What a luckly boy Dora is to be living in a safe place like the Western plains zoo, just saw on the National Geo website 49 of the 75 Indian rhino in one wildlife park in India have Vanished, after some very good years of protection they are once again under are in big trouble.
This is what happens with political instability, another example is zimbabwe. No animal is ever really 100% safe unfortunately.
I agree with what you have said Jay, its sad after all the hard work that has been put in over the years and they are the down ward slide yet again. The more Indian rhino we can keep in oz the better, at least they are safe.
Problems with GI Rhinos. The rhinos in Chitwan NP. in Nepal are suffering from renewed poaching too. Kaziranga in Assam holds the greatest number but poaching is/was rife there too a few years ago. Its good that zoos hold back-up stocks of this marvellous species. Apparently there have been problems with genetic management of the captive population, because some bulls can't be used for breeding as they are overly agressive with the females during mating. In the wild there's a long courtship phase with chasing etc- maybe without rival males to compete with first and plenty of room to run of steam, the bull vents his aggression in the wrong direction-biting the female. Then the female won't mate with that bull again. So genetically the captive population is skewed in favour of the more placid males which have been used to father a lot of the calves. The problem is being tackled hopefully by using AI with semen from the difficult bulls. Another problem with them in captivity is hard surfaces damaging their feet- more zoos use woodchip flooring even in outside paddocks nowadays to protect their feet as in the wild they behave more like Hippos than other rhinos. I don't know if your bull in Australia is from a well represented line or not? Seeing GI Rhino during the courtship phase is rare but an impressive show- running, chasing, whistling- four legged tanks in action...
Poaching in Nepal Mark, The poaching problem is not in India. Get your facts right it is Nepal that has a problem with poaching of Indian rhino. Since the country was engulfed in civil war with the Maoist insurgents protection in the Chitwan park and Royal Bardia (the place you mention has lost 49 out of 75) was lax. This paved the way for poachers to move in and restart the practice of killing rhinos for their horns. Just recently, the national Nepalese conservation authorities have reinstated many of the guardposts in the 3 rhino reserves (Chitwan with the largest population at 375 individuals + Royal Bardia and Royal Sukhla Panta reserves). This should help put a stop to the poaching increase.
Jelle, Sorry for getting my facts wrong, the park that lost 49 rhino was in Nepal as you say, but to say the poaching problem is not in India as well is wrong on your part as it is a problem in both countrys, it may be of lesser extent at this time but they are having the same problem.
There was certainly a problem in Kaziranga in Assam just a few years ago- despite large ant-poaching patrols they were still losing some rhinos each year....
welcome back jelle!! wow jelle!!!! thankyou so much for joining in on the conversaion and putting that nasty mark back in his place. its been a while since we have heard from you, so its great that you came back right when we needed you and indeed alerted us to the fact that we were being all duped by marks ficticious knowledge of geography! get a life mark! there is absolutely NO POACHING of rhino in india at all! its all happening in a little country north of there called N*E*P*A*L - yeah, you may have heard of it, home to the worlds tallest mountain? thanks jelle your a star. always love ya contributions! oh and by the way, hows things going "en de shoo in de neederlandshhhh?"
PAT go to the SOS Website and look at 27 november 2006 where it says poacher killed 4 Indian rhino in kaziranga NP in 2006 and the on going battle they are having with poachers, so NO poaching in India a, well you should know where Kaziranga is since you have been there. yes i a bad dude because i was correct. hehehe
Way to go Mark. I have been to Kaziranga too and there most definately is poaching of rhino there too- though agreed its not on the same scale as the recent downturn in Nepal. I believe in the past they have lost an average of about 10 a year in Assam.
Umm.. What the hell pat, poaching of all animals happens everywhere, even Finches get poached in Australia for the pet bird market, they are just kept live. Where theres rhino there will be poachers. People are opurtunistic (sp) so if there were "No' Poachers in india, there would be by know to tap an un tapped market!
booooring.... ARGHHHHHH! for %#@&* sake guys! learn to get a sense of humor and learn the understanding of scarcasim!!! of course there is &*%*#$ poaching in india - i've bloody been there, twice! and i certainly met many a people in the national parks industry that waged a battle against it every day. actually ben and anyone else who forgot how to laugh - i was having a dig at know-it-all jelle, who comes on after months of absence just to pay out mark about his facts being wrong, which i thought was pretty pathetic since.... ah forget it! if ya don't get it, ya don't get it. of course he wasn't wrong anyway, but thats not the point.
Lets cool it guys, as far as I am concerned we are all batting on the same team, WE ALL WANT GREAT ZOOS, we all want the best exhibits and great looking animals thriving in zoos saving the rare and most endangered species.
Sorry folks, I hope my comments did not led you astray Mark. It was just to clarify matters. The good news on the Indian rhino front is that poaching pressure in India has lessened (for lack of a better word here). Kaziranga has the largest population at well over 1500 rhinos and is bursting at the seams. With Pobitora sanctuary there are well round 2000 Indian greater one-horned rhinos in India. The plan called Vision 2020 calls for setting up 3 or 4 more populations in Manas, Laokhawa and 2 other wildlife reserves. Hopefully, the Nepalese conservation authorities can make a real difference and reinstate all ranger stations on the borders of Chitwan and Bardia, so vital to prevent poachers from entering the reserves. Also they plan to invest in community relations with villages surrounding the parks and set up some more eyes and ears to deter poaching.
