Chinese pro-wildlife campaign

This video says about itself:

Yao Ming — What I Found

Published on Apr 15, 2013

Former NBA star and Chinese icon, Yao Ming, launched a major public awareness campaign targeting consumption of ivory and rhino horn in China in partnership with African Wildlife Foundation, WildAid, and Save the Elephants.

From the African Wildlife Foundation:

Africa: Yao Ming Says No to Ivory and Rhino Horn

16 April 2013

Washington, DC — Surveys find Chinese public highly supportive of wildlife protection but unaware of African poaching crises

April 16th, Beijing: Today, former NBA star and Chinese icon, Yao Ming, launched a major public awareness campaign targeting consumption of ivory and rhino horn in China in partnership with WildAid, Save the Elephants, African Wildlife Foundation, and the Yao Ming Foundation.

In August 2012, Yao spent 12 days on a fact-finding mission in Kenya and South Africa filming a documentary to be aired in partnership with NHNZ later this year. Yao met wild elephants before encountering the bodies of five poached elephants in Kenya and a poached rhino in South Africa.

He also visited local school children, whose education is funded through wildlife tourism revenue, and conservationists and government officials working to protect elephants and rhinos. Footage and stills from his trip were released together with a series of public service announcements informing consumers, “When the buying stops, the killing can too.” …

Poaching for ivory kills more than 25,000 elephants annually and has reached levels only seen before the 1989 international trade ban. In 2012, 668 rhinos were killed in South Africa alone. These are precipitous increases from just a few years ago and, if not stemmed, could lead to the extinction of African rhinos and elephants in our lifetime.

A survey conducted in November of 2012 in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou by the Chinese research company, HorizonKey, found that:

More than half of the nearly 1,000 participants (over 50%) do not think elephant poaching is common; 34%, or one in three respondents, believe ivory is obtained from natural elephant mortality; Only 33% of all participants believe elephants are poached for their tusks; and 94% of residents agree the “Chinese government should impose a ban on the ivory trade.”

Although the international trade in ivory is banned, a one-off sale in 2008 perpetuated a legal market for ivory in China and Japan. Reports show widespread abuse of the system to launder illegal ivory in China, and seizure and intelligence reports indicate China is the world’s largest market for ivory.

Meanwhile, a similar survey conducted by HorzionKey in the same three major Chinese cities on rhino horn perceptions found that:

66% of all participants, that is two out of every three respondents, are not aware that rhino horn comes from poached rhinos; Nearly 50% believed rhino horn can be legally purchased from official stores; and 95% of residents agree the “Chinese government should take stricter action to prevent use of rhino horns.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine officially removed rhino horn from the pharmacopeia in China in 1993. These surveys, however, discovered that consumers are now buying rhino horn due to belief in its aphrodisiac properties and fever reducing capabilities. Rhino horn is also being used as a perceived investment and as an ornament or carving.

…

The attitudinal ivory and rhino horn surveys highlight the importance of Yao’s involvement in this campaign and the urgent need for him to continue to positively influence his fellow countrymen.

Kenyan researcher David Daballen, of Save the Elephants, stated, “Because of the demand for ivory, poaching has erupted all over Africa leading to the slaughter of tens of thousands of elephants each year.

These elephants are not only a part of our world, they are a part of our heritage and our family. We need the Chinese peoples’ help to save our elephants by saying no to ivory.”

Added Dr. Philip Muruthi, Senior Director of conservation science for African Wildlife Foundation, “Rhinos are not threatened by loss of habitat, they are threatened by poaching for their horns for Asian markets. African Wildlife Foundation has been rapidly investing in key target landscapes across Africa to ensure that critical rhino populations are protected, through measures such as aerial surveillance, rapid-response teams, and more and better-equipped boots on the ground.”

WildAid’s Executive Director, Peter Knights, stated, “Elephants and rhinos are conservation flagships, national icons, goodwill ambassadors, and generate hundreds of millions of tourist dollars for African economies funding education and development; they are the pandas of Africa. We have seen illegal markets collapse in the face of strong clear laws, enforcement efforts, and consumer awareness campaigns in the past. By strongly implementing these proven measures, China could become a world leader in wildlife conservation and help save elephants and rhinos.”

