Babes in the bush carry new hope for Cape’s rhinos
THE birth of two white rhino calves is being celebrated in the Cape after a grim year for the species due to rampant poaching.
The youngest is 11 days old today, suckling and being guarded by a fiercely protective mother at Aquila private game reserve, near Touws River in the Western Cape.
The second calf, a male, is 75 days old and playfully finding his feet at the same reserve, which suffered a devastating setback four years ago when poachers attacked three rhinos and used a chainsaw to remove one horn. Two died from their injuries and the reserve was left without a male rhino to continue its breeding programme until the arrival of a new bull early last year.
Both calves are expected to remain with their mothers for the next three to four years. Rangers are still unsure of the gender of the latest arrival. Rhinos are born weighing around 30kg.
The older calf has already integrated with his crash, a group of rhino, and will soon start eating grass on his own.
Reserve owner Searl Derman launched an anti-poaching training scheme in response to the poaching incident in 2011.The programme which is called Saving Private Rhino, is for the benefit of all RARE BREED: The latest white rhino calf at Aquila private game reserve, which was born on December 16, sticks close to mom as it explores its new fynbos world private game reserves.
“People need to understand that this is a real war that private game reserve owners are fighting on the ground and losing,” he said.
Rangers are schooled in the latest tactics to combat poaching, in intelligence gathering, crime scene management and effective patrolling.
Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa said 749 rhino had been poached in South Africa between January 1 and August 27. Updated figures will be released early next year and could surpass the 1 215 rhinos killed by poachers in 2014.
Two rhino horns worth an estimated R3-million were seized by customs officials at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday.
A diplomat from North Korea was expelled from South Africa this month for using a diplomatic bag to smuggle rhino horn out of the country.
There is a booming market for rhino horn in Asia, where many people believe it has medicinal value.