on.Ourcontentionisthatenvironmental
educationprogrammescan,whenfocusedandtargetedcorrectly,playavitalroleindelivering
eachfieldprogrammes’overallconservationgoalsandobjectives.Theyarea“must-do”.
We’vewrittenabouttheindividual
programmesinpreviousissuesof
TheHorn,buthere’sabriefupdate
onwhat’shappeningateachone.
The Environmental Education programme at the Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF) in KenyaInApril,Itookpartinaworkshop,together
withMaggiefromChesterandafacilitator,
RayWells.Thisbroughttogetherkey
stakeholdersineducationandconservation
inLaikipiaDistrict:seniorpeople,with
someLWFBoardrepresentation,
representativesfromconservancies
regularlyusedbythebus,those
representinggovernmenteducationata
districtlevelandothergroupsactivein
thedeliveryofenvironmentaleducationin
thedistrict,includingtheKenyanWildlife
Service(KWS).Theworkshopformatwas
designedtobecyclical,allowingsmall
groupstoworktogetheronspecifictasks
andthentobringallparticipantstogether
forfeedbackinplenarysessions.Inthis
wayeveryonehadanopportunityto
contribute,progresscouldbeevidenced
andconsensusachieved.Itwasvery
hearteningthatwithinthegroupas
awhole,therewasacommitmentto
makethingshappenandtheworkshop
atmospherewasdynamicand
enthusiasticthroughout.
Therewereanumberofrecurringthemes
inanswerstomanyofthequestions
addressedbythegroupsandresponses
toquestionsoftencoalescedacrossthe
groups.Onscanningthetranscriptfrom
theworkshop,theprincipletasksthat
emergedwere:
• Anacknowledgementofthebenefits
ofworkinginpartnership
• TheneedforLWFtoreviewitsactivities
andaddresshowtheEEPfitsintothe
biggerpicture
• AchievingabalancewithintheEEP:
schools/communities/events
• IdentifyingtheEEProgrammeasa
catalystforenvironmentalaction
• Identifyingthefocusoftheschools’
programme
• Recognisingtheimportanceofhaving
successindicatorsinplace
• Decidinguponthecompositionand
structureofanEEPSub-committee
Overthenextfewmonths,AnthonyKing
andEphantusMugowilldeveloptheideas
thatcameoutoftheworkshop(including
bettercoordinationoftheEEPwiththe
CommunityConservationProgrammeand
publiceventssuchasWorldWaterDay),and
we’llreportonprogressinthenextissue.
Rafiki wa Faru at the Mkomazi Rhino Sanctuary, TanzaniaRafikihasnowbeenrunningforjustovera
year.All14schoolsaroundtheperimeterof
MkomaziNationalParkhavetakenpartin
theprogramme,manyofthemmorethan
twice.Rafikihasbeenincrediblypopular–
notjustwiththeschoolchildrenandtheir
teachers–butalsowithcommunitygroups,
TANAPAofficials,andlocalpress.
It’snowtimetoevaluatetheimpactoftheprogramme,andMaggiewillbevisitingMkomazi
inNovember,togetherwithhercolleagueMarkPilgrim,ConservationandEducationDirector
atChesterZoo,tointerviewteachersandheadteachers,andtoconductsomepractical
researchwiththechildrentoassesstheeffectofRafikiontheirconservationawareness.
We’llbelookingforsignsofchangesinattitudeandbehaviour.Typically,thesetakethree
generationstoworkthrough(thinkofthechangingattitudestosmokinginthedecadessince
theSecondWorldWar),butanalysingwhichmessageshavetakenholdinthechildren’s
mindssincetheirvisittoMkomaziwillhelpustorefinetheprogramme,anddecideifand
howitneedstobechangedforthecomingyear.
Meanwhile,ElisariaandSemu,whosharethejobofteachingbetweenthemonapart-time
basis(therestofthetimetheystillworkintheSanctuaryitself),andDixon,thebusdriver,
areenjoyingtheirnewroles.
The Conservation Education Programme at the North Luangwa Conservation Programme (NCLP), ZambiaOfallthefieldprogrammeswesupport,thereareonlytwothatIhaven’tyetvisited,and
NLCPisoneofthem.IwillbeputtingthatrightinOctober!
