Latest news with #poaching
Malay Mail
18 hours ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
How to move a rhino? Think dart guns, helicopters, and a whole lot of patience
NAKURU (Kenya), June 10 — Barely feeling the tranquiliser shot, the panic-stricken female rhinoceros ran to take shelter in a wooded area, eluding the low-flying helicopter trying to prevent her escape. The rhino was supposed to be transferred to another park in Kenya on Saturday, but outsmarted the humans. A few minutes later, rangers in 4x4 vehicles searched through thickets too dense for the crane truck that was meant to carry her away. A decision was quickly made to administer the antidote to the tranquilise to prevent her from collapsing. If she fell the wrong way, she could suffocate. The young female will therefore remain where she was born. 'The rhino is the worst one to translocate,' said Taru Sheldrick, who was piloting the helicopter in Nakuru National Park in northwest Kenya, an oasis of greenery surrounding a deep blue lake. 'When you dart them, if you don't have long enough, they're running straight for thick bush, which is their security,' he said. 'Whenever you're darting a rhino, you have a little bit of fear. Because it's a species in danger. Every animal is just so important.' Rhinos, which can weigh up to two tonnes, were once abundant in sub-Saharan Africa. But hunting by European colonisers and later large-scale poaching pushed them to the brink of extinction. Race against time The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) says there are about 28,000 left in the world, nearly 24,000 in Africa. Kenya is home to more than 2,000 of them. Rhinos reproduce less efficiently if too many of its kin live in the same location, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which manages the country's parks. Moving them is therefore important, but rhinos are vulnerable to tranquilisers that slow their breathing, increase their body temperature and affect their heart rate, said Dr Dominic Mijele from KWS. So it is a race against time as soon as a veterinarian, aboard a helicopter, administers the drug using a dart gun. Five to seven minutes after injection, the rhino begins to feel groggy. Then it collapses, as AFP observed on Saturday: after the first female retreated into the bush, three other black rhinos were anaesthetised within the span of a few hours in Nakuru. A rescue team arrived on-site within two minutes of each shot, moving like a well-oiled machine. Kenya Wildlife Service veterinarians and rangers rush to restrain and aid a sedated female black Rhinoceros that has been selected for translocation to the Segera Rhino Sanctuary from the Lake Nakuru National Park. — AFP pic About a dozen caregivers surrounded the animals, spraying them with water to cool their body temperature, rolling them onto their sides to ensure their respiration was not obstructed, administering oxygen and monitoring their vital signs. Simultaneously, several other rangers secured the animals with straps threaded through the transport cage and attached to the front bumper of a jeep. Fifteen minutes after the rescue team's arrival, the antidote was administered. The animal then jolted to its feet and was promptly guided into a cage, which a crane loaded onto the flatbed of a truck. Kenya Wildlife Service veterinarians and rangers in action. — AFP pic 'Number one' Mijele boasted of Kenya's unmatched expertise. 'We are number one in the world. We have done so many rhino translocations successfully,' he said. Jochen Zeitz, the owner of the private Segera Reserve, where about 20 rhinos have been relocated in the past two weeks, could not hide his relief after the latest operation. On his 200 square kilometres of land, elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetahs and more roam freely, said the former Puma CEO and current Harley-Davidson executive. But the reserve lacked 'this iconic species' which were present up until 60 years ago in Segera, but have since disappeared. Kenya Wildlife Service veterinarians and rangers help push a truck stuck in the mud, carrying a female black rhinoceros selected for translocation from Lake Nakuru National Park to the Segera Rhino Sanctuary. — AFP pic Welcoming rhinos back is 'completing the conservation work that we've done as a foundation over the last 22 years' since acquiring the land, he told AFP. Due to the high risk of poaching for their horns, security measures had to be significantly enhanced with 100-150 new security staff, Zeitz said. Late Saturday, a small group witnessed the release of the three rhinos from Nakuru, who had arrived in Segera after a six-hour drive. In the dense night darkness, they listened as the metal bars of the transport cages were removed, doors creaked open, and heavy stomping accompanied by guttural growls rang out. The rhinos had finally arrived at their new home. — AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
How to move a rhino