Yao’s previous WildAid campaign with shark fin, backed extensively by Chinese media, is credited with a reduction of 50 – 70% in consumption of shark fin in China in 2012 according to shark fin traders, media, and Hong Kong import statistics. Yao’s campaign contributed to a Chinese government decision to remove shark fin soup from all state banquets over the next three years.

Yao stated, “Poaching threatens livelihoods, education, and development in parts of Africa due to the insecurity it brings and loss of tourism revenue. No one who sees the results firsthand, as I did, would buy ivory or rhino horn. I believe when people in China know what’s happening they will do the right thing and say no to these products.”

Related articles

• After Failure of Legal Ivory, Trade in Rhino Horn Would Be a Disaster (bushwarriors.org)
• No end to ivory poaching in sight as CITES ends (itv.com)
• Wildlife Managers Are Poisoning Rhino Horns to Stop People From Eating Them (blogs.smithsonianmag.com)
• Forget The Drug War – Time To Throw Those Forces Into The Poaching War (timzimmermann.com)
• The perfect poacher’s storm threatening endangered species (itv.com)
• Cites: bid to curb sale of ivory and rhino horn voted down (guardian.co.uk)
• On the way out (economist.com)
• 5 big breakthroughs at CITES 2013 (mnn.com)

Good African flamingo news

This video says about itself:

The Crimson Wing Mystery of The Flamingos HD Trailer

In a place like no other on the planet, the dramatic and desolate Lake Natron in northern Tanzania, you’ll witness a spectacle unlike anything you’ve seen before: a million crimson-winged flamingos arrive to continue the circle of life. Focusing on the adventures of a single chick set against a backdrop of never-before-filmed landscapes, The Crimson Wing is a visually stunning journey into the life and struggles of the mysterious and inspiring flamingo.

From BirdLife:

Successful Flamingo breeding reported at Lake Natron!

Thu, Apr 11, 2013

Whilst Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) can attempt breeding every year, the scale and success of the breeding events can vary enormously. At Lake Natron, the success rate is mainly due to rainfall which can swamp the nest sites, many of which are only centimeters above the water level, but how the success can be measured is a challenge in itself due lack of data on population dynamics and a understanding of survival rates in the first year of a fledged bird.

Lake Natron in northern Tanzania is the most important breeding site for Lesser Flamingos. The majority of hatching and egg laying takes place during the months of September to April although there is peak in October to early December. This period is characterized by receding water levels and provides opportunities for the colonies to spread out and follow the cracks found in the soda ash where suitable mud can be accessed for nest construction.

Between September 2012 and January 2013 intense activity reminiscent of successful breeding has been reported. Marc Baker, an environmental management specialist says that hatching began in late September with two crèches (congregation of young birds) being counted, one of 150 chicks and another of 2,000 chicks in the southern lagoon and Pinyinyi delta respectively.

“In order to understand the location and scale of this years (end 2012, beginning 2013) breeding event, we conducted several aerial and ground counts over a 2 month period. Of particular interest was where on the surface of the lake major colony development takes place, how predictable those areas might be, and once hatched in which direction the young birds move and congregate. Preliminary results suggest 175,000 eggs counted on nest cones and 120,000 young hatched,” said Marc.

Lake Natron provides the ideal breeding conditions for Lesser Flamingos found in few other soda lakes in Africa and around the world. Nesting sites are isolated from predator and humans disturbance; perennial springs provide freshwater for chicks; food is abundant and suitable matter for nest construction is readily available.

Leslie Brown who nearly died while trying to access the nesting places in 1970s described Lake Natron as “the foulest place on earth.”

Since 2006, the integrity of Lake Natron as a breeding site for the pink birds has been threatened by a proposal to construct a $450 million soda ash processing plant. It was initially proposed by Tata Chemicals Industries with the Government of Tanzania but the former withdrew following intense local and international pressure.

The Government, through the National Development, maintains a keen interest in developing soda ash mining infrastructure at the lake. However, a recent economic study commissioned by the Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania (WCST) shows that soda ash mining is not economically viable while, tourism and livelihoods development, are better options (Read more).

WCST has also been working with local communities at Lake Natron to improve and expand livelihood options.

“This breeding activity is further evidence of the importance of Lake Natron for the survival of Lesser Flamingo as a species” said Kariuki Ngang’ang’a, the Species Programme Manager at the BirdLife International Africa Partnership Secretariat. “Flamingos face many challenges and every effort should go towards protecting the integrity of this globally significant site.”

