RhiNEWS: Experts to gather in Kruger, & camera-trap success in Asia

This month, you can also read about the importance of camera-trap technology in monitoring Javan rhino populations and enabling the capture of what is thought to be Sabah’s last remaining Sumatran rhino.

Experts to gather in Kruger

The United States Fish & Wildlife Service, Save the Rhino International and WWF-SA are co-funding, with kind support from SANParks, a 4-day workshop at the end of March in Kruger National Park for 57 attendees from 13 countries to look at new technologies for rhino monitoring and security.

Rhino programme managers, technology manufacturers and donors will discuss new developments and optimum solutions for each situation, as well as non-tech issues such as ranger training and motivation, managing informers, the use of tracker, attack and sniffer dogs etc. This is a reprise of an earlier meeting held in November 2012 in Waterberg Plateau Park.

Hopeful increase in Javan rhino population

We are delighted to hear news reports from Indonesia that the Javan rhino population in the Ujung Kulon National Park (UKNP) has increased by seven rhinos during the past year.

Using camera trap technology, the Park’s chairman says that they have identified 58 individuals comprising eight young rhinos and 50 teenage and adults. This shows a projected population increase from the previous estimate of 37-44 individuals.

This preliminary result is great news. However it is important to triangulate the results using other census methods such as faecal DNA studies and patch-occupancy surveys, before the population increase can be confirmed.

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Lone Sumatran rhino captured in Sabah

A lone female Sumatran rhino has been captured in Malaysia’s Sabah Danum Valley on Monday 10 March, in what is seen as a last bid chance to breed Malaysia’s Sumatran rhinos, and avoid extinction of the species in Sabah.

Conservation groups have known about the female rhino’s presence through camera-trap monitoring, and efforts have been in place to capture her following approval from the State Cabinet.

The rhino was captured in a pit-trap, with vegetation to cushion her fall. She will be translocated by helicopter to Tabin Wildlife Reserve, where it is hoped she will breed with the Sanctuary’s last remaining male rhino, Tam, or alternatively be used in global Sumatran rhino breeding efforts. This is dependent on the captured female being cyst-free and reproductively healthy and fertile.

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Vietnam declares action to tackle illegal wildlife trade

Vietnam is showing signs of taking the illegal wildlife trade seriously. Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Nguyen Dung, issued a high-level Directive towards all ministries to prioritise the country’s response towards tackling the illegal wildlife trade, in order to combat poaching and trafficking of rhino horn and elephant ivory.

Among key requests of the Directive are: stronger judiciary laws to prosecute those involved with the illegal wildlife trade; the deployment of inter-agency teams at border gates to detect and prevent smuggling of wildlife, investigations into trafficking syndicates; and an increase in education and media coverage of wildlife trade laws.

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Shocking daylight poaching in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park

There has been a very worrying spate of rhino poaching in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru Park. Reports from Kenya say that five rhinos have been killed, apparently in broad daylight and close to the Park’s rhino surveillance offices and senior staff office.

Following the most recent incident, over 20 rangers and several key staff have been moved onto different jobs. We are concerned that staff members have simply been moved on to another area – they should be suspended until full investigations are carried out. Until staff are properly disciplined for negligence or even complicity with poachers, there is no incentive for hardworking and loyal behaviour.

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Photo credits: Steve and Ann Toon, Alain Compost, Mark Carwardine, Sarah Nelson, Dedi Candra, YABI – IRF

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