IshallspendaweekwithEdandClaire,whoruntheproject,andwithSylvesterKampamba,
theConservationEducationOfficer.Theyhavelinedupabusyfewdaysforme:
Sat 10ArriveandgettoNorthLuangwaNationalPark
Sun 11 MeetwithSylvestertalking/planning
Mon 12SchoolvisitstoChama(eastofLuangwa).Sylvestersaystheschoolsarenewto
theprogrammeandveryenthusiasticaboutit
Tue 13ConservationCelebrationDayplanning.Twoteachersand25studentsfromseven
schoolsneedtobebroughttoMukungulevillageandthenbilletedandfedfor
thenight
Wed 14ConservationCelebrationDay
Thu 15Theschoolsthatparticipatedthedaybeforereturntotheirvillages.Timeinthe
morningtomeetwithalltheconservationteachersandheadteachersbefore
theygobacktotheirvillages
Fri 16 Wrapupanddepart
MyhusbandKennethiscomingwithme(payinghisownwayandtakingleave)tohelpwith
takingnotes,analysingfeedbackforms,andtopassonanyspreadsheetskillsthatmightbe
useful.We’llalsoneedtotalkaboutthelocalschoolforthegamescouts’children,thatis
indangeroflosinggovernmentfundingunlessitsintakecanincreaseto200pupils,which
meansfundraisinginordertobuilddormitoryaccommodation.Andofcoursewewillalso
seewhatneedstobeputinplacebeforethefinaltranslocationoffivemoreblackrhinos
(D.b.minor)cantakeplaceinMay2010.It’llbeabusyweek…
Grants & thanksWehaveseveralpeopleweneedtothank.Firstly,ahugethankyoutoMaggieEssonand
ChesterZoo,forallthefinancialandtechnicalsupportfortheprogrammesinLaikipiaand
Mkomazi.Secondly,ourthankstoUSFWS,whichhasjustawarded$55,587towardsthethree
programmes.ThisisthefirsttimewehadappliedtoUSFWSforenvironmentaleducationwork,
andwearedelightedthatourproposalwasaccepted.Thirdly,thankyoutoDisneyWorldwide
ConservationFund,whichawardedUS$18,000toNorthLuangwa’sCEP.Again,thiswasthe
firsttimewehadappliedtoDWCF,andwearesopleasedtohavetheirsupport.Next,thank
youtothefamilyofGilesThornton,whopublishedabookinmemoryoftheirson.Proceeds
fromthiscametoSavetheRhino,forLaikipiaandMkomazi’seducationprogrammes,raising
nearly£7,000.Andfinally,thankyoutoalltheBBCRadio4listeners,whodonatedjustover
£3,000asaresultoftheappeal,readbyCliveAnderson,andbroadcastinMay.
Cathy Dean Director
No, not a party political broadcast, but the three fantastic environmental education programmes we work with, in Laikipia (Kenya), Mkomazi (Tanzania), and North Luangwa (Zambia). Whereas the phrase “Back to school” used to provoke fear and loathing – in my heart anyway – it now prompts me to think of one of the aspects of my work that gives me most satisfaction.
SemuPallangyoworkswithSariaondeliveringRafikiwaFaruinMkomazi
ConservationEducationDaysinNorthLuangwaareverylivelyaffairs
OneoftheZambianschoolchildrenshowsoffhisrhinocolouringinbook
Ephantusdemonstratesanopenairlessontoworkshopattendees
Ephantus’usualconstituency
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Thetotalcostoftheprojectwas£25,923,
whichwassupportedbythefollowing:
KWSUS$20,000;ChesterZoo£4,080;
EAZARhinoCampaign7,860euros;
AmnévilleZoo5,000euros;Savethe
Rhino£750;ManchesterMetropolitan
University,3,145euros.Inaddition,
ChesterZooandSavetheRhinoeach
contributed£200towardsthecostofthe
workshop.Ourthankstoeveryonewho
madethisprojectpossible.
Funding
LAIK
IPIA
WIL
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The shiny new photocopier, seen here with Rosemary
Kenya:SAVET
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OThe flying FoxbatIt’s all in the poo
22 23
Anthony KingExecutiveDirectorLaikipiaWildlifeForum
TheLWF’sCommunityConservationProgrammehasfivethemes,whichrespond
directlytothekeyresourcesthatsupportthelivesofthepeopleofLaikipiaand,
ofcourse,itsimportantwildlifepopulation.Thesethemesarethemanagement
oftherangelands(grassforgrazing);themanagementofthe32rivers(90%of
peopledependonriverwaterfortheirneeds);themanagementofforests(fromwhichall
theriverscomeandmanyotherimportantresources);thereductioninhuman-wildlife
conflict(forexample,elephantsdestroythousandsofhectaresofcropsayear);andlastly
thedevelopmentofenterprisesthatwillbenefitbothpeopleandtheenvironment(wecall
thisconservationenterprise).
ItisthroughthecollaborationandeffortsofthepeopleofLaikipia,includingthe
pastoralists,small-scalefarmers,large-scaleranchersandtourismoperators,thatLaikipia
hasbecomeoneofKenya’sgreatestconservationsuccessesandasanctuaryformorethan
halfofKenya’sblackrhino.However,formetogetaroundthe10,000sqkmareawework
in,tomeetlandownersandcommunities,was-upuntilayearago-aslowbusiness.Like
muchofKenya,theroadsandtracksareroughandintherainyseasonmanyarealmost
impassable.Itcouldbeathree-to-fourhourdriveacrossrocksorthroughmudforaone-
hourdiscussionandthenthesametoreturnbacktotheoffice,andrepeatedseveraltimes
aweek.Thismeantthatmuchofthenecessaryadministrationandofficeworkwouldpileup
toveryunappealinglevelsandIwouldgetstuckintheoffice,andthenIwouldfindmyself
gettingoutoftouchwithpeopleacrossLaikipia.
Itoccurredtousthatasolutionwouldbetoflyaround,whichwouldsaveanenormous
amountoftimeandenablemetogetaroundthedistrictanddomypaper-work.Ouroffices
arebasedatNanyukiairfield.Wedidoursumsandworkedoutthatamoderntwo-seat
aircraftwouldbeveryaffordableandcosteffective,andwithsupportfromtheNetherlands
GovernmentweboughtasmallaircraftcalledaFoxbat.
