Monthly News Edition 09-15
Bulletin #09 June 2015.
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. JUNE CHAIR REPORT
G ‘ day
It has been a very busy month behind the scenes in Rotary and RAGES. As you know we have started the new Rotary year with a new board as per email to all of our members. We would like to welcome to the Board President Elect RIBI {Rotary International Great Britain and Ireland} Eve Conway. Eve brings with her a wealth of experience in Rotary having served as District Governor for District 1030 as well her media experience at the BBC.
RIBI President Elect PDG Eve Conway with Rubin Besureis and Duke Ingram.
We would also like to extend a very warm welcome to IPDG Bimal Kantaria D 9212 Kenya, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Eritrea. Bimal is a dynamo and has done some remarkable work in his year as DG D 9212. Under Bimal’s leadership District 9212 grew by 27 or more new Rotary clubs.
IPDG Bimal Kantaria with the HE President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, First Lady HE Margaret Kenyatta, IPRIP Gary Huang and Corinna Huang and Hiral Kantaria.
We hope to have news on the RAGES Survival Kits soon starting with the Rhino International Survival Kits or RISK. These RISK boxes will be available for Rotary and Rotaract Clubs to promote and raise funds for their purchase and deployment ot where they are needed most on the anti-poaching front line.
The Say NO! Poster Campaign gathers momentum and the time is near when we will start to see some excellent results of the hard work being done here by Duke Ingram and Rubin Besureis of Besureis.
We would appreciate any ideas and feed back from you all as to what you want to do to support our projects in RAGES. We are here to help make any idea of yours, your club or district come to fruition.
We have several wonderful well researched projects to start our work in RAGES.
As always
Yours in Rotary
John Glassford
Chair 2014 -2016
Rotarian Action Group for Endangered Species
Rotary Club of Coolamon District 9700
New South Wales, Australia
2. THE POSTER CAMPAIGN.
Gathering momentum and the latest to join us include:
Now, do we really need to say this cause this man is just too fabulous for words and one of our absolute favourites. His talents are beyond, need we say more? Richard E. Grant is an English actor, screenwriter, and director and he SAYS NO loud and clear. Currently in the 5th series of Downton Abbey. Thank you so much Richard E. Grant.
David Gilmour, lead guitarist for Pink Floyd, signing our Say No poster. One of the greatest rock bands ever and Dark Side of the Moon is up there at #1 all time.
AND
Jeremy Paxman is an English broadcaster, journalist and author. He has worked for the BBC since 1972 and is known for his forthright and abrasive interviewing style, particularly when interrogating politicians. Jeremy Paxman an utter legend, a fantastic guy, not to be messed with. We are proud to have him Say No for our endangered species. Extinction is forever.
RAGES Facebook Page
RAGES One Fight Unite Facebook Page
Duke Ingram and Rubin Besureis and their band Besureis are organising a concert to be held in London on September 5-6th details to follow.
3. HOPE.
Those of you on Facebook and on our RAGES page will know about the story of Hope. You would also have seen the horrific injuries she sustained from a poacher or poachers.
Her carers are looking for some support but first read her brief story. I have not published close up photos of her face. Here are two photos and a story from Saving the Survivors.
Day 12: Hope has a good day today. She was walking around quite a bit, grazing and eating her lucerne consistently. Her wound is still fresh with no bleeding or signs of infection – which is what we were hoping for. Our girl is very relaxed and is taking everything in her stride. Shamwari Game Reserve, where she is being treated, are doing an excellent job – Thank You!
Day 39: It has been 39 days since we first met and treated Hope. She has come so far in such a short space of time. From the state that we found her in to the state that she is now – seem worlds apart.
She is eating well and we have increased her lucerne intake our Hope is a hungry girl. The plate is still attached she is rubbing it on the walls of her enclosure. It has come away at the bottom but structurally it is staying in place from the anchor points at the top of the shield. We are relieved that it is still in place as we don’t want the wound to dry out and we certainly don’t want her rubbing her unprotected wound.
She is active through the day moving about freely and as we have said before her behaviour is that of an uninjured rhino. She is one tough cookie!
As always we recognise everybody’s efforts in Hope’s recovery. It is a team effort and one we could not do on our own. Dr Johan Joubert, Bruce Main and Megan Sinclair from Shamwari Game Reserve we know she is getting the best care possible. Dr William Fowlds for always being on hand. To Janine Joubert (Tracks Multimedia) for the updated photos of this fine rhino warrior – a picture really is worth a thousand words and to everyone who follows Hope’s story, thank you. Lastly to each and every person who has donated we thank you because without your support Saving the Survivors would not be able to do what we do. Where there is life there is Hope!
She is rubbing the shield but we are happy that it is still anchored in place so its integrity is holding which we need it to do. Her next procedure will be around the 24th of July so we need the shield to stay in place until then. (come on Hope its only 20 days big girl)
Editor’s note: Saving the Survivors need to break ground on her new enclosure soon – the current enclosure has just about been grazed out. It is going to cost them R180 000 (£10 000 or $US 15 000) They are hoping to start next week. If anyone would like to donate towards STS for them to build this new enclosure they would really REALLY appreciate it. Once Hope is well enough to move from the new enclosure it will then be a permanent Saving the Survivors Rhino ICU facility in the Eastern Cape for any other Survivors or Rhino that need medical attention to be placed.
Get back to me if you or your club can help here.
4. RAGES NEWS
Giraffe Population Drops 40 Percent in 15 Years
The giraffe population in Africa has dropped about 40 percent in just 15 years, according to the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.
The organization’s director, Dr. Julian Fennessy, told ABC News: “It’s a silent extinction,” noting that giraffe numbers have fallen to 80,000 from 140,000.
In what is a familiar refrain for many species, the giraffe population has plummeted due to habitat loss, excessive hunting and poaching.
Unfortunately for giraffes, their skin can be used to make several clothing items, and countries such as Tanzania have come to believe eating parts of the animal can cure HIV-AIDS. Hunters, for their part, can earn money from the animal’s meat without a great deal of effort.
And while animals such as elephants and rhinos garner a large share of conservation attention, why does it seem like a “silent” extinction? Experts speculate that they’re such a presence in our lives that it’s easy to think the species is as abundant as can be.
“Giraffes are everywhere. Look at kids’ books, which are full of giraffes. They’re always in zoo collections. They’re easily visible, so you don’t think we have to worry about them,” David O’Connor, research coordinator with the San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research, told Scientific American.
Groups such as Giraffe Conservation Foundation hope that by sounding the alarm about the plight of the gentle giants, African nations might take a harder look at stricter conservation measures. Other efforts involve ensuring that the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of endangered species is as up to date and accurate as possible about giraffes and their nine subspecies — the better to raise awareness that the creatures could one day be lost to history.
5. RICON 2016 SEOUL SOUTH KOREA.
It is our duty as a Rotarian Action Group to hod our Annual General Meeting at the RI Convention. In 2016 it will be in Seoul. We will also have a booth in the House of Friendship. We will need help to man the booth and promote RAGES to all the delegates. Get back to me if you are going and can help. It is not too early to plan for this event. I will be going.
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.