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Save the Rhino June 2011 E-zine
Save the Rhino June 2011 E-zine
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Dear John, Welcome to the June issue of RhiNEWS! New readers can subscribe by sending an email headed 'Subscribe' to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
In this issue: |
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This month |
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I've done some pretty weird things in a rhino costume. Riding a (unbelievably well behaved) horse is definitely up there as one of the weirdest. Quite rightly, some of you may ask why on earth it was necessary. Well, it was all in aid of promoting our fantastic London 2012 Olympic linked event - Gold Challenge. We want to get our rhino 'Sebastian Rhine-Coe' taking part in all 30 Olympic Sports. So, once you sign up for the Gold Challenge, take along a rhino costume to your sports session and pose for a photo! Intrigued? Visit our website to learn more.
We're also really excited about the fact you can now donate to Save the Rhino via text! Text RHIN01 (that's a zero not the letter o) followed by a space, then the amount you'd like to donate (£1, £3, £5 or £10) to 70070. Thanks to the lovely people at Just Text Giving by Vodafone, absolutely ALL of your donation will go to helping Save the Rhino. See www.justgiving.com/
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Announcements |
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Predators and Prey: Launching Project Rhino UK |
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Africa news stories |
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Uganda - Uganda Wild Life Authority accused of mismanagement of US$ 38m World Bank loan and grant as well as sh1bn from the Government of Uganda Click here to read the full story THE white and black rhinos imported by the Uganda Wild Life Authority (UWA) are making profits for a private farm and not the Government, an inquiry has heard. The rhinos were imported in several batches from South Africa, the US and Kenya, starting around 2005. It was a pilot project to restock the herds that had been extinct.
Uganda - Rhino Fund Uganda denies involvement mismanagement of a World Bank funded project Click here to read the full story Rhino Fund Uganda has been named in the probe over mismanagement of a $38m the World Bank funded project. In a recent press release, however, the rhino breeding firm denies receiving money from the Government to cater for salaries and training of its staff. Kenya - Two white rhino killed in the Maasai Mara, third moved to safety Click here to read the full story In the last two weeks, two white rhino have been poached on the world famous Maasai Mara reserve, despite the fact that they were allegedly under 24 hour surveillance. Somewhere in Africa, a rhino is being killed every day for its horns, and at that rate it will be just a few years before they are all gone.
Namibia - Nice overview of conservation efforts in Namibia Click here to read the full story Currently unique to Namibia (although the system is being trialled in Zambia), the Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM), or conservancy programme adopted by the Namibian government with the help of local safari companies, has seen startling results.
Namibia - MET/ MTC launch Rhino Security SMS hotline Click here to read the full story The Minister of Environment and Tourism, Hon Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, officially launched a new SMS hotline that will help protect Namibia's rhinos and other natural heritage. This hotline has been set up by the Directorate of Scientific Services, in partnership with MTC. Zimbabwe - Overview of the Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force and the rhino poaching crisis Click here to read the full story Game Scouts had reported seeing a severely wounded black rhino and when Rangers located the animal they found a gruesome, horrific sight. The rhino had been shot several times by poachers who had then hacked the horn off the animal's face and left the poor creature for dead.
South Africa - Two South Africans start 2,000km walk to raise awareness of the rhino poaching crisis Click here to read the full story Two South Africans from opposite ends of the country are setting off together on a 2,000km walk this morning, united by a common passion. For the next three months, Paul Jennings from Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal and Sboniso Phakathi from Hoedspruit in Limpopo province, will walk across South Africa, from Musina to Cape Town, hoping to inspire people across the country to make a bigger noise about the national rhino poaching crisis.
South Africa - Defence minister warns poachers: "shoot and be shot" In a strongly-worded statement issued after SA National Defence Force troops killed three poachers inside the Kruger National Park near the border with Mozambique, she said poachers had to know the army would "fight fire with fire".