WehavehadtheFoxbatforayearnow
andithasbeenarevelation.Itenablesme
togetaroundLaikipiaandmuchfurther
afieldwithease,andhasalsobecome
animportanttoolforothersinLaikipia.
TheFoxbathasfabulousvisibilityandvery
goodslowflyingcapability,whichmakes
itagreatwaytoviewthingsfromabove.
IhavebeenabletotaketheDistrict
CommissionerovertheLaikipiatoseethe
stateofourrivers,whicharealldryingup,
andforhimtoseeandunderstandtheland
usecauses.TheFoxbathasbeenusedto
radiotrackwilddogandlion.Lastyearwe
wereabletoputtheFoxbatintothepool
ofconventionalaircraftforawildlife
populationcensus,whentheKenyaWildlife
Serviceobserversaiditwasthebestgame-
countingplanehehadbeenin.Wealso
usedittohelpMugierhinosanctuaryto
spotandcounttheirblackrhino,atatime
whenthethreatofpoachingishigh.
Much of my work for the Laikipia Wildlife Forum requires face-to-face discussions with land owners and community groups about their needs, priorities and how they can pool their expertise and resources to create the future they want.
ThanksWesent£27,993totheLWFtohelppay
forthecorecostsoftheCCP,thanksto
theheroiceffortsofthe20093Peaks
3Weeksteam.Partofthemoneypaid
forashinynewphotocopier,seenhere
withRosemary.The2010teamsetsoffin
January,andthey’recurrentlyallhardat
worktrainingandfundraising.
TheuseofdungDNAanalysisfordeterminingthegeneticmake-upofblackrhinos
isanew,cutting-edgetechniqueinKenya,andisbeingintroducedtoimprove
thecountry’swildlifemanagement.Thispioneeringmethodhasproventobe
invaluableforsurveyingrhinodemographicsandtheirgeneticstatus,enhancing
theconservationeffortsforthisendangeredspecies.Kenyaishometo12%ofAfrica’s
endangeredblackrhino,and85%oftheEasternblacksubspecies.Soundbiologicaland
geneticdecisionmakingandmanagementoftheseanimalsisthereforevitalforensuring
thesustainabilitythecountry’snaturalresources.
Theaimsoftheprojectweretwo-fold:tobuildtheKWS’scapacityinrhinoconservation
geneticstudiesandmanagementthroughtraininginmoleculargeneticanalysis;andto
assessthegeneticmake-upofarare,indigenousrhinopopulationintheChyuluHills,
SouthernKenya.
The secondary aims of the project, in relation to the work at the Chyulu Hills were to:
• Establishtheminimumnumberofindividualsinthepopulationthroughprobabilityof
identificationbasedonmicrosatellitegenotypes
• DeterminethesexofallidentifiedindividualsbyanalysisofY-specificrestriction
digestsoftheZFX/Ygene
• Reconstructpedigreesanddeterminelevelsofinbreeding
• Determinetheeffectivepopulationsize
• Examinerank-orderrelatednessbetweenbreedingmalesinthepopulation
• Determinelevelsofgeneticdiversitypresentinthetwostudypopulationsthrough
microsatelliteandmtDNAanalysis
• Comparelevelsofdiversityfoundinstudypopulationwiththosefoundinotherextant
Kenyanpopulationsandwithmuseumsamples
• Calculatethegeneticdistancebetweenthestudypopulationandotherextant
populationsinKenya
What actually happened?
• 6weekssamplecollectionstartedinOct2007
• FreshfaecalsamplescollectedincollaborationwithKWSrangersandMbirikaniscouts
• ForeachsampleGPSlocation,possiblesexandapproximateageofsamplewasrecorded
• Faecalsamplespreservedbydessicationwithsilicagel
• Atotalof43samplescollectedfromacrossChyulurange
Molecular analysis
•DNAextractedatILRIlabsinNairobi
•DNAextractedfromfaeces
•Genotypedfor11polymorphicmicrosatelliteloci
•507bpregionofmitochondrialcontrol
regionsequenced
•5’exonucleaseassayperformed(TaqManSNP)
todeterminesex
•DNAfromChyulusampleswasextremelydegraded
•Subsequently3microsatellitelociwereexcluded
fromthefinalanalysis
•Multiplerepeatsofallmolecularanalysis
performedtoensurereliabilityof
genotypinginlightofallelicdropout
•Genotypesonlyrecordedasuniqueif
theycouldn’tbeduetoallelicdropout
Results
•Minimumpopulationof14animals:6
male;6female;1malecalf;and1unknown
•Populationadmixedwith2animals
fromNgulia
•OnefemaleoriginatingfromNgulia
hasacalf
•Populationshowssignificantlyhigher
levelsofinbreedingandlowerlevels
ofgeneticdiversitycomparedtoother
genotypedpopulationsinKenya
Workshop
Theresultswerediscussedatasite-specific
workshop,heldinJuly2009inTsavo
WestNationalPark,andattendedby
representativesfromtheKenyaWildlife
ServiceandfromtheMaasailand
PreservationTrust.Theworkshoppresented
thefindingsofthestudytomanagement
andstakeholdersonmoleculartracking
project;andproposedasite-specificblack
rhinomanagementplanthatwillbecome
partoftheoverallnationalblackrhino
strategy.AmbitiousplansforanIPZand
increasedsecuritywereputforward,and
wearewaitingeagerlytoseewhatthefinal
approvedplanwillinclude.Theworkshop
proceedingsandrecommendationsarising
willbecirculatedassoonastheybecome
availabletoallfunders.
