Pangolin

Another victim of poaching.

This afternoon a pangolin was found with a quite badly cut up head and face.  The victim of an attack by poachers.  Pangolin are another wonderful and ancient species under threat due to ongoing demands for traditional medicines even though they are scientifically proven to have no actual medicinal value!

He is in a fairly bad way but we are doing what we can to pull him through.

Pangolin curl up to protect themselves.  Not much help against poachers with  machetes!

Official Face Book site for World Rhino Day now launched jointly by us and Saving Rhinos.org

Please become a fan and take a look at plans and events and let us know what you are planning to do for Rhino Day this year.

Act now to save a species from extinction!

http://www.facebook.com/WorldRhinoDay2011

Rhino Art

Here are our first two rhino pics.  Please feel free to use them and add your own appropriate slogan to make a poster to display in the run up to and on Rhino Day on 22nd September.

If you would like to contribute a design or some slogan ideas to share please do send them to us.  All contributions and feed back gratefully recieved.

We have created a special page just on World Rhino Day 2011 so please refer to it for some ideas and information on plans.  Of course we would love to hear yours too.  Please get involved and help save a species from extinction!

Rhino and Black Eagles by Harry

Rhino Sunset by John Oscar

Big Stretch.

This is a somewhat unusual view!

Elephant have 6 muscle groups divided into 100,000 muscle units in their trunks.

Elephants are extremely dexterous with their trunks and are able to pick up tiny, fragile objects as well as break huge branches.  They smell with their trunks, drink through their trunks, pick up mud and dust, play, wrestle and explore with their trunks ... and of course reach for things ...

It is generally accepted that if a charging elephant's trunk is tucked up then he means business; if it is held loosely then he is mock charging.

It takes at least six months for baby elephants to learn to fully control their trunks.

World Rhino Day 2011

In 2010 WWF promoted World Rhino Day on September 22nd.  They asked people to blow their vuvuzelas, honk their horns and shout out against rhino poaching. 

We have been unable to find out if there are any plans for a World Rhino Day this year but we would like to repeat the effort and declar 22nd September this year as World Rhino Day.  Perhaps this year people could put up posters in their cars, offices, businesses and anywhere else they can think of.

We are going to try to have some posters available for free downloading and printing but there is no reason for people not to make their own.  Maybe the kids would like to get involved with this one?  This could be a great project for school teachers to take on with their classes. 

Get out your paint brushes and get creative!  Please scan and mail us your efforts so we can display them online.

We are really looking forward to a colourful rhino day and you can help!



A rare picture of a rhino with a horn.  All rhino in the Save Valley Conservancy are regularly de-horned for their own safety.



Winter Colour

Flowering aloes add a bright splash in the cool dry winter months.  We appreciate their looks.  Elephant appreciate their taste!  Must be bitter ... eeuugh.

Badge

Check out the cool Stop Rhino Poaching badge we have added to our FB profile pic.  You can do it too.  Create awareness before it is too late!

Get it from picbadges or get the link off our facebook page.

What is the point?

It seems like every time we mention rhino it is bad news:  a poaching incident, horrific pictures of mutilated animals, how very endangered they are etc.

On the surface it seems really depressing.  All the time, all the money, all the effort to try and preserve these animals in the face of ever increasing pressure.  We record the ones we lose and feel  those losses sorely but cannot say how many we have saved or similarly track our successes.

Perhaps it is time to look at the animal itself for inspiration.  What is it about these animals that has so many dedicated conservationists dedicating their lives to trying to prevent their extinction?

Great, grey boulders of animal.  Tough skin, shrewd eyes, listening ears, mobile mouths and ridiculously small tails ... and of course the famous and deadly (in more ways than one) horns.

Anybody who has ever seen one of these animals going about its business in its natural environment cannot doubt its intelligence and personality.  Grumpy, stubborn, forceful, self confident, smart ... lovable against all odds.  Doctor House of the bushveld!  They are special and unique and the world without them will never be the same again.

This is why we do what we do and it is why you should care.  We do it so that the children and their children and theirs will be able to see these amazing creatures for themselves someday.  So that the world does not lose that indefinable something that the rhino brings to it.

Another Rhino Gone

For the second time in 6 weeks we have lost a rhino to ruthless poachers.

Another white rhino bull. 

Our scouts tracked the poachers into the night but finally lost them meaning that they got away again.  It was a close run this time and hopefully they have at least had a bad scare.

Efforts to protect the rhino are ongoing but are very difficult to sustain in the face of the huge demand and resulting financial rewards to the poachers and the greedy bosses behind them.

We have said it before and we will say it again:  If we can make a dent in the demand we will see a corresponding dent in the poaching incidents! 

All and any ideas as to how to get the message to Chinese and Korean horn users much appreciated!