Africa Wild

http://www.sabc.co.za/news/a/ea0a890047 ... g-20150319

New tool introduced to fight rhino poaching
Thursday 19 March 2015 14:38
SABC

The South African National Parks (SANParks) in association with the Peace Parks Foundation are conducting tests for the use of unmanned aerial vehicles ( UAV) at the Kruger National Park to curb poaching.

Chief Executive Officer of the Peace Parks Foundation Werner Myburgh says the fight against rhino poaching has proved to be difficult for the joint operation teams in the park at night.

Myburgh says if the UAV system, currently under testing is found to be effective, it could soon be implemented to enhance the fight against rhino poaching programs across the country. The UAVs are mounted with cameras that detect any activity at night.

He says the Dutch national lottery donated R200 million to the peace parks foundation for anti-poaching programs.

"We will only look on what kind of application we really need. What I do know is that this provides the rangers with more mechanism to help stop rhino poaching because these drones can fly by night and that is where we are lacking in terms of this anti-poaching war."

At least the Dutch Lottery has not withdrawn the money, but has found another tool against the poachers

https://www.environment.gov.za/mediarel ... tationplan

South Africa and the People’s Republic of China to sign Wildlife Conservation Implementation Plan
18 March 2015

The Minister of Environmental Affairs, Mrs Edna Molewa, and the Vice Administrator of the State Forestry Administration of the People’s Republic of China, Mr Sun Zhagen, will on Monday, 23 March 2105, sign a Wildlife Conservation Implementation Plan at Environment House in Pretoria.

The signing is in terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two governments on Cooperation in the Fields of Wetland and Desert Ecosystems and Wildlife Conservation in 2013.

The Implementation Plan puts into action the terms of the MOU. It gives further impetus to the strategic cooperation between the two countries and will assist in aligning activities and potential projects under the framework of the MOU, including wildlife and biodiversity conservation as well as mechanisms for the sharing of information and exchanging ideas on demand reduction and cooperation on CITES-specific matters.

The action plan also promotes cooperation between the Parties in the fields of law enforcement, compliance with CITES, technology transfer and other relevant legislation and Conventions on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

Media are invited to the signing ceremony. The signing ceremony will be followed by a press briefing.

The details of the signing ceremony are as follows:

Date: Monday, 23 March 2015

Venue: The Department of Environmental Affairs, Environment House, 473 Steve Biko Street, Arcadia, Pretoria

Time: 08:30 for 9:00

To RSVP contact:

Simangele Mabusela
Tel: 012 399 9987
Cell: 078 865 3360
Email: smabusela@environment.gov.za

OR

Eleanor Momberg
Tel: 012 399 9948
Cell: 083 400 5741
Email: emomberg@environment.gov.za

For media queries contact:

Albi Modise
Cell: 083 490 2871

They sign papers, but the rhinos continue to die

Black rhinos relocated to undisclosed location

A group of 19 black rhino were recently translocated to an undisclosed location in South Africa.

Black rhinos relocated to undisclosed location





The animals form the tenth population to be facilitated through WWF South Africa's Black Rhino Range Expansion Project (BRREP) and were made available through the Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency. Growing rhino populations is part of WWF South Africa's five-point rhino plan.

Black rhino are more at risk of extinction than white rhino due to their low numbers. Since the start of the programme in 2003, BRREP has overseen the relocation of around 160 black rhino to form new breeding populations and more than 50 calves have been born on project sites.

"We are extremely proud of the Agency's contribution to the conservation of this species," said Vuyani Dayimani, CEO of Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency. "By doing this the Agency is actively contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the National biodiversity management plan for black rhino in South Africa.

"One of the key objectives of this plan is to grow the national population as rapidly as possible by harvesting animals from populations that are at or near ecological carrying capacity and using these animals to create new populations. This harvesting stimulates growth in the donor population and also makes animals available for the creation of new populations," Dayimani said.

Commitment to conservation

"We are really grateful for Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency's progressive approach to the conservation of black rhino," said Dr Jacques Flamand, head of the Black Rhino Range Expansion Project. "It requires a genuine commitment to conservation to entrust others with the care of such a large group of these precious animals, but this is for the greater good of the species. Establishing a new population is extremely exciting for us because this is essentially what the project works towards. To see our efforts come to fruition is very encouraging."

The Black Rhino Range Expansion Project aims to increase the numbers of black rhino by encouraging rapid population growth. It is a vital part of South Africa's drive to reach a target of 3,000 black rhino.

"South Africa now has significantly more black rhino than there would have been without the project's intervention. Founder populations released on to large areas of land have the potential to increase quickly in number. And moving rhinos from our major parks relieves pressure, allowing for more rapid growth both at source and in their new terrain," according to Dr Flamand.