Antony WanderaRhinoProgrammeKenyaWildlifeService
Bradley CainSchoolofBiology,ChemistryandHealthSciencesKenyaWildlifeServiceManchesterMetropolitanUniversity
Or, more accurately, “Molecular tracking of black rhinoceros in the Chyulu Hills National Park: using microsatellite,
mtDNA and sex gene analysis.” We proposed this project back in 2006 and, finally, we’re now on the verge of publishing
the report, which will inform the future rhino management plans of the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Maasailand Preservation Trust.
Anthony’sarrivalattheNanyukiairstripoftenattractsattentionfromplanespotters
BradshowsRichardBonhamhowtocollectdung
Kenya:
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Ranger Kilitia,trackerdogunit:“Mydogs.
Theyhavehelpeduscatchmanypoachers
anditmeansthepoacherscanrun,but
nothide.Thedogsarelikewitchdoctors.”
Ranger Masangao:“Thecameratraps.The
Chyulurhinoarelikeghosts.Weseetheir
tracksanddungbut,becausethebushis
sothickandtheymainlymoveatnight,we
veryseldomseethem.Thecameratraps
helpusidentifythemandmakethemreal.”
And mine?Ifyoucancallcommitmenta
toolthenthatwouldbemychoice.Without
thecommitmentoftheserangersthere
wouldbenorhinoleftintheChyulus.
GrantsWeareextremelygratefultoChesterZoo
andtotheErnestKleinwortCharitable
Trust,whichgaveus£8,027and£5,000
respectivelyfortheongoingrunningcosts
oftheGameScoutandRhinoprogramme.
WehavealsojustheardthatUSFWSisagain
supportingthisprogramme,withagrantof
$49,932.ThankyoutoUSFWS’sRhinoand
TigerConservationFund.MPT’sgame
scoutsdealtwithover430illegalactivities
in2008alone;theydoafantasticjob.
Wewerealso,thankstoamatchinggrant
bytheKenyaWildlifeService,finallyableto
implementthelong-awaitedconstruction
ofaboreholeintheChyulus,releasing
$42,500fromUSFWSand10,000euros
fromAmnévilleZoo.Thiswillprovidea
cleanandsecuredrinkingwatersupplyfor
theChyulus’blackrhinos,withouttheir
havingtoleavetheboundaryofthePark
ontheheavilypopulatedeasternsideof
theHills.Ourthankstoeveryoneconcerned.
Nothin’ but a hound dogOneofthebloodhoundsdiedfromsleeping
sickness.GilesSim,aformerMasterof
Foxhounds,whohadrecentlybeenoutto
stayatOlDonyoWuas,offeredtofinda
replacementhound(andanotherforLewa
DownsConservancy).Gilescontributed
£500,DavidBoddydonatedthedogs,
TuskTrustawarded£1,000andnegotiated
adiscountwithKenyaAirways;andwe
gaveanother£1,000.Thedogswereflown
outon27AugustandarrivedinNairobi
thefollowingday,wheretheyweremet
byRichardBonham.Noquarantineis
needed,sothey’llbeouttrackingpoachers
almostimmediately!
Drasticwasgreetedwithenthusiasmbyhisnewhandlers
BoscoandDrasticareaforcetobereckonedwith
OneoftheGameScoutsdisplaysaconfiscatedsnare
Thecontentsofarhinoranger’srucksack
Fiona MacleodEventsManager
Inthelate1980sDouglasAdamsand
MarkCarwardinespentayear
travellingtheglobeinsearchof
endangeredanimals.Their
adventurewasbroadcastasaradioseries
onBBCRadio4andin1990madeinto
abook.Author,comedian,television
presenterandfilmdirector,StephenFry
wasaclosefriendofDouglasAdamsandin
2008-9,exactly20yearsaftertheoriginal
journey,foranewBBCdocumentaryand
relatedbook,StephenandMarktravelled
toseewhathadbecomeoftheanimalsfor
whichDouglasandMarkhadsearchedtwo
decadesearlier.TheYangtzeriverdolphin
isnowextinct,buttheydidfilmthe
Komododragon,bluewhale,kakapoparrot,
aye-aye,manateeandtheblackrhino.
Sponsored by Abercrombie & KentTuesday 27 October 2009
OnTuesday27October,StephenandMark
willgiveatalkupdatingusontheirquest
tofindthesespecies.Untilrecently,the
NorthernwhiterhinowasfoundinUganda,
southernChad,south-westernSudan,the
easternpartofCentralAfricanRepublic,
andnorth-easternDemocraticRepublic
ofCongo.Fourindividualswereseenin
GarambaNationalParkintheDRCin
2006butnonehasbeenseensince.The
Northernwhiterhinoisthereforenow
presumedextinctinthewild.Thereare
11Northernwhitesheldincaptivity,inthe
CzechRepublicandCalifornia,butthey’re
notbreeding.