Barely feeling the tranquiliser shot, the panic-stricken female rhinoceros ran to take shelter in a wooded area, eluding the low-flying helicopter trying to prevent her escape. The rhino was supposed to be transferred to another park in Kenya on Saturday, but outsmarted the humans. A few minutes later, rangers in 4x4 vehicles searched through thickets too dense for the crane truck that was meant to carry her away. A decision was quickly made to administer the antidote to the tranquilise to prevent her from collapsing. If she fell the wrong way, she could suffocate. The young female will therefore remain where she was born. "The rhino is the worst one to translocate," said Taru Sheldrick, who was piloting the helicopter in Nakuru National Park in northwest Kenya, an oasis of greenery surrounding a deep blue lake. "When you dart them, if you don't have long enough, they're running straight for thick bush, which is their security," he said. "Whenever you're darting a rhino, you have a little bit of fear. Because it's a species in danger. Every animal is just so important." Rhinos, which can weigh up to two tonnes, were once abundant in sub-Saharan Africa. But hunting by European colonisers and later large-scale poaching pushed them to the brink of extinction. - Race against time - The International Rhino Foundation (IRF) says there are about 28,000 left in the world, nearly 24,000 in Africa. Kenya is home to more than 2,000 of them. Rhinos reproduce less efficiently if too many of its kin live in the same location, according to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), which manages the country's parks. Moving them is therefore important, but rhinos are vulnerable to tranquilisers that slow their breathing, increase their body temperature and affect their heart rate, said Dr Dominic Mijele from KWS. So it is a race against time as soon as a veterinarian, aboard a helicopter, administers the drug using a dart gun. Five to seven minutes after injection, the rhino begins to feel groggy. Then it collapses, as AFP observed on Saturday: after the first female retreated into the bush, three other black rhinos were anaesthetised within the span of a few hours in Nakuru. A rescue team arrived on-site within two minutes of each shot, moving like a well-oiled machine. About a dozen caregivers surrounded the animals, spraying them with water to cool their body temperature, rolling them onto their sides to ensure their respiration was not obstructed, administering oxygen and monitoring their vital signs. Simultaneously, several other rangers secured the animals with straps threaded through the transport cage and attached to the front bumper of a jeep. Fifteen minutes after the rescue team's arrival, the antidote was administered. The animal then jolted to its feet and was promptly guided into a cage, which a crane loaded onto the flatbed of a truck. - 'Number one' - Mijele boasted of Kenya's unmatched expertise. "We are number one in the world. We have done so many rhino translocations successfully," he said. Jochen Zeitz, the owner of the private Segera Reserve, where about 20 rhinos have been relocated in the past two weeks, could not hide his relief after the latest operation. On his 200 square kilometres of land, elephants, buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetahs and more roam freely, said the former Puma CEO and current Harley-Davidson executive. But the reserve lacked "this iconic species" which were present up until 60 years ago in Segera, but have since disappeared. Welcoming rhinos back is "completing the conservation work that we've done as a foundation over the last 22 years" since acquiring the land, he told AFP. Due to the high risk of poaching for their horns, security measures had to be significantly enhanced with 100-150 new security staff, Zeitz said. Late Saturday, a small group witnessed the release of the three rhinos from Nakuru, who had arrived in Segera after a six-hour drive. In the dense night darkness, they listened as the metal bars of the transport cages were removed, doors creaked open, and heavy stomping accompanied by guttural growls rang out. The rhinos had finally arrived at their new home. jf/er/cw
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Researchers horrified by disturbing discovery captured in trendy cafes: 'There's a lot more … than we previously thought'
Asian small-clawed otters have a cult following on the internet, particularly in Japan. However, researchers recently found evidence of extensive, behind-the-scenes poaching driven by their popularity. Mongabay looked at new research published in Conservation Science and Practice, focused on Asian small-clawed otters in Japan's controversial otter cafes. Concerns about the species aren't new — in 2019, published an exhaustive piece questioning the ethics of Japan's otter cafes, documenting unsuitable conditions and visibly distressed otters. Researchers from France, Thailand, and Japan suspected poaching played a role in the bustling otter trade. They obtained DNA samples from 81 Asian small-clawed otters in Japan, 43 of which were from zoos, 33 from animal cafes, and five from otters intercepted at the border. Using genetic markers, the team contrasted the samples with those of otters from "the southern region of Thailand, which is a suspected poaching hotspot." Their suspicions were validated, and their findings were striking. "Based on the identical haplotypes, most otters (94%) kept at cafes originated from Thailand, compared to around 60% from those kept at zoos and aquariums," researchers determined, per Conservation Science and Practice. "Actually, there's a lot more Thai otters in Japan than we previously thought," said conservation biologist and study co-author Worata Klinsawat, per Mongabay. "Poaching and illegal wildlife trade are among the key drivers of biodiversity loss and biosecurity crises worldwide," the team said, per Conservation Science and Practice. The practice of poaching — defined by National Geographic as "the illegal trafficking and killing of wildlife" — is a global problem with far-reaching consequences in terms of conservation and habitat, both human and animal. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Researchers said in Conservation Science and Practice that poaching "threatens the species' survival and population viability of otters." The Asian small-clawed otter was designated "vulnerable" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Japanese river otter was officially deemed "extinct" in 2012. Dwindling populations of native flora and fauna wreak havoc on local ecosystems, creating a domino effect on habitats and disrupting the food chain. Donating to conservation and wildlife protection organizations is one way to directly mitigate harmful behaviors like animal poaching. However, the most effective approach is a simple one, according to one researcher. "It's natural to feel affectionate toward otters, but we need to leave them in the wild so that they can fulfill their ecological role, for them and for us," Klinsawat said, per Mongabay. Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Mail & Guardian
4 days ago
- Science
- Mail & Guardian
Dehorning rhinos cuts poaching by 78%, landmark study finds
Dehorning must not be seen as a silver bullet, according to experts. (Photo supplied) The research, published in the prestigious journal Science , focused on 11 reserves in South Africa's Greater Kruger region from 2017 to 2023 — a critical global stronghold that conserves about a quarter of all Africa's rhinos. The Greater Kruger, spanning Mpumalanga and Limpopo, includes the Kruger National Park and the private nature reserves around it, and is an umbrella for the various private game reserves that make up the unfenced protected wilderness that lies adjacent to the Kruger Park. 'Kruger National Park had a rhino population of about 12 000 back in 2012,' said the study's lead author, 'Today, we're sitting at around probably below 2 000, so there's been a The project was a 'mammoth effort' involving wide collaboration between reserve managers under the banner of the They documented the poaching of 1 985 rhinos (about 6.5% of the population annually). 'The stakeholders got together to ask the question, 'Why have rhinos declined so rapidly and what can we do about it and have the things we've been doing been working or not, and why,'' Kuiper said. The GKEPF gathered seven years of data on rhino poaching levels, as well as on the various anti-poaching interventions — tracker dogs; air support, including helicopters and planes; detection cameras equipped with artificial intelligence; anti-poaching patrols and rapid-response teams. 'Then there were the more alternative approaches like dehorning to make the rhino less attractive to poachers. What we found across seven years in 11 reserves, including one reserve in Mozambique, was that dehorning was the single most effective intervention. Wherever it was implemented, it resulted in a drastic decline in poaching,' Kuiper said. 'Statistically-speaking, we had eight different sites and were able to isolate these massive reductions in poaching and link them to the wide-scale dehorning of rhinos.' Dehorning rhinos to reduce incentives for poaching – with 2 284 rhinos dehorned across eight reserves – was found to achieve a 78% reduction in poaching, using just 1.2% of the overall rhino protection budget. This was based on a comparison between sites with and without dehorning as well as changes in poaching before and after dehorning. Reserves under the study invested R1 billion in anti-poaching interventions from 2017 to 2021. Most of the investment focused on reactive law enforcement — rangers, tracker dogs, helicopters, access controls and detection cameras — helping to achieve over 700 poacher arrests. It costs R10 200 per dehorning operation. 'But we failed to find evidence that those arrests translated into less future poaching,' he pointed out. 'So, on one level these interventions were successful but they did not result in the same level of reduction in poaching as dehorning did.' There are key reasons for this, including 'The internal involvement of reserve staff with the criminal syndicates who are driving poaching means that these syndicates and the poachers can get around the interventions because they have information on where the rangers are going to be, where the rhinos are, where the cameras are [and] where the dogs are,' Kuiper said. The region, too, suffers from a 'great deal of 'And, the criminal syndicates take advantage of these community members, for example by offering to give them loans, and when they can't pay back the loans, they say, 'Well, here's a gun. Help me with this rhino poaching operation.' 'It's not often as simple as that but these criminal syndicates take advantage of the socio-economic vulnerability of both rangers and others in order to get that internal information.' Finally, an ineffective criminal justice system means that arrested offenders often escape punishment, according to evidence from studies on 'The criminal justice system, the internal corruption and the 'In the worst case, these interventions may also isolate the people living around these reserves in terms of their involvement in conservation,' he said. Kuiper cautioned that dehorning must not be seen as a silver bullet. 'We did document over 100 dehorned rhinos being poached. The horn regrows, so in many of these cases, the horn had regrown quite a lot and the rhino was poached. 