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Good African wildlife news

This video says about itself:

Tana Delta – Nature Kenya

Jan 5, 2012

The delta, one of Kenya’s last wildernesses and one of the most important bird habitats in Africa, is the flood plain of the Tana river, which flows 1,014km from Mount Kenya to the Indian Ocean.

The delta’s people are trying to fight for their rights over the huge blocks of land being turned over to private companies for commercial biofuels production especially the cultivation of jatropha curcas.

From BirdLife:

Community-based management improves forest condition in an East African biodiversity hotspot… as more species continue to be discovered.

Wed, Apr 10, 2013

BirdLife and its Partners have compiled a report on the status and trends of biodiversity in the Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests of Tanzania and Kenya (EACF) between 2008 and 2012. The report is the second of its kind; the first ever EACF status and trends report was published in 2008. The new report is based on bringing together of data and information contributed from a wide range of sources. This process is particularly important for building strong cases for REDD+ projects at Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs).

What happened between 2008 and 2012?

Researchers assessing the effectiveness of the Participatory Forest Management (PFM) approach provided evidence for improving forest condition due to PFM. This was confirmed for Arabuko-Sokoke forest in Kenya, and in a study conducted in Udzungwa Mountains, Tanzania, PFM was also credited with a 79% reduction in the number of active hunters in the PFM zone.

Some new forest areas were gazetted for protection; the 968 ha Derema Forest Reserve was gazetted in Tanzania’s East Usambara mountains in 2010 and over 120,000 ha of village forest reserves were established across the Tanzanian part of the Eastern Arc Mountains and coastal forest hotspot. However, indications are that large tracts of forest continue to be lost through charcoal extraction and conversion to agriculture in some coastal forests, e.g. through pineapple farming in Dakatcha Woodlands in Kenya.

Although there have been assessments of carbon storage in a few forests, this only provides partial knowledge, and further assessments need to be undertaken especially for purposes of establishing REDD+ projects.

An increase in illegal hunting for subsistence continues to be recorded each year since 2009 in the Kenyan coastal forests and is blamed for the localised disappearance of the Golden-rumped Elephant Shrew Rhynchocyon chrysopygus and the critically endangered Ader’s Duiker Cephalophus adersi in some sites e.g. in the Dakatcha Woodlands, Kenya. In addition, bans on commercial timber extraction appear to be ineffective.

New information on species occurrence continued to be availed in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. About 300 new distribution records and approximately 70 undescribed endemic amphibian and reptile species were reported in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. Also, a total of 17 species were up-listed to higher threat categories in the IUCN Red List between 2008 and 2012, while only six were down-listed to lower threat categories.

The report also highlights that invasive alien species are a more serious problem in the EACF than had previously been realized. In Kenya Prosopsis juliflora, a small tree native to South America is reported to have invaded the Tana River Delta. In Tanzania, 20 invasive plant species are recorded in the Eastern Arc Mountains; the Umbrella tree Maesopsis eminii, a large African tropical forest tree introduced to various parts of the tropics for timber production or as a shade tree is one of the three species considered as the most serious. The others are a genus of berry plants (Rubus sp.) and Cedrela odorata, a cedar grown for timber.

Although some protected areas (e.g. Irunda, Ngongwa-Busangi, Kibao, Mninga, Gulosilo, Sao Hill, Kigogo and Muhezangulu Forest Reserves in Tanzania) had ‘top’ management effectiveness scores, many sites faced management challenges. Chronic underfunding for conservation is identified as one of the drawbacks for effective management of protected areas in the Eastern Arc Mountains.

The report also highlights some positive developments regarding policy. These include: formation of the Tanzania Forest Service (TFS) in 2010, and development of the conservation strategy for the Eastern Arc Mountain Forests in Tanzania. In Kenya, the Kenya Constitution 2010 and the Land Policy 2009 came into operation, empowering local communities to take charge of land use decisions and contributing to communities being able to oppose the proposed biofuel projects in Tana River Delta and Dakatcha Woodland.