FollowingthetalkbyStephenFryandMark
Carwardine,therewillbeanoptionalthree-
coursehotandcoldbuffetservedat
Ognisko.Ticketsforthedinnermustbe
boughtseparatelytothetalk.
Ticketsareonsalenow!Pleasevisit:
www.savetherhino.org
Thefirstepisodeofthetelevisionseries
willbebroadcastonSunday6September;
thelastonSunday18October.
Last Chance to See with Stephen Fry and Mark Carwardine
independentteamsoperatingindifferentareasandIhavetokeeptrackofthemandreact
immediatelytosituationsastheycomeup.Whencommunicationsbreakdown,Iamblind.”
Wilson Mancha,inchargeofrhinomonitoring:“MyGPSunit.Nowthatwehaveour
geographicinformationsystem(GIS)inplace,Icanseewheretherhinoconcentrations
areandtheareasthepatrolsarecovering.Ireallylookforwardtobeingabletomapthe
movementofindividuals.”
Sergeant Sakimba:“Myweapon.Wepatrolareaswhicharefullofbuffalo,elephant,lions
andsometimesverybadanddangerouspoachers.WhenIhavemyweaponIamnotfrightened.”
Sergeant Nderu:“Informantsareourbesttools.Mostofthearrestswemakearetheresult
ofinformationwegetfrominformants.”
Ranger Silati:“Myboots!Sometimeswewalkfortenhoursinadayoververyroughrocks
andwithoutmybootsIcouldnotdoit.Ilikebootswhichdon’tleavedistincttracksas
theytellthepoacherswearearound.”
Ranger Dickson: “Myuniform.Iamproudtowearitanditgainsmerespectfromthe
communitywhentheyseeIamarhinoranger.”
Ranger Saab:“Thedonkeys.Theycarryandpositionwaterforourpatrolstoplacescars
cannotreachandthismeanswecanstayinthebushlonger.”
SaveTheRhinoaskedmewhat
myfavouriteandmostimportant
toolsforrhinoconservation
were…SoIpassedthebuckto
therangerswhoareoutthereeveryday
andnightonthesharpedge.Thisiswhat
theycamebackwith:
Fred Njagi,administrator:“Mycomputer;
myworkwouldbeverydifficultwithout
one.Ithelpsmetrackthewagesofthe71
rangersweemploy,enterdataofrhinoand
otherwildlifeactivity,withreporting,with
mappingandsomuchmore.”
Edward Piya, officerinchargeofsecurity:
“Ithastobetheradiosandmymobile
telephone–communicationsare
everything.SometimesIhaveuptofive
Richard BonhamChairmanMaasailandPreservationTrust
Tools of the trade The Chyulu Hills National Park, Kenya extends to the north of Tsavo West National Park, and is a vital part of the Tsavo ecosystem as a whole. In the northern section of the Chyulu Hills, and on the adjacent Mbirikani Group Ranch, is a population of a minimum of 14 Critically Endangered Eastern black rhino.
My boots! Sometimes we walk for ten hours in a day over very rough rocks and without my boots I could not do it.
TheChyulurhino‘ghosts’caughtoncamera
OurverygratefulthankstotheFoundation
FriendsofSafariparkBeekseBergenand
Dierenrijk,whichgaveus5,000eurosfor
theMkomazifence.
Wealso,togetherwithregularfunding
partnerChesterZoo,sentover£2,000
intotaltopayfortheflightsandvisasfor
veterinarianPeteMorkel,whooversaw
thesuccessfultranslocationofthree
rhinosfromDvurKraloveZootoMkomazi
inMay/June2009.
Andseepages20-21fornewsabout
Mkomazi’swonderfuleducation
programme,RafikiwaFaru.
Thanks
IMAGES:MKOMAZIRHINOSANCTUARY
Tony FitzjohnFieldDirectorGeorgeAdamsonWildlifePreservationTrust
Conserving,protectingand
breedingupapopulation
ofblackrhinoinTanzania
isnoeasytask.Bythe
early1980sinMkomazi,therewere
norhinosleftwhatsoever.Withthe
Tanzanianrhinopopulationasawhole
devastatedtoclose-extinction,the
GovernmentofTanzaniarequested
thatGAWPTestablisharhino
sanctuarytohelpbreedupnumbers
insafety,whichitdidin1997.
Establishingtherhinosanctuary
involvedtheconstructionofa30km
fenceline,enclosinga45sqkmarea
inprimerhinohabitat.Thefence
designwassimplicityitselfandbased
onsuccessfulsanctuariesinKenya
andSouthAfrica:eight-foothigh
withathree-strandcantilever,and16
strandsofhigh-tensilewireelectrified
upto7,000volts,alarmedwithrelay
backtothemainsecurityoutposts.
Over10,000fencepostswerebrought
infromEldoretontheKenya-Uganda
border,asnotalinisedpoleswere
tobefoundinTanzaniaatthattime,
and500kmsofhigh-tensilewireand
solarandelectricalequipmentwas
shippedinfromNewZealand.Three
securityoutpostswereestablished
alongthefence-lineitselfwithback-
upsecurityprovidedfrominternal
outpostsonhilltopsaswellasthemain
base-campatKisima–justoveramile
away.Externalsecuritywas,andis,
providedthroughtheestablishmentof
strategicallyplacedoutpostswithinthe
NationalPark,severalmilesaway,and
alsothroughthedeploymentofmobile
teamswhopatrolona20kmradiusof
theSanctuary.TanzanianNationalParks
(TANAPA)hasrecentlyofferedranger
teamstoworkalongsidetheGAWPT
personneltoenhancethisprotection.