South Africa - Ezemvelo Wild Life's Chief Executive Bandile Mkhize makes extra manpower and high-tech equipment available to fight poachers The tide is turning in the fight against rhino poachers in KwaZulu-Natal – with the province's conservation agency at "full steam ahead" in all its anti-poaching operations. The stakes have been upped by rangers and field staff of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife following the loss of nine rhinos – seven from provincial and two from private reserves – to poachers so far this year. South Africa - Ex-MP's son shot dead by SA police for allegedly trying to steal rhino horns Mndeni, a former soldier and son of the former Sigwe MP Mangena Jele, is said to have been shot dead, after a police shootout at White River in Mpumalanga Province. He and two other accomplices are said to have been caught red-handed trying to steal rhino horns from Lifeform Taxidermy. South Africa - Government is to consider legalising the trading of rhino horns In a written reply to a parliamentary question from DA MP Jaunita Terreblance, water and environmental affairs minister Edna Molewa said that her department would commission a feasibility study to probe the viability of legal rhino horn trade in the country.
South Africa - WWF states it does not support the Government's tentative steps towards creating a legal trade for rhino horn Click here to read the full story WWF's Joseph Okori, says since no other country has a legal trade in rhino horn, internationally South African trade would still be considered illegal. He says though he can understand why government's looking at alternative ways to dealing with poaching.
South Africa - EWT say that Vietnam may be behind rise in rhino poaching "There are allegations of rhino horn being used for medicinal use in Vietnam as a cure for cancer and other ailments," The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) CEO Yolan Friedmann told a briefing in Johannesburg. "This may explain the increase in investment into ways to access rhino and the technology involved."
South Africa - Interview with EWT on Jacaranda radio The Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) said the country needed new strategies to protect its rhino population of approximately 19,500 - 22,000. Over the past four years, there had been an increase in the number of rhinos being poached for their horns in South Africa, with the amount standing at 330 for 2010. The EWT warned that this crime is increasing.
South Africa - Kruger National Park to get more rangers to fight rhino poaching Park spokesperson William Mabasa said although soldiers and police had been deployed to help patrol the park, it was still not enough. "The other security forces were deployed to ensure that it becomes hard for poachers to enter the park. However, the park is about two million hectares (in size), so it's hard to patrol the entire park with the available forces. That is why we decided to employ more rangers," said Mabasa.
South Africa - KZN winning the fight against rhino poachers? Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife yesterday said it was pleased with the low number of rhino reported poached in the province but insisted that it was "too early to claim victory".
South Africa - More than 70% of the rhinos in a single Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife game reserve A report in The Mercury notes that the reserve is the Emakhosini Ophathe Heritage Park near Ulundi, where only eight rhinos remain alive from an original population of about 35 animals, according to Environment MEC Lydia Johnson. She was responding to written questions from Radley Keys, the DA's provincial spokesperson on environmental issues.
South Africa - Three men arrested for being in possession of four rhino horns It is believed that one of the men is an international trader. All three were arrested at the weekend and appeared at the Germiston Magistrate's Court on Monday. The Hawks' McIntosh Polela said the men were arrested at two different locations in Bedfordview following a tip-off. South Africa - The heart wrenching reality of rhino poaching (please note images may cause distress) The photograph above shows a female rhino after she was brutally butchered by poachers for her horn; they reportedly chased the animal off a cliff using a pack of dogs. It took her calf a day to find her body at the bottom of the cliff, where it laid down next to its mother's side. |
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Asia news stories |
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Nepal - Article in the Economist about the violation of human rights in order to protect rhinos Click here to read the full story The success is the product of hard, occasionally dangerous, work and of politics. The end of Nepal's Maoist insurgency in 2006 allowed army guard posts back into Chitwan National Park, where most of the rhinos live. A new Wildlife Crime Control Bureau is being set up.
India - Police foil poaching attempt in Kaziranga National Park Click here to read the full story India - Poachers kill rhino in Kaziranga National Park: horn, bones and flesh removed Click here to read the full story Vietnam - Who consumes wild animal products in Vietnam? Click here to read the full story
Vietnam - Undercover investigation of the wildlife trade network Click here to read the full story Click here to read the full story Indonesia - Interview with International Rhino Foundation Executive Director Susie Ellis about Javan rhino conservation (including comment on the recent funding from APP) Click here to read the full story |
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World news stories |
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Misc - Belief and butchery: how lies and organised crime are pushing rhinos to extinction Click here to read the full story Few animals face as violent, as well organised, and as determined an enemy as the world's rhinos. Across the globe rhinos are being slaughtered in record numbers; on average more than one rhino is killed by poachers everyday. After being shot or drugged, criminals take what they came for: they saw off the animal's horn.