Several pilot REDD+ projects were initiated in Tanzania (by Mpingo Conservation and Development Initiative, WWF, Care Zanzibar, Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organisation –TaTEDO, and the TFCG/MJUMITA) that are bound to benefit communities. In Kenya, the Kasigau Corridor REDD project that lies just outside the Taita Hills became the first ever REDD+ project to be issued Voluntary Carbon Units (VCUs) under the Voluntary Carbon Standard (VCS).

About the EACF

The Eastern Arc Mountains and Coastal Forests (EACF) hotspot runs 900 km along the Kenya-Tanzania coasts and includes Zanzibar, Pemba and Mafia Islands off the Tanzanian mainland. The region is very important due to its biological diversity and richness. It is characterized by a high level of species endemism, a severe degree of threat and exceptional diversity of its plant and animal communities. It was previously classified as a global biodiversity hotspot by itself, but now lies within two hotspots (the Eastern Afromontane Hotspot and the Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa Hotspot). In the beginning of the year 2004, the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) made a five-year investment of US$7 million in the EACF, which was allocated to 103 projects in this region. The investment focused on improving human wellbeing and scientific knowledge and reducing the extinction risk for 333 globally threatened species through improved protection for the sites where these species are found.

The project

This report is a result of a project that aims at availing biodiversity and forest change data to among other things, leverage REDD+ and REDD Readiness for the EACF. The project is implemented by the BirdLife Africa Partnership Secretariat and BirdLife partner NGOs in Kenya (Nature Kenya) and Tanzania (Wildlife Conservation Society of Tanzania – WCST). The project is funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), which is a joint initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation.

For more information and copy of the full report, contact birdlife-africa@birdlife.org.

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Baby African penguin name contest

This video is called African Penguins go for a swim – Mountain of the Sea – BBC.

From the California Academy of Sciences in the USA:

Our New Penguin Chick Needs a Name!

Today, biologists introduced a male penguin chick to our African penguin exhibit. Hatched on January 28, 2013, the chick is just over two months old and, until today, has been living with his parents in a private nest off of public view to give the family a chance to bond. Visit our newest animal resident!

We need your help naming our new penguin: submit your best penguin name ideas to our Name the Penguin Chick Contest by April 30, 2013 for a chance to win a fantastic Penguin Prize Pack, including an exclusive behind-the-scenes experience and Penguins+Pajamas sleepover tickets.

Academy staff will select three finalist names for public voting based on originality and connection to the Academy’s mission: to explore, explain, and sustain life. As part of our mission, the Academy co-sponsors the African Penguin Species Survival Plan, aimed at conserving this species in the wild.

The Penguin Prize Pack includes:

• An exclusive opportunity for the winner plus one guest to go behind the scenes in the aquarium
• Participation in the Academy’s Penguin Naming Ceremony on Thursday, May 16, 2013 to announce the winning name
• 4 tickets to a Penguins+Pajamas sleepover in 2013
• A penguin plush toy

We look forward to your input! Submit your name ideas here.

South Africa: Cape Penguin Claims Southern Ocean As Its Hunting Ground: here.

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Gorillas and tourism in Rwanda

This video is called Family of Mountain Gorillas – Cousins – BBC.

From The New Times (Kigali, Rwanda):

Rwanda: How Much Do You Know About the Gorilla, the Rose and Its Roots?

By Sam Kebongo, 5 April 2013

There is a South American poem to the effect that the flowers get all the glory and honour and the roots hardly get noticed yet it is the roots that enable the flowers, the stem and the leaves; the plant to stay so luxuriant and alive.

When we think of roses, most of us think of the beauty, the aroma and stuff like that. Very few of us think of all the trouble it takes to get the rose so rosy. This is the mirror image of the relationship between tourism and conservation in Rwanda. You and I are more likely more focused on the tourism figures and frills and I bet you very few of us think about the nature conservation side.

Sample the following:

The Roses: Facts and figures we could gather indicated that the projected revenue from tourism earnings for the year 2012 was US$ 277 million (that is over 180 Billion Rwandan Francs). In 2011 tourism earnings were US$ 251 million in 2011. Much of that money came courtesy of the mountain gorillas which remain one of the major attractions of tourists to Rwanda.

According Rica Rwigamba, head of Tourism and Conservation unit at Rwanda Development Board (RDB); gorilla receipts account for 90% of total national park receipts with the endangered primates attracting some 20,000 visitors in 2011.