Todate(touchwood),therehave
beennoattemptsontherhinosoron
theTanzaniansecurityguardswho
puttheirlivesatriskeverysingle
daytoprotecttheseanimals.
Sowhyisthefenceourfavouritepiece
ofequipment?Verysimply,thefence
stopstherhinosfromstrayingoutand
givesusanalarmifsomeonetriesto
breakin.Itisaclean,clearlineforthe
armedrangersandthefencegangs
topatrolandahugepsychological
andphysicalbarriertorenegade
interference.TheTanzanianmenand
womenwhoworkwithintheRhino
Sanctuaryarecourageousandloyal
andtheytaketheresponsibilityof
protectingtheserhinoveryseriously.
Theystillholdthereputationasbeing
oneofthemostloyalanddedicated
workforcesinAfrica.Theyalsofeelthe
benefitsofasecurefencefromwhich
theycantackleasecuritysituation
andhavesomeformofprotection.
Asuccessfulrhinosanctuaryisalsoall
aboutspace.Therhinos(nownumbering
13)haveallestablishedterritorieswithin
theSanctuaryandveryrarelyreach
thefencelineitself.Thethickbushis
ahugeplusintermsofbothfeedand
security,butnotenoughonitsown.
Fence-linemaintenanceistoppriority,
withmobileteamscheckingtheentire
fencetwiceaday.Theycarryoutthese
checksonfoottoensurethattheydonot
missanyproblemorpotentialproblem.
Repairsareundertakenonthespotand
wealwayshaveastockoffenceposts
andwireinthestoresformajorrepairs.
Likeallfavouritepiecesofkit,thefence
isanexpensiveundertaking:poles,wire,
outposts,people,insulators,earthrods,
batteries,solarpanels,energisers,plant
machines,thelistgoeson,butwefelt
thatwecouldn’tdesignateMkomazias
an“IntensiveProtectionZone”with
littleorzeroexternalprotection.
Thefencelineisnowbeingextended
intoanareaofhigherrainfallandrhino-
preferredvegetationandwherethere
arefurthernaturalwaterpans.Thisisa
massivecivilengineeringprojectbutwill
havegreatbenefitsfortheexpansion
oftheRhinoSanctuaryinthecoming
years.GAWPTisalsointheprocess
ofreplacingtheoriginalfence-posts
whichwereinstalledin1996.Thisisan
undertakingrequiringheavyphysical
manuallabourandmassivelogistics.
Ithinkwe’vemadethepoint…
favouritepieceofkit…THEFENCE!!
2726
Tanzania:
In the 1970s, well over 400 black rhino were recorded in the Mkomazi Game Reserve (now a National Park). By the time the George Adamson Wildlife Preservation Trust (GAWPT) started work on the restoration of Mkomazi in 1989, the wipe-out of East Africa’s wildlife populations was emerging from its very lowest and almost critical ebb.
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above, do n’t fence me in
A worthy heroOur congratulations to Jackson Kamwi, Senior Rhino Monitor for the Lowveld Rhino Trust, who was selected by the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund as a Disney Conservation Hero. This prestigious international award recognises local people who make significant contributions to conservation in their communities. Jackson received the award in recognition of his commitment to protecting Zimbabwe’s black rhinos and his heroic efforts, helping to capture and relocate nearly 1,000 rhinos over the past two decades.
No news from the Selous Sharp-eyed readers will have noticed that the spring and autumn 2009 issues of The Horn have not carried any articles about the work of the Selous Trust (previously known as the Selous Rhino Trust). Fraser Smith, the project’s Technical Advisor, has not been able to renew his work permit since March, and negotiations with the Tanzanian Division of Wildlife are ongoing. We sincerely hope, as do co-funders USFWS, IRF, White Oak and Chester Zoo, that Fraser will be able to resume his role.
News in briefChange at Zambezi SocietyWe say goodbye to Duncan Purchase, Director of the Zambezi Society since 2007, who has tendered his resignation. Describing his time at the helm of the Zambezi Society as “very informative and enjoyable, despite the challenges of the operating environment in Zimbabwe,” Duncan thanked the Executive Committee for the support that they have given him during his time at ZamSoc. Society Chairman, Ant Williams, together with the Executive Committee, has formed a Task Force to explore future directions for the Society and to chart a way forward for the next six months. Save the Rhino takes a close interest, of course, in the rhino monitoring programme in Matusadona National Park, and we will be keen to see how ZamSoc moves forward.
