Haezaert, J., 1959. The black rhinoceros is brought back to Rwanda. Oryx 5 (3): 96-99, figs. 1-3
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| Location: |
Africa - Eastern Africa - Rwanda |
| Subject: |
Translocation - Methods |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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From Tanzania to Rwanda. The capture of a rhinoceros.
Mr. de Beer directs operations at the wheel of his Dodge. On the platform behind him are his assistants. They have a very flexible rod about 3 metres long carrying the noose end of a special rope, 1 ? cm. in diameter. The other end of this rope is firmly attached to the body of the Dodge. When a mother rhinoceros and her young are found, the trapper tries by every means in his power, even by bush burning, to drive them on to terrain where the vehicle can get up speed. Then the pursuit begins, for the rhino always take flight unless the young one is too small to follow its mother. As soon as the mother realizes she cannot get away, she stops and charges the vehicle.
It is now that Mr. de Beer, sixty-five years old, shows his great boldness and sang-froid. Aiming to separate the mother from her young one, he circles round the animals, all the while avoiding the furious mother's direct charge, so that only rarely is the car's armoured plating pierced by her horn. Contrary to one's expectations, the mother soon gives up the fight and makes off, deserting her young one. The moment has then come to place the vehicle behind the young rhinoceros and to push it several hundred metres so that the mother shall not interfere during actual capture. Then Mr. de Beer drives up close to the animal's flank to enable one of his assistants to place the noose around the head and behind the two horns of the rhinoceros. The car then moves off and, as one end of the rope is firmly attached to it, the captive must follow. As the animal drags at the rope, Mr. de Beer gradually slows down and finally stops. His assistants get down, fasten the animal's limbs together and turn it on its side. If it is not too big they then hoist it into the vehicle and take it back to camp. Otherwise, not without difficulty, they put it into a crate and there it can calm its rage against the solid walls of its cell.
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The black rhinoceros is brought back to Rwanda
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