In Kenya numbers have dropped drasti- cally from an estimated 18 000 to about 450 animals, many of which are protected on private property.
Between 1970 and 1977, a number of black rhinoceros (approximately 43) were captured and removed from the upper Ugab and central Damaraland and transported to the Etosha National Park. This left a relic population behind which numbered more than 100 in Damaraland and approximately 150 in Kaokoland.
Zambian rhinoceros face extinction unless steps are taken to control the situation from the highest government levels.
Although four black rhinoceros have recently been poached in the Etosha National Park, those suspected were tracked from the site of the slaughter to a local kraal not far from the Etosha border. The white traders involved were also apprehended within a few days and were charged for the illegal possession of rhinoceros horn. It is not often that the middlemen in the trading racket are caught, so one hopes that the eventual fines imposed on the guilty parties will be heavy enough to act as a deterrent to any would-be poacher. But what about the trader who is responsible for the illegal export from the country?
Between 1970 and 1977, a number of black rhinoceros (approximately 43) were captured and removed from the upper Ugab and central Damaraland and transported to the Etosha National Park by the Directorate of Nature Conservation and Recreational Resorts in an effort to give better protection to the population. This left a relic population behind which numbered more than 100 in Damaraland and approximately 150 in Kaokoland.
During the late 1970s and early 1980s the numbers were drastically reduced by poaching. Carcasses riddled with automatic bullets were found at waterholes and the local population joined the massacre with their own .303 rifles. Horns were hacked off with pangas and. in the case of elephants, chain saws were used to remove the ivory.
In Zimbabwe conservationists are fighting a conventional war against heavily armed poachers and the rhinoceros numbers are dropping daily.
In the Kaokoveld, an auxiliary game scout system (privately funded by the Endangered Wildlife Trust) was introduced by Garth Owen-Smith, the scouts being supervised by nature conservation officials. These game scouts are appointed by the headman of an area and their duties include reporting on game movements and numbers, reporting vehicles passing through the area and any suspicious happenings. The Damara Representative Council has recognised the international importance of protecting the black rhinoceros. They also support and encourage the view that conservation of the indigenous and consequently well-adapted wildlife in this and habitat has a great potential for tourism, research and long-term utilisation.
In the Central African Republic it would appear that from a healthy population of some 3000 rhinoceros in 1980, they may become extinct there this year!
By 1982 less than ten rhinoceros survived in Kaokoland and an estimated 30 to 40 survived in Damaraland. The illegal trade in rhinoceros horn escalated throughout Africa, and to date more than 80 per cent of Africa's rhinoceros population has disappeared.
Between 1970 and 1977, a number of black rhinoceros (approximately 43) were captured and removed from the upper Ugab and central Damaraland and transported to the Etosha National Park by the Directorate of Nature Conservation and Recreational Resorts in an effort to give better protection to the population. This left a relic population behind which numbered more than 100 in Damaraland and approximately 150 in Kaokoland.
The north-western region of South West Africa/ Namibia is extremely arid country and forms part of the Namib Desert. A narrow strip of coastline has been proclaimed a national park and is known as the Skeleton Coast Park but is not more than 40 kilometres wide at any point. The southern boundary of the park is the Ugab River and the northern boundary the Kunene River. Damaraland to the south and Kaokoland to the north form the eastern boundaries and these areas combined form the Kaokoveld, a locally derived botanical term which describes the vegetation type. There is no fence dividing the Skeleton Coast Park from Damaraland and Kaokoland which allows the free ranging of all wildlife in and out of the proclaimed area. Although the desert regions of Daniaraland and Kaokoland remain unproclaimed due to political difficulties, conservation management of wildlife, wildlife safari tours and wildlife research programmes are successfully implemented with the full support of the local authorities and the government's Directorate of Nature Conservation and Recreation Resorts. The terrain is vast and rugged mountain ranges intercepted by wide gravel plains running into sandy gravel plains running into sandy, vegetated river beds and hot, dry valleys. Although harsh in appearance, these rivers are in fact the arteries of life for most of the desert-dwelling animals. When the annual rains fall, these rivers flow in a flood across the sandy surface nf the riverbeds, the waters then sink below to filter silently through the sand to the Atlantic Ocean. It is in this extremely and habitat that a number of black rhinoceros survive. `Nowhere else in the world does the rhinoceros live under such stressfully arid conditions, nor in such ruggedly hostile terrain', said Professor Gideon Louw, Head of the Zoology Department at the University of Cape Town, when he visited the area.