Running and climbing We didn’t have space elsewhere in this issue to say that the team to run the Comrades Marathon in South Africa in May 2010 is shaping up well; and that we hope to have a climber, Chris Parker, conquering Kili in rhino costume in early 2010. Good luck to all our brave rhinos…
29
Baseball caps
Polo shirts
afunkynewdesigncurrentlyavailableinblackandbottlegreen
Shoppingbags
usedwidelythroughoutourfieldprojects,ourcapsareagreatwaytoshowyoursupportfor
SavetheRhino
anenvironmentallyfriendlyandstylishwaytocarry
allyourequipment
Get your own favourite piece of equipment…
Cath LawsonOfficeandCommunicationsManager
Christmas is but a few months away. (I’m sorry someone had to mention it). Fear not! Save the Rhino can solve all your problems with its extensive merchandise shop and
membership schemes. You’re just a few clicks (or a telephone call) away from giving someone their
very own favourite piece of rhino equipment!
Logo shirts
Pinbadges
Embroidered patches
Christmas cards
availableinawiderangeofgreatcoloursandsizes
28
A wedding with an unusual twist
Pam HobsonTheBride
Avid readers of The Horn may recall my piece in the autumn 2008 edition entitled “Charge of the Tutu.” In the article I mentioned that as part of our wedding in July 2009. I was to muck out the rhino shed at Woburn Safari Park in my wedding dress. Well here’s the proof that I did just that…plus a bit more besides!
TheformalpartofthedaystartedwithmearrivingatThe
SculptureGallery,Woburnreadytomakemygrandentrance
onlytobetoldtherewasaminordelay.Allkindsofthingswere
goingthroughmymind,butitturnedoutthatanotherwedding
wastakingplaceinfrontof100bewilderedguests:tworhinoswere
gettingmarried!
OnceIarrivedatthealtar,itquicklybecameapparentthatPhilwas
holdingasmallbox.Ididn’tneedthreeguessestoworkoutwhatitwas.
Theweddingringsweresatinaboxofdriedrhinopoo.Asifthatwasn’t
enough,attheendoftheceremony,thetworhinosre-enteredcarrying
pinkwelliesandaniceshinyshoveltofacilitatethe“muckingout”.I’mglad
mydresswasn’ttootightorImighthavesplititlaughing!Bothbridal
partiesthenleftforWoburnSafariParkand,aspromised,Ishovelled
rhinopoo,inmywonderfulweddingdress,inthebrandnewrhinohouse.
Weaskedourguestsforanalternativetoweddingpresents.Intruerhinostyle,theycame
upwithsponsorshipforournextSavetheRhinoadventure,theComradesMarathonin2010.
Let’shopeourfriendsandfamilyrecognisetruerhinodedicationwhentheyseeitandhelpus
beatourtarget!IfyouwishtosponsorPhilonhisquesttocompletethecomradesmarathon
youcandonatedirectonhisjustgivingwebsitewww.justgiving.com/philip-hobson
ThankyouSavetheRhinoforhelpingtomakeourdayperfect.
PhilandPam’sdedicationtorhinoswasevidentthroughouttheday
ThenewrhinoenclosureatWoburnSafariPark
IthinkweallknowwhatPam’sthinking!
Pamgetskittedup
Therhinoversionofachampagnetoast
Philpresentedtherings,whichwereinscribedwithrhinos,inrhinodung
Fully kitted up?Thenwhynotjoinoneofour
membershipschemesandhelpbuyequipment
(amongotherthings)forsomeofthefiel
d
projectssupportedbyS
avetheRhino?We
offerthreem
embershipschemes:Protect,
Evolve,andRhinoSavers
,eachofwhichcanbe
paidmonthlyorannuallyandcomeswithagreat
welcome
pack.Simplyfill
intheformenclosedinthiseditionofThe
.
Cuddly rhinos
Car stickers
Protect
£3permonthor£36
perannum(thecostof
fuelforapatrolvehicle
inNamibiaforoneweek).
Evolve
£10permonthor
£120perannum(the
costapairofbinoculars
forrhinomonitoring
work).
Rhino Saver
£1permonthor£12
perannum(thecost
ofamosquitonetfora
rhinoranger).
Cov
eryou
rtra
cks… Cover your tracks…
A track is a mark left by a moving animal
Rangersusetrackstofindandmonitoranimalsthattheycan’tsee.Wouldyoubeagoodranger?Canyoumatchthetracktotheanimal? Thecheetahistheonlycatwithout
retractableclaws.Clawmarksareclearly
seeninthetrackacheetahleaves.
Hippopotamusesspend
timebothonlandandin
water.Ahippopotamus
hasfourwebbedtoesand
youcanseeeachinthe
trackitleaves.
Giraffesusetheir
hoovesasweaponsto
protectthemselvesand
theircalves.Theyhave
twotoesoneachfootand
thesecanbeeasilyseen
inthetrackstheyleave.
Thefootofan
elephantisnearlyround.
Africanelephantshave
threenailsoneachback
footandfournailson
eachfrontfootandyou
canjustaboutseethis
inthetrackitleaves.
Lionswalkontheirtoesandthis
helpsthembereallyquietwhenthey
move.Likemostcats,lionshave
retractableclawsandsoclawmarks
can’tbeseeninthetrackstheyleave.
Unlikemanyhoofedmammals,the
rhinoceroshasanoddnumberof
toes–threeoneachhoof.Themiddle
toeisthelargesttoeascanbeen
seeninthetrackleftbyarhinoceros.