Between 2005 and 2011, 160 gorillas were been born. There are an estimated 480 gorillas living around the Virunga Massif (Volcanoes National Park, Mgahinga in Uganda and Virunga in DR Congo). In fact, due to a booming demand to view these primates, RDB had to raise its fees.

A very rosy picture we have there. I’m sure that the current figures are even rosier; it is unfortunate that RDB does not have them at their finger tips.

The roots: One of the foremost gorilla habitat conservation organisations, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund (DFGFI) has been at it since 1967 when its founder, Dian Fossey, moved to the Massif. The current gorilla population of 480 plus doubling of the 1978 figures when there were 250 gorillas in a trend that represented a decline. As a matter of fact, the western gorilla, the Bonobo and the Orang Utang have had their populations decline to a point of extinction.

The Fund’s annual budget is $2 million (1.3 billion francs), all from private donors. About $2 million is invested and we get close to $300 million returns. Of course there are other investments but we cannot deny that this is still good business.

The mere fact that our gorilla populations are growing against a global decline and extinction should make us kiss the boots of conservationists. But before we do that, it is on record that gorilla receipts account for 90% of total national park receipts and Tourism accounts for over 25% of our revenues. What does this mean? In deed the gorilla is Rwanda’s unique selling point in tourism. It must be treated royally at all costs.

The gorilla is our cash cow. Only a fool would leave a cash cow without pasture. As we admire the rose, we should work harder to get it water and weed the flower lest it wilt and we end up killing our goose that lays golden eggs.

There are many efforts to do this and they should be encouraged. The problem is that they are not coordinated and the wider public is not well informed about them. How much do you know about the gorilla, for example? Did you know that to capture a baby gorilla, the poacher would have to kill its parents? They are very protective of their young.

It is with a view of bringing nature conservation partnerships such as these to the fore that DFGFI organised a workshop that brought together the academia, as well as members of the private and public sectors. The lively discussions brought out the fact that a platform is needed to keep nature conservation a key driver of the economy.

There is need for more networking among players in the different sectors. The interdependency and power that comes thereof is enormous. We tend to ‘overspecialise’ to the extent that communication even within same organisation becomes a problem. This has been counterproductive.

Information sharing is still a challenge. People in positions that require that they know facts and figures don’t have the fact at their finger tips. Such sharing is crucial to foster progress and avoid duplication of effort.

Nature conservation is serious business; it is the root of our tourism and related business. We should all sign up.

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Over-hunting endangers rainforest trees

This video is called Tree and plant life in the jungle – David Attenborough – BBC wildlife.

From mongabay.com:

An insidious threat to tropical forests: over-hunting endangers tree species in Asia and Africa

Jeremy Hance

April 04, 2013

A fruit falls to the floor in a rainforest. It waits. And waits. Inside the fruit is a seed, and like most seeds in tropical forests, this one needs an animal—a good-sized animal—to move it to a new place where it can germinate and grow. But it may be waiting in vain. Hunting and poaching has decimated many mammal and bird populations across the tropics, and according to two new studies the loss of these important seed-dispersers are imperiling the very nature of rainforests.

“Animals that eat fruit and disperse seeds are particularly sensitive to hunting. So in hunted forests often you find that there are few animals that can disperse seeds, particularly the largest seeds,” Rhett Harrison with the Chinese Academy of Sciences told mongabay.com. Monitoring a protected forest in Borneo for over 15 years, Harrison and his team have found that over-hunting has led to “pervasive changes” in tree populations “leading to a consistent decline in local tree diversity over time,” according to their study published in Ecology Letters.

Ola Olsson with Lund University found a very similar situation thousands of miles away in Nigeria. Comparing non-hunted sites with hunted sites (where most primates including gorillas had vanished), Olsson and other researchers found that seedling populations—i.e. future trees—were vastly different in a new paper in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

“The changed composition among seedlings that we see now will lead to a future tree composition which is different from the present, with fewer large-seeded fruiting trees and more wind dispersed species,” Olsson says.

Although conservationists have long warned about the impacts of deforestation and climate change in the tropics, over-hunting also poses another still largely hidden problem. Scientists are still trying to work out the overall ramifications, but ultimately this “empty forest” trend will lead to less biodiversity and drastically different rainforests even in so-called protected areas.