The recent translocation involved WWF and Eastern Cape Parks and Tourism Agency with help from SANParks and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife. Six wildlife veterinarians participated in the project which saw darted animals being airlifted by helicopter to a central loading area where they were loaded into crates and prepared for a road trip to their new home.

Toko wrote:http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/ ... QsCc46G_UU

Chopper to help SANParks fight poaching

Thank you Mr. Buffet I know that you are enormously rich, but it is very nice of you to spend such a lot of money to help Sanparks fight the poaching. Hopefully they are grateful and will know how to use this important instrument in the war against the poachers!!!

http://lowvelder.co.za/263818/synthetic ... ave-rhino/


MBOMBELA – Can rhino horn be copied like software? A San Francisco biotech company, Pembient, found that it was possible and developed a faux horn that is genetically indistinguishable from the real thing, and is spectrographically and genetically similar to rhino horn.
Pembient founding members: Mr George Bonaci and Matthew Markus


The CEO of Pembient, Mr Matthew Markus said, “Synthetic biology is more about re-engineering microbes to do things. The company primarily engineers rhino horn powder in its labs, but is working toward developing solid horn substitutes. Co-founder, Mr George Bonaci and I do this by duplicating the cells, proteins and deposits in a rhino horn so the synthetic version is genetically similar to the real thing.”
Matthew Markus meeting with traditional medicine practitioners in Hanoi



Markus says his company surveyed users of rhino horn in Vietnam. “What we found was that 45 per cent of people tested said they would accept using rhino horn made in a laboratory, while only 15 per cent would use water buffalo horn, which is the official substitute for rhino horn.”
He added that there was a big need to continue with the tradition of using rhino horn without engaging in illegal or environmentally damaging activities.
“We can assist them in moving away from the wild product and I believe this is a realistic solution to the poaching crisis. “Rhino horn not medicine” campaign is according to Markus perhaps the worst demand-reduction campaign ever conceived.
He claimed it was based on a lie and said that the only randomised double-blink trial of rhino horn found that it did indeed reduce fever in children. Surprisingly, this finding suggests that rhino horn might actually be superior to Western medicine since acetaminophen is difficult to safely dose in children and aspirin is linked to Reye’s syndrome. Secondly, in trying to negate over 2 000 years of tradition, the message becomes, “Your ancestors were stupid”.


The other message that is of value to users in Vietnam, is that this Pembient horn has been produced without the slaughtering of an animal, and that was welcomed by many surveyed users in Vietnam. The first public showcase of the synthetic horn will be at IndieBio’s demo day in mid-June in San Francisco. The company plans to sell its first batch of products on World Rhino Day, September 22 this year.

“What we found was that 45 per cent of people tested said they would accept using rhino horn made in a laboratory,........."

I doubt this very much Remember that Vietnam is a Communist run country and if the official dictat is the above, they would not dare saying anything else.

The Cape Times' Trip was paid for by Rhino Tears wine and the SANParks Honorary Rangers.

http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/default.php?id=56276

Media Release: Have a glass of "Rhino Tears Wine" to support rhino conservation within our national parks

Date: 2014-12-12

The South African National Parks (SANParks) Honorary Rangers launched a new range of wine, in partnership with the Unite Against Poaching Trust and Mount Vernon Wines, “Rhino Tears Wine” to support conservation efforts within our National Parks to protect our rhino.

For every bottle of wine purchased, a percentage will be donated to the SANParks Honorary Rangers counter poaching efforts, the official volunteer organisation of South African National Parks.

“The philosophy behind the Rhino Tears Wine brand is for consumers to gain awareness of the crisis facing rhinos, raising valuable funds for the SANParks Honorary Rangers counter poaching efforts, while at the same time enjoying a glass of Mount Vernon Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Pinotage or a Chenin Blanc (responsibly, of course),” said Louis Lemmer, National Chairperson of the SANParks Honorary Rangers.

The new wine range, produced and bottled by Mount Vernon Wines, includes a Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Pinotage and a Chenin Blanc and is available from selected outlets country-wide, from the SANParks Honorary Rangers: http://www.sanparksvolunteers.org or from Mount Vernon Wines: http://www.mountvernon.co.za.

“The SANParks Honorary Rangers is the official volunteer organisation of South African National Parks. Through our close working relationship with the South African National Parks counter poaching units, we know where the priority areas are. Because the SANParks Honorary Rangers are unpaid volunteers no funds are used for administration and every sent donated towards counter poaching is utilised solely for this purpose. Therefore we have the unique ability to best utilise the resources available to make a real difference in the poaching war on the ground”, concludes Lemmer.