News Edition 02-16

Bulletin #02-16 February Edition 2016.

This Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species or RAGES is a Rotarian Action Group and operates in accordance with Rotary International policy but is not an agency of, or controlled by Rotary International.

1.  FEBRUARY CHAIR REPORT

G ‘ day

Another month goes by and the problems of poaching have not gone away nor have they under control.

One learns so much every single day and this month we learn about the decimation of the giraffe in the Congo.

The poaching crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is affecting more than just elephants. New surveys have revealed that the country’s giraffe population has plunged to just 38, putting the species at immediate risk of extinction there.

The Congo’s giraffes all live within Garamba National Park, a 1,930-square-mile UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park, which is run by nonprofit organization African Parks, held more than 350 giraffes two decades ago. Most of those animals were killed during the country’s 1998–2003 civil war, leaving just 86 giraffes afterward. Many of those remaining giraffes have now been lost to poachers.

Park officials have warned that if they lose just five more giraffes, the population may no longer be sustainable on its own.  FULL STORY.

I hope that we all learn as much as possible on the problems that our endangered species face on a daily basis.  Tell your friends and club members about RAGES ask them to join our Action Group.

Those going to the 2016 RICON in Seoul come visit our booth in the House of Friendship please.

See you in Seoul!

Yours in Rotary

John Glassford
Chair 2014 -2016

Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species
Rotary Club of Coolamon District 9700
New South Wales, Australia

RAG Endangered Species

Australia First Country to Place Immediate Ban on Lion Trophies

Australian environment minister Greg Hunt made a bold and important move for the welfare of lions by signing an order banning any import or export of any trophy body part of a lion.

Hunting of lions for sport, show, and profit has become a major problem for wild lion populations over the past 25 years especially.  A practice known as “canned hunting” has become unfortunately widespread in which lions are intentionally bred in captivity only to be more or less handed over to international hunters for sport.  Often times in these circumstances the lions are drugged or baited, further adding to the gruesome inhumanity of it.

Due to a multitude of factors, the lion population has fallen to 40,000, 50% less than it was 25 years ago, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.  There are many factors contributing to this such as habitat loss, human conflict, and skewing of the genetic balance within lion communities by removing large male lions for illegal hunting purposes.

FULL STORY HERE

There May Be Twice as Many Orangutans as Thought

Sumatran orangutans have been dying for some good news, and they finally got some. For now, at least.

According to the results of an extensive three-year survey, Sumatra may hold as many as 14,600 orangutans. That’s more than double the previous population estimate of 6,600 for these critically endangered apes.

A team of researchers crisscrossed Sumatra by foot, walking into remote habitats to find evidence of orangutans in areas where no one had ever looked them before. They found fresh orangutan nests mountains, in peat swamps, in western areas of the island that had never previously been surveyed, and even in partially logged forests.

Nests are the best marker for orangutan presence, since the apes build new nests every night and the old nests take about a year to degrade.

The surveys involved back-breaking work undertaken by a dedicated team of researchers. “Sometimes getting to these sites required a week of walking and then a week to walk back,” said the project’s lead researcher, Serge Wich a professor at Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom. “The mountains are very steep and unforgiving. That’s why in the past we didn’t go much into those areas.”

But he warned: “The threats to the forest are as real as ever and the predictions we make in the paper for the future indicate that in all the scenarios we considered there will be continuing decreases in orangutan numbers over the coming years.”

FULL STORY HERE

DRY KUDU

Feb 2016. In the midst of a serious drought it is interesting to see how certain animals manage the situation. This hole in a ‘dry’ riverbed was dug by an Elephant which becomes an important life line for other animals to make use of. Here a Kudu bull is quenching his thirst whilst two male Impala wait their turn. There were a number of different species that made use of this waterhole that I saw. From Baboons, Bushbuck, various birds etc.

Biggest thanks to the Black Mambas. Almost all-female anti-poaching unit and the wonderful work that they do. We are thrilled to have them on board of the Say No campaign. A special thank you to Colleen, Felicia and Collin.
When you hear the words anti-poaching unit, what’s the first thing that comes into your mind? Poachers… Guns… Snares… War… Rhino Horn… Ivory?

The Black Mambas is much more than just an anti-poaching unit. Whilst our main objective is the security of the reserve and the protection of wildlife, we also strive to create a strong bond and educate the communities that live on the boundaries of Balule and the Greater Kruger Park to the benefits of saving their natural heritage. It is our belief that the ‘war’ on poaching will not be won with guns and bullets, but through social upliftment and the education of local communities surrounding the reserves.

The success of this 3-tiered strategy has seen the following benefits:

1. Constant visual policing on all servitude roads and boundaries.
2. Low level of internal corruption.
3. High success rate with counter-insurgency measures (off-reserve).
4. Strong support from neighbouring rhino owners adjacent to the Greater Kruger.

For more information on the amazing work Black Mambas do please visit and support:

http://www.blackmambas.org/

To celebrate Dr. Jane Goodall’s 25 year anniversary for Roots & Shoots with this special edition of the Say No poster it was an honour for the RAGES One Fight Unite team to meet the Black Mambas whilst in London and have Siphiwe and Felicias blessing for all our endangered species and Dr. Jane Goodall’s humanitarian programme and us at One Fight. Unite.

Dr. WILLIAM FOWLDS

This ‪‎World Wildlife Day‬ I am looking back at Geza, the rhino who changed my life 5 years ago. Finding this once mischievous rhino who I had known as a playful youngster in such a desperate state and realising there was nothing we could do to help him has impacted my life ever since. It highlighted the awful lengths some humans are willing to go to for monetary gains and the pain they will inflict on their fellow creatures to benefit themselves.

My experiences that day have spurred me on to fight for our natural heritage and I know I am not alone in this fight. Through projects like Medivet’s Saving the Rhino campaign: http://www.medivet.co.uk/news/medivet-rhino/, the Wilderness Foundation and support from you we can use the memory of Geza to stop other rhinos from suffering the way he did.

As with everything our Rhino girl does, Hope is taking everything in her stride! She is unflappable (or she is saving up all the cheekiness for later on – which is entirely possible knowing Hope).

Over the weekend she seemed to settle into her new surroundings. There was very little pacing or aimless trotting around her boma (enclosure). The one thing she definitely is, is hungry! She is polishing off all the feed that gets put out for her. This is great sign as animals who are under great stress tend not to eat and drink.

Her and Bull #40 seem to have taken a fancy to each other. During the day they are both along their shared fence, often standing facing each other for ages. There has been no growling, blowing, or any other types of aggression. At night when they go to sleep, they sleep next to each other with only the fence between them.

We must say that she does have good taste in men as Bull #40 is very handsome, very strong, strapping young lad. Later this week are going to try and introduce her to the other small groups and hope it all goes well. She will come back into her boma to be fed.

We couldn’t have asked for things to have gone better over this last week. But like we always say, she has a long way to go to make a full recovery.

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CONTACT DETAILS:

Email: [email protected]

Phone:  61 2 6927 6027  {61 is the code for Australia}.

Postal: 22 Moore Street, GANMAIN, NEW SOUTH WALES 2701, AUSTRALIA.