The long article, with many photos, continues here.

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Tunisian dinosaur age mammal tracks discovery

This video from the USA says about itself:

During Demise Of Dinosaurs, Early Mammals Had Reason To Smile

Although humans never walked with dinosaurs, some of our earliest ancestors seem to have done so. Dr. Gregory P. Wilson, an Adjunct Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology and Assistant Professor of Biology at the Burke Museum of the University of Washington, is the lead author of a study that was published in Nature, titled Adaptive Radiation of Multituberculate Mammals Before the Extinction of Dinosaurs. Wilson’s findings challenge a long-held notion that the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) extinction event was the launchpad for mammalian evolution into a diverse and proliferative group.

From Cretaceous Research:

First report of mammal-like tracks from the Cretaceous of North Africa (Tunisia)

Michela Contessi

Abstract

This paper describes Cretaceous mammal-like tracks from southern Tunisia. The tracks, referred to the Cenomanian Kerker Member of the Zebbag Formation, are the first mammal-like footprints reported from the Cretaceous of North Africa. The good preservation of the two tracks and their distinctive morphology support their attribution to a mammalian trackmaker, although the limited available data prevents attribution to a specific ichnotaxon. Morphologically, the Tunisian tracks resemble those of modern Mustelidae, however, based on mammalian faunas in the Cretaceous of Africa, they probably have affinity with members of Multituberculate family. Theropod dinosaur and bird tracks occur on the same track-bearing layer. The sediments are interpreted as an arid tidal flat environment, suggesting that African mammals might have shared their environment with a diverse fauna of larger animals.

Highlights

► Two mammal-like tracks from the Cenomanian of North Africa are described here. ► Footprints described here represent the oldest evidence of mammals in Tunisia. ► Available data suggest affinities of the trackmaker with a multituberculate mammal.

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British cuckoos’ Sahara spring migration

This video says about itself:

Aug 23, 2011

The British Trust for Ornithology are using small 5g satellite tags to track the movements of five Cuckoos from breeding grounds in East Anglia to their winter quarters in Africa.

From Wildlife Extra:

BTO cuckoo update – The birds are preparing to cross the Sahara

Birds gathering in West Africa in preparation for crossing the Sahara

March 2013. This is just the second year that BTO have been able to follow tagged British Cuckoos on their spring migration back to the UK.

Chris is the only bird followed in both years so BTO are keen to see how similar his route and timing is to last year’s journey. They are also interested to see whether Cuckoos tagged in Scotland and Wales, where populations are faring better, will do anything different to Cuckoos tagged in England, where the population decline is greatest. All five Cuckoos tagged in year one were caught in England.

Let’s hope for better weather than last year to aid their safe return.

Get the latest update from the BTO site here.

See also here.

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Rhinoceros news update

This video says about itself:

Baby rhino calf finds friends in the wild after abandoned by mother- BBC wildlife

An abandoned rhinoceros calf finds an unlikely friend in a warthog when it is reared in an animal sanctuary. Wild animals in the African desert fight for survival.

From Wildlife Extra:

One year on from major rhino poaching incident, some hope with new calf

Anniversary of death of rhino bull after poaching and new rhino calf born

March 2013. In March 2012, three white rhinos were shot by poachers on Kariega Game Reserve in South Africa’s Eastern Cape. One of the rhinos died instantly, but two survived the initial attack.

A rush of support groups and fundraising initiatives emerged in order to help provide Thandi and Themba with funds for the best possible care and chance for survival. Wildlife veterinarian Dr William Fowlds and the Kariega staff did everything they could, working tirelessly to save the lives of Thandi and Themba. For more than three weeks both rhino showed an incredible will too survive. Tragically, on 25 March 2012 after 23 days of brave fighting Themba passed away.

Miraculously one of the rhinos survived, showing inspirational bravery and a strong will to live.

As fate would have it, almost exactly one year later Kariega welcomes a new rhino calf to their game reserve.

Lowest point

Themba’s life is being commemorated by the Kariega team, Dr Fowlds and other rhino conservation supporters. This comment made by Dr Fowlds on the day of Themba’s death last year is even more relevant today, “The past day’s events have taken me to the lowest point of my battle to help save a species. I know many others feel the same. What we do now is the true test of our resolve to overcome the evil that threatens to overwhelm the world’s remaining rhino. Our ability to act, to actually do something to make a difference, will be the measure of who we are.”