30
Photos courtesy
Renaud Fulconis,
Cath Lawson and
Dave Robertson
8
6
1
3
7
5
2
An
swer
s: 1
Bla
ck R
hin
o, 2
Bab
oon
, 3 C
hee
tah
, 4 L
ion
, 5 E
leph
ant,
6 G
iraf
fe,
7 H
ippo
, 8 W
hit
e R
hin
o
Likehumans,baboons
haveopposablethumbs.
Thismeanstheycantouch
alltheirotherfingerswith
theirthumb.Unlikehumans,
baboonsalsohaveopposable
thumbsontheirfeet.Thumb
marksareclearlyseeninthe
trackababoonleaves.
4
We also thank all the authors of the articles in this magazine, and everyone who has taken part in one of our events.
Companies2:09 events, abercrombie and Kent, Beasty Bags, The Body Shop Foundation, British airways Communities and Conservation, Brompton Bar and Grill, Centrepoint Computer Services ltd, Clipper Teas, The Colourhouse, Discovery initiatives, everyclick, The exotic paper Company, explore, Give it Gifts, h Young and Co ltd, interstate associates, Kalahari pepper Company, Mountain Safaris, Quizzogs.com, Rhino Wine Gear, Rogavi, Saffery Champness, Silver Jungle, StainlessRhino.com, Summits africa, Synchronicity Foundation, Thornton Books, victor Stationery, Wildlife Worldwide, The Zetter
Charities, trusts and foundations and other amnéville Zoo, BBC Wildlife Fund, arnold Burton 1998 Charitable Trust, Chester Zoo, Colchester Zoo’s action for the Wild Fund, Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund, Dublin Zoo, environmental investigation agency, Simon Gibson Charitable Trust, international Rhino Foundation, The JJ Charitable Trust, ernest Kleinwort Charitable Trust, The Mark leonard Trust, The linbury Trust, The Mackintosh Foundation, p F Charitable Trust, RSpCa overseas Fund, Rufford Maurice laing Foundation, Ruth Smart Foundation, Safari Club international (london Chapter), Safari Club international Foundation, Safaripark Beekse Bergen and Dierenrijk, Salzburg Zoo, Save Foundation, Ruth Smart Foundation, Stuttgart Zoo, Swire Charitable Trust, Taiwan Forestry Bureau, Treasure Charitable Trust, UK Rhino Group, US Fish and Wildlife Service
And thank you to all those who wish to remain anonymous.
individualsBenedict allen, alan anderson, ian anderson, Matt Brooke, Walt Brown, Dan Clark, Robin and patrizia Cooke-hurle, R n Dean & J C Dean, Samuel De Toro arias, Robert Devereux, Kenneth Donaldson, petra Fleischer, Renaud Fulconis, nigel Goodman, Rob Green and family, idiots of ants, ione harding, Tim and alice holmes, Tony husband, p a Jones, Tom Kenyon-Slaney, paul Kerensa, peter lawrence, R J lewis, Martina navratilova, andi osho, laura petetti, hilary puxley and Michael Crane, J Saffron, Tira Shubart, Malcolm Stathers, George and lucilla Stephenson, The penny Dreadfuls, elisabeth Whitebread, Jack Whitehall, S M Wiles, Tom Wrigglesworth
We would like to express our warmest thanks to the following individuals, companies and grant-making bodies for their generous support for our work over the last six months. We could not achieve all that we do, without the time, goodwill, and financial and pro-bono support of you all.
Our heartfelt thanks to:
ThankYou!
31
Registered Charity No. 1035072
Co
ve
R iM
aG
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op
: Re
na
UD
FU
lCo
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Co
ve
R iM
aG
e B
oT
To
M: S
av
e T
he
Rh
ino
Sa
ve
Th
e R
hin
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pa
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Ma
RS
ha
ll
ST
UD
ioS
SavetheRhinoInternationalConnecting conservation and communities16 Winchester Walk london Se1 9aQT: +44 (0)20 7357 7474 F: +44 (0)20 7357 9666 e: [email protected] W: www.savetherhino.org
SavetheRhinoInternational,Inc c/o Chapel & York limited,
1000 n. West Street, Suite 1200, Wilmington, De 19801
http://savetherhino-inc.webs.com
Save the Rhino international, inc is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
Donations to it are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. ein 31-1758236.Made from 60% recycled paper
Trustees
Christina Franco
Tom Kenyon-Slaney (Chair)
Mark Sainsbury
George Stephenson
nick Tims
adam Wylie
FounderPatrons
Douglas adams
Michael Werikhe
Patrons
Clive anderson
louise aspinall
laura Bailey
nick Baker
Simon Barnes
Chloe Chick
Dina de angelo
Robert Devereux
angus innes
Fergal Keane
Francesco nardelli
Martina navratilova
Julian ozanne
viscount petersham
ines Sastre
Robin Saunders
Tira Shubart
James Sunley
William Todd-Jones
FounderDirectors
Johnny Roberts
David Stirling
Staff
Director: Cathy Dean
Fundraising Manager: lucy Boddam-Whetham
events Manager: Fiona Macleod
office and Communications Manager: Cath lawson
Michael hearn intern: laurence Smith / laura adams
project advisor: David Stirling
TheHorn
Design: interstate associates. Special thanks to interstate associates
and Jim Jeanes (www.interstateteam.com) for their creative
work on this magazine.
printing: The Colourhouse ltd. Thanks too to Colourhouse, for their
loyal and efficient support over the years.