Latest news with #rhinoceros
Yahoo
5 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
Malaysiakini
20-05-2025
- General
- Malaysiakini
For Sarawakians, the right hornbill matters
COMMENT | In Sarawak, the hornbill isn't just a bird - it's an emblem of the soul. It soars in their myths, crowns their state crest, and gives the land of the Dayaks their moniker: Bumi Kenyalang - Land of the Hornbills. So when Affin Bank Berhad rolled out its new Kenyalang Card, claiming it was a tribute to Sarawak's identity, one would assume they knew what bird they were featuring. They didn't. Instead of the Rhinoceros Hornbill (Buceros rhinoceros), which is the official state bird of Sarawak, the card showcases the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) - a non-native species. That's not just a design error. That's a failure of cultural due diligence.
The Herald
16-05-2025
- General
- The Herald
SA pilot, official killed in plane crash during Chad rhino monitoring mission
A small aircraft crashed near a village in Chad on Wednesday, killing its South Africanpilot and a passenger who were on a rhinoceros monitoring mission, the country's Civil Aviation Authority said. The two-seater Savannah S aircraft operated by African Parks Network conservation group went down around 5am GMT during a surveillance flight over Chad's southern Zakouma region, it said in a statement. The South African pilot and an official from Chad's environment ministry died. "The Civil Aviation Authority regrets to confirm that, according to information received, the two occupants tragically lost their lives in the accident," it said, adding that an investigation has been launched. Reuters
Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The £100,000 silver rhino inspired by Dürer
With their fierce horns and tough hides, rhinos have a reputation for being nature's tanks. If that wasn't intimidating enough, now along comes one in silver. A new project from Asprey Studios and the British Museum is reimagining in precious metal the rhinoceros drawn in 1515 by Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528), the German painter and printmaker who is known as one of the Renaissance's greatest artists. The image, executed as a woodcut, spread widely through Europe, shaping how people thought the rhinoceros looked at a time when most people on the Continent had never seen the animal. That included Dürer. Despite its popularity, Dürer's rhino is inaccurate — showing armour-like anatomy that the real animal lacks. Dürer based his creation on written descriptions of the first rhino seen in Europe since ancient Rome — Ganda, who had been gifted to King Manuel I of Portugal by Sultan Muzaffar Shah II of Gujarat in India. The rhino's arrival in Lisbon prompted great excitement, with reports of it quickly reaching the furthest corners of the Continent. One such report, written by a merchant and circulated as a newsletter, reached Dürer in Nuremberg. Asprey Studio, established in 2021, is a digital and contemporary art gallery, design workshop and members' club that explores the convergence of physical craftsmanship and cutting-edge digital media. Unlike a traditional member's club, Asprey Studio's offering is not tied to a physical space. Instead, special gatherings are held at the Asprey Studio gallery in Mayfair and other global locations. Members enjoy a range of benefits, including early access to events and collections, VIP previews and tours, and the ability to showcase their art collections on a dedicated member gallery wall. As a bold new venture from (but separate to) Asprey — the 244-year-old British luxury jewellery house known for supplying everyone from Queen Victoria to Angelina Jolie — Asprey Studio carries forward a legacy of artisanal excellence while charting new territory in art and design through innovative technology. Dürer's rhinoceros is a case in point. Asprey Studio's master silversmiths have transformed the virtuoso two-dimensional drawing by Dürer into a set of 11 three-dimensional sculptures. They first consulted Dürer's original preparatory sketch in the British Museum. 'Dürer's Rhinoceros is a famous image that has been a part of the cultural imagination for centuries and has inspired countless versions, copies and adaptations,' explains Dr Olenka Horbatsch, the museum's curator of Dutch, Flemish and German prints and drawings. 'Dürer's Rhinoceros is one of the most iconic drawings and woodcuts in European art history. His artistic mastery remains unmatched,' adds Alastair Walker, the chief creative officer of Asprey Studio. 'We have added Asprey Studio's dimension to it, one that we hope inspires people too.' Each 40cm-long sculpture is made up of 90 individually crafted pieces of silver — and each of those pieces is worked using a variety of tech-forward techniques. 'We have used digital sculpting to replace traditional clay so several sculptors can work on it and work out how it will come together in production,' Walker explains. The number of pieces involved in each sculpture is unusual for a product made from silver. The piece's complex composition was one of the drivers behind the methods used. 'Each piece is precision arc-welded and meticulously hammered using classic anticlastic raising techniques [hammering metal over curved stakes in a way that causes the metal to curve in two opposite directions] with intricate hand engraving.' Asprey Studio's particular work combines digital innovation with longstanding technical know-how, with 'the finishing techniques that have been handed down from years of experience, that only Asprey Studio's silversmiths have mastered,' Walker says. The complex nature of the design and production meant that the first sculpture took eight months to produce in the Asprey Studio workshop in Kent. This sculpture has already sold for £300,000. Production of that sculpture allowed the silversmiths to learn what worked and what didn't — meaning that production time for subsequent sculptures has reduced to between three to six months. Of the remaining ten sculptures, only four will be available to purchase, each priced at £100,0000, the other six having already been snapped up by private collectors. The fate of Dürer's living inspiration was less sparkling. Set to fight an elephant by King Manuel — the 'armour' in which the rhino was clad for this spectacle may have been what confused Dürer's depiction — Ganda was subsequently packed of to Rome as a gift for Pope Leo X, although the boat sank and Ganda drowned on the way. To inquire about the sculptures, email info@