The birth of a rhino calf, one year after poaching incident

A new baby rhino, a girl, was born a year after three rhinos were brutally attacked on Kariega Game Reserve.

Although it is uncertain whether her horn will ever grow back, Thandi continued to go from strength to strength and one year on has made a full recovery. The serendipitous birth of a healthy white rhino calf almost exactly one year after the poaching incident has been cause for celebration at Kariega, as they remember and commemorate the lives and struggles of Thandi, Themba and the unnamed rhino bull.

Thandi and Themba’s story of hope has travelled and inspired people from across the globe – their fight for life translated into the fight of rhino across southern Africa for the right to life, and of those committed to ensuring the survival of the rhino species.

Graeme Rushmere, co-owner of Kariega Game Reserve comments: “The fight of Thandi and Themba is just one story representing the brutality being carried out against the rhino species. At Kariega, it is our hope that their struggle is not in vein and inspires all wildlife lovers to take up the cause so that our little ones can live to see a ripe old age. Although it may seem a small triumph in the grand scheme of rhino conservation, the birth of a new calf helps remind us that there is always hope.”

The realities of rhino poaching

Over the last few years rhino poaching has increased dramatically, causing a serious threat to the rhino species. In 2007 there were 13 rhino lost to poaching in South Africa, however in 2012 the figure soared to a shocking 668.

The onslaught against southern African rhino’s is a devastating blow to rhino conservation – at the beginning of the 20th century there were an estimated 50 white rhino which repopulated to around 17,000 by 2008. This success in conservation is now threatened by a growing demand in rhino horn, feeding the traditional Asian medicine market. If poaching continues to increase at its current rate, the rhino population could be wiped out in a few decades.

Although poaching is concentrated in southern Africa (which holds the majority of the world’s rhino population), various rhino species across the globe have also been targeted. In 2011 the Western Black Rhino of Africa was declared extinct, and currently the Javan Rhino of Asia and the Northern White Rhino of Africa teeter on the brink of extinction.

Surge in rhino horn seizures at Shanghai Airport: here.

March 2013. There seems to be no let up from rhino poaching around the world, as reports keep appearing of rhinos being killed and rhino horns being seized on different continets: here.

From Wildlife Extra:

Irish connection to major rhino horn thefts and smuggling ring

Two Irish brothers fined just 500 Euros for smuggling 8 rhino horns

March 2013. Two men from Ireland have been fined just €500 for smuggling 8 rhino horns worth almost €500,000 through Shannon Airport.

Brothers Jeremiah and Michael O’Brien were stopped in Shannon Airport after getting off a plane from Portugal. The defence told the court that the horns were antique, dating from the 1960s, and not from a freshly killed rhino. The brothers claimed that they acquired the horns from a Portuguese antique dealer named Hernandez, who entrusted the horns to the O’Briens ‘to mount them on a board’ before returning with them to Portugal.

Separate incident

In a separate incident, another man from Limerick has been extradited to the UK in connection with the robbery of a rhino horn from an antique dealer. Michael Kealy is accused of stealing a rhino horn from an antique dealer in a Macdonald’s car park.

Irish gang

In fact Europol have been investigating links between an Irish gang and rhino horn smuggling for at least 2 years. The investigation was launched after a spate of robberies around Europe where rhino horns were stolen from museums and antique dealers. The gang members are almost from the town Rathkeale, just south west of Limerick, in Ireland, which makes it all the more surprising that the O’Brien brothers, who also hail from Rathkeale, were find just 500 Euros for being in possession of 8 rhino horns.

Europol states “Significant players within this area of crime have been identified as an Irish and ethnically-Irish organised criminal group, who are known to use intimidation and violence to achieve their ends. To source and acquire rhino horns, the group has targeted antique dealers, auction houses, art galleries, museums, private collections and zoos, resorting to theft and aggravated burglary where necessary. To sell specimens, they have exploited international auction houses in the UK, France, USA and China. Elements of this group are also involved in a variety of other serious crimes across the European Union such as drugs trafficking, organised robbery, distribution of counterfeit products, tarmac fraud and money laundering. Outside the EU, they have been active in North and South America, South Africa, China and Australia.”