UK - Rhino horn libation cup goes for £300,000 at Cheltenham auction house Click here to read the full story An intricately carved Chinese cup made from rhinoceros horn has sold for more than £300,000 at auction in Cheltenham. The rare 17th Century "libation cup", which is marked with a seal in ancient Zhuanshu script, had expected to fetch just £80,000. UK - Stephen Fry visits Port Lympne Zoo Click here to read the full story Much-loved luminary Stephen Fry has paid a visit to Port Lympne Wild Animal Park to film part of a new language documentary. And despite suffering from severe back pain, the QI presenter said he had had a "simply fabulous time". USA - Irish nationals sentenced for attempting to ship rhino horns from Denver Click here to read the full story Two Irish nationals, allegedly involved in the illegal worldwide trade of rhinoceros horns, have been sentenced in Denver to six months in prison for attempting to ship four rhino horns to Ireland. The men are identified as Richard O'Brien and Michael Hegarty from Rathkeale, Ireland. USA - Southern white rhino calf now on display at Lion Country Safari (very cute video!) Click here to read the full story There's a new and pretty big addition to a wildlife park in Florida. Lion Country Safari in Loxahatchee, Fla. recently got a new member, Laini, a 50lb, newborn white rhinoceros.
USA - Henry Doorly Zoo get two Greater one horned rhinos Click here to read the full story The Henry Doorly Zoo's newest residents have made their first public appearance on Pachyderm Hill. Fitzgerald and Jontu are Indian rhinos. Fitzgerald, 4 years old and 3,440 pounds, comes to Omaha from the Bronx Zoo. Three-year-old Jontu, 3,000 pounds, is from the San Diego Zoo, although he is owned by a zoo in Fort Worth, Texas. Australia - Dürer's Rhinoceros is given a new lease of life during National Gallery's birthday celebrations Click here to read the full story Just as Dürer based his work on descriptions and a brief sketch of the first live rhinoceros taken to Europe from India in 1515, Snuff Puppet artistic director Andy Freer has had to content himself with working from photographs of Durer's work. The fragile original is kept in a vault at the gallery. |
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Save the Rhino events |
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Rhino Trek South Africa Clay Pigeon Shoot
Record Breaking Rhino Badminton |
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Corporate partners |
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Victor Stationery Rhino Wine Gear Rhino Wine Gear puts a smile on any wine lover's face, and our faces too. When you shop for wine accessories, wine totes and carriers, and unique wine gifts, Save the Rhino gets a percentage of every item sold. Rhino Wine Gear ships worldwide so check out their great range today.
Beasty Bags
Beasty Bags™ are large, loveable animal beanbags - including rhino ones - with personalities all of their own. Designed and handmade in the UK, Beasty Bags are fun and versatile, for lounging or sitting, and suitable for both the big and small kids in your family! Highly practical with washable, removable covers, they are available in a range of high quality designer fabrics suitable for any contemporary living space. Go to www.beastybags.co.uk to see the full range of Beasty Bags, the slightly more rugged Beasty Bag™ Rhino is particularly good for the boys and our faux leather rhino has been spotted in the odd bachelor pad too!–Save the Rhino receives a donation from each rhino sold.
Interested in developing a corporate partnership with Save the Rhino? There are numerous ways that companies can help with our work. If you or anyone you know maybe interested in developing a corporate partnership with Save the Rhino International then please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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Programme grants in April |
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In April, we gave out the following grants: |
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Go to www.savetherhino.org for more information about Save the Rhino, and details of how you can support us. New readers can subscribe by emailing
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
. Unsubscribe by emailing the same address. Save the Rhino works to conserve viable populations of Critically Endangered rhinos in Africa and Asia. We recognise that the future of wildlife is inextricably linked to the communities that share its habitat. By funding field projects and through education, our goal is to deliver material, long-lasting and widespread benefits to rhinos and other endangered species, ecosystems and to the people living in these areas. Disclaimer: Save the Rhino International's aim with this newsletter is to enhance access to information about rhino conservation around the world. The newsletter is produced in good faith and we hope that all information contained within it is timely and accurate. However, the charity accepts no responsibility or liability with regard to the content, and urges anyone reproducing information from it to contact the original sources before doing so. |
Save the Rhino
Registered not for profit: 099-443-NPO
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