Rhino Numbers and Census

[iNdlovu]

No, he said that for the first time in Kruger, rhino populations were in decline. It's reported somewhere on this forum

[Toko]

Joubert said recently: “The white rhino population has historically enjoyed a 5-8 percent increase annually, but the mortality rate is now surpassing this, placing the population in very real danger,”

[Lisbeth]

Mabunda made a statement a while back saying that poaching out numbered the birth rate. Some mathematician should work the numbers with those parameters and see what number we come up with for population. And that's from the horses mouth.

Did he not state it the other way around?

Agree! He even said that it would take, I think, 10?? years before there was a real danger

[Toko]

I think 2016 was thought to be the turning point

[Lisbeth]

At this rhythm the turning point will be much sooner

[Toko]

Truning point has already been

[Toko]

SANParks: Letter to the Star: a response to an article that appeared in the Star, 29 April 2013 titled "Rhino killings will never stop, says expert."

...it is important to stress that we have not yet reached the point where South Africa’s (and Kruger’s) rhino population is declining. The rate of loss of white rhino in the Kruger National Park stood at 3,8% of the total population in 2012, and this is expected to rise to around 5,5% in 2013. While this is a considerable escalation in the loss rate, it has not yet reached the rate of natural increase in the population which stands at around 8%, depending on management interventions.
According to Dr Sam Ferreira, Large Mammal Ecologist at SANParks, the white rhino population in the Kruger National Park will begin declining in 2016 if the present rates of increase in poaching continue.

[Flutterby]

How could they possibly know this without doing a rhino count?

[Penga Ndlovu]

I am wondering the same thing Fluts.

But then again the same could be said for Salomon Joubert's statement.

In all fairness.

As long as there is not a proper count been done it is all but a game of estimates.
Nobody can know for sure.

[Richprins]

There will CERTAINLY be no proper count now, which is a tragedy, and political!