Arrested in Switzerland

Two members of the gang were also arrested in Switzerland in 2012 in possession of counterfeit cash totalling 120,000 Euros, and they are also thought to have been under investigation in the USA in connection with the smuggling of rhino horns.

Related articles

• Coldplay Backs Up Rhino Conservation!!! (newswatch.nationalgeographic.com)
• Horn Please! Rhino on the horizon (thehindu.com)
• Poaching to Cause Fall in Rhino Population within Two Years (scienceworldreport.com)
• 7-member gang of rhino poachers nabbed (thehindu.com)
• Six Rhinos Escape Poaching (sotinpc.wordpress.com)

German militarism and Mali war

By Ernst Wolff in Germany:

German defence minister visits Mali

22 March 2013

Last weekend, German defence minister Thomas de Maizière made a surprise trip to Mali. He landed first in the Senegalese capital Dakar where the German army (Bundeswehr) has an air transport base with 90 soldiers. He then flew on to the Malian capital, Bamako, and on Monday travelled the 65 kilometres to the town of Koulikoro.

In Bamako, de Maizière met with his Malian counterpart, Yamoussa Camara, and Malian president Dioncounda Traoré. In Koulikoro, he visited a military camp where German soldiers have set up a field hospital and are making preparations for the so-called European Union Training Mission (EUTM), which involves 550 European soldiers, including 80 German soldiers, providing training to 2,500 Malian soldiers. The mission is due to begin on April 2.

The timing for de Maizière’s trip was carefully chosen. A day before he landed, Edmond Mulet, deputy secretary general for UN peacekeeping missions, also visited Bamako. At the weekend, an international meeting of ministers took place in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania, which borders Mali. The meeting was attended by representatives from countries adjoining Mali, as well as members of the African Union (AU), the European Union and the United Nations. The theme of the summit was “Security in the Sahel region”.

The message from both de Maizière and Mulet, and the meeting in Nouakchott, was the same: the war in Mali will take longer than previously announced and will involve more soldiers across a larger stretch of territory.

Currently involved in the fighting in Mali are 4,000 French soldiers, 5,000 Malian soldiers and around 6,300 soldiers from the MISMA intervention force supplied by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). According to the wishes of the United Nations, these are to be replaced in July by a separate UN “stabilisation mission”, which involves a force of 10,000 soldiers. This requires a resolution from the UN Security Council.

After France, Germany is currently making the second biggest contribution to the war by European powers. Germany has stationed three Transall transporters and an Airbus A310 in Senegal to refuel French fighter jets. The Airbus has already flown eight assignments, and the Transall machines have undertaken around 170 flights transporting more than 420 tons of weapons and ammunition and almost 700 passengers.

The German parliament agreed on two mandates in late February for the Bundeswehr mission in Mali: one for the training mission, the other for transport assistance and in-flight refuelling, both limited to one year.

De Maizière made clear in Mali that the one-year time limit was insufficient. “You cannot train the very complicated and difficult Malian armed forces to provide security in their own country in 12 to 15 months,” he said after talks with the Malian transitional president. “This is a huge task that requires staying power.”

Dominique Moisi from the French Institute for International Relations (IFRI) was even more categorical. “There is no African army able to replace the French forces,” he said in Paris.

The German and French plans to remain in Mali for an indeterminate period confirm that the official reason given for the war—the expulsion of Islamist militias in the north of the country—was only a pretext.

At stake, in reality, are very definite geo-strategic and economic interests. Mali and the entire Sahel region are rich in natural resources, which the imperialist powers are seeking to secure for their own use, especially in competition with China. The war is part of the imperialist campaign for the re-colonial subjugation of Africa, which began two years ago with the NATO war against Libya.

The trip by Defence Minister de Maizière to Mali, in which he announced an escalation of the military operation in the country, also sends a clear message around the globe: Germany is no longer willing to stand idly by and allow its economic rivals to share the spoils in West Africa. It is resolved to use its military might to ensure its share of the cake.

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• War in Mali and German militarism (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Another French soldier dies in Mali (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• French war in Mali war crimes (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• German Imperialism: Parliament Approves Military Operations in Mali (rinf.com)
• French army suppresses reporting of Mali war (alhittin.com)
• Hollande arrives in Mali after four weeks of fighting (morningstaronline.co.uk)