'This points to the need for regular dehorning but also points to the fact that syndicates are adapting and seem still to be willing to poach a rhino, even if there's only 5cm to 10cm of horn left on the rhino. But, of all of the interventions, we analysed it [dehorning] led to drastic reductions in poaching.' More recent evidence has emerged since the study concluded in 2023 suggesting that the poaching of dehorned rhinos is a growing challenge. Dehorning may also shift the focus of poachers to horned populations elsewhere, Kuiper noted. A multi-faceted approach is necessary. 'We need to look at wider systematic solutions addressing poverty, addressing socio-economic inequality, addressing the demand for rhino horn in consumer rates.' Sharon Hausmann, the chief executive of the GKEPF, which led the initiative by convening manager workshops and gathering data for the evaluation, said: 'The true value of this innovative study, conceived by GKEPF operational managers, lies in its collective critical thinking. Ensuring not only that operations are guided by science, but also that science is grounded in real experience from the frontline.' Markus Hofmeyr of the Rhino Recovery Fund, said: 'From a donor perspective, this study has given excellent insight where conservation donor funding can be spent and where to avoid funding.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Dehorning Rhinos Cuts Poaching by 78% – Saving Thousands of Animals' Lives
Taking the relatively simple step of trimming the horns of wild rhinoceroses is enough to dramatically reduce the rate at which the animals are killed by poachers. Across 11 nature reserves in South Africa, scientists found that dehorning black (Diceros bicornis) and white rhino (Ceratotherium simum) populations saw a sudden, sharp reduction in poaching by an average of 78 percent. It was, by far, the most effective method of curtailing the illegal slaughter of these endangered animals, researchers found. "Dehorning rhinos to reduce incentives for poaching – with 2,284 rhinos dehorned across eight reserves – was found to achieve a 78 percent reduction in poaching, using just 1.2 percent of the overall rhino protection budget," says conservation biologist Tim Kuiper of Nelson Mandela University in South Africa. The rhino horn trade represents one of the most poignant examples of the destructive influence of human activity. The horns of these animals are made from keratin, like our own fingernails and hair; yet the perception persists among many cultures that they have medicinal value in spite of a complete lack of scientific evidence. Demand is so high that most rhino species on Earth are now at the brink of extinction due to poaching. Many different strategies for reducing poaching have been proposed, from 3D printing rhino horns to the death penalty for offenders. Kuiper and his colleagues conducted their study to determine the efficacy of the measures in place across 11 nature reserves in the Greater Kruger area – a landscape of about 2.4 million hectares wherein roughly 25 percent of all Africa's rhinos currently reside. The researchers documented the poaching deaths of 1,985 rhinos between 2017 and 2023. That's roughly 6.5 percent of the rhino population of the area. Most of the investment into anti-poaching measures focuses on reactive strategies – increased ranger presence, cameras, and tracking dogs. In the timeframe the researchers studied, these measures resulted in the arrests of around 700 poachers – but they did not significantly reduce the rate at which rhinos were killed, at least in part because of law enforcement corruption, the researchers say. However, when dehorning measures were enacted, poaching rates plummeted. Dehorning does not harm the rhino; it's a bit like having your nails trimmed or your hair cut. The horn's growth plates are left intact, so the keratin gradually regrows over time. Removing the horn removes the incentive to kill the rhino, since the horn is what the poachers want. When the rhinos were dehorned, not only did the rate of poaching decrease; so too did the rate at which poachers entered the area. However, dehorning was not a straight prevention measure. Because the horn grows back, 111 rhinos with horn stumps were still killed by poachers. Although the poaching rate of dehorned rhinos was lower, even a horn stump was sufficient incentive at least some of the time for the poaching syndicates. And while poaching rates were down in the regions where dehorning was active, poachers often moved onto other regions to try their luck elsewhere, evidence suggests. "It may be best," Kuiper wrote on The Conversation, "to think of dehorning as a very effective but short-term solution that buys us time to address the more ultimate drivers of poaching: horn demand, socio-economic inequality, corruption, and organised criminal networks." Rhino poaching is such a complex issue that no one solution is likely to fix it. Removing the incentive as a first step, however, seems like it may be an important piece of the broader solution. "It's important to check that our conservation interventions work as intended, and keep working that way," says ecologist Res Altwegg of the University of Cape Town. "For me, this project has again highlighted the value of collecting detailed data, both on the interventions that were applied and the outcome. It's such data that makes robust quantitative analyses possible." The researchers dedicate their work to the late Sharon Haussmann of the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation, who was instrumental to this collaborative research effort. The findings have been published in Science Advances. Worms Use Their Bodies to Build Towers as a Wild Survival Strategy Elusive LSD Fungus Finally Discovered on Flower We've Finally Seen The Skyscraper Tsunami That Shook Earth For 9 Days