Garth Owen-Smith has recently completed a year census of the rhinoceros, funded by th New York Zoological Society. It was found that five or six rhinoceros still inhabit some of the Damara farms to the extreme east. However, these farmers have littie or no problem with the rhinoceros which tend to remain in the more inaccessible areas.
But the most encouraging news comes from Dr. Esmond Bradley Martin who has been investigating the illegal trade in rhinoceros horn in the eastern and northern African countries where the horn is used for dagger handles and medicinal uses. Dr. Martin has been persuading the medicine makers and dagger-handle carvers to use alternatives, such as water buffalo horn for dagger handles and Saiga deer horn (which contains similar medicinal properties) for their medicines. Dr. Martin has managed to persuade the North Yemen Government to draw up a strategy which would greatly curtail the use of rhinoceros horn in their country. Part of the strategy was to be a request to the Grand Mufti to issue a religious decree stating that it was against the will of God to eliminate an animal species. which is what would eventually happen if the illegal trade in rhinoceros horn continues as it has been.
Damaraland, Namibia. The terrain is vast and rugged mountain ranges intercepted by wide gravel plains running into sandy gravel plains running into sandy, vegetated river beds and hot, dry valleys. Although harsh in appearance, these rivers are in fact the arteries of life for most of the desert-dwelling animals. When the annual rains fall, these rivers flow in a flood across the sandy surface nf the riverbeds, the waters then sink below to filter silently through the sand to the Atlantic Ocean. It is in this extremely and habitat that a number of black rhinoceros survive. ?Nowhere else in the world does the rhinoceros live under such stressfully arid conditions, nor in such ruggedly hostile terrain', said Professor Gideon Louw, Head of the Zoology Department at the University of Cape Town, when he visited the area.
Monitoring of Kaokoveld rhinoceros and their movements began in 1982 but has recently, in the past three years. become more intensive. All nature conservation staff and non-government fieldworkers have contributed towards the formation of identikit files on each individual rhinoceros. Day-to-day records of rhinoceros sightings are kept in a comprehensive set of files. These files consist of front- and side-view photographs, ear notches, tail deformities, spoor measurements, localities, calf ages and sex ratios. Movements and home ranges are logged on a map. The feeding ecology and general behaviour of the 'desert' rhinoceros are also recorded. Garth Owen-Smith has recently completed a year census of the rhinoceros, funded by th New York Zoological Society. It was found that five or six rhinoceros still inhabit some of the Damara farms to the extreme east. However, these farmers have littie or no problem with the rhinoceros which tend to remain in the more inaccessible areas. The Damara people have, in fact, shown a great enthusiasm for the recent projects aimed at the protection of the rhinoceros and othe wildlife in Damaraland.
June Owen Smith called from Wereldsend that another rhino cow had been shot leaving a small calf orphaned which was now in her care. I arrived late in the evening. In the morning I found June giving the calf the early morning feed. The wounds that the jackals had inflicted had been fairly bad but June had done a marvellous job of cleaning up the worst of it. I took care of the baby. She was a delightful ward. I took her waling mornings and evenings, I learnt as much if not more in those few days than in nine months of intensive observations. I also learnt that little rhinos need plenty of communicative touching and affection. Probably due to poor eyesight, she relied upon a continual vocal communication uttering a sort of huff-puff or plaintive 'meeow' which had to be answered. If I walked too fast she'd break into a very agile trot with tail up and almost bowl me over if I didn't hop out of the way in time. On the sixth day the Dept of Nature Conservation removed her to Etosha.
