Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
of the Kruger Park border on the Eastern side and is instead rebuilding the electrified fence to
creating a buffer zone to reduce poaching. Furthermore, because of this poaching, a force of
500 guards carrying automatic 7.62 mm military rifles is being taught tactics of counter
insurgency, using dogs for tracking, air surveillance, paying for information tips, and all 5000
rhinos are being logged into a DNA database. Sawing off rhino horns or impregnating them
with poison has also had some success.
Tears of the Rhino
In 1973 there were only 110 black rhino in South Africa and now there are 2000, between
590 and 670 in Kruger, with a total of 5000 in Africa. Part of the success of the restorancy of
the population has been the breeding done in Zululand under the guidance of the Natal Parks
Board led by people like Peter Goodman and Ian Player, the brother of the famous golfer, both
of whom would speak at our school; Ian on rhino, Gary inspirationally (“The more I practice
the luckier I get”). The numbers were down to some 34 and by 1989 there were 54 and by
1995 83, allowing for 17 to be removed and sent to other game reserves (10 were poached).
The growth rate in population has been 11%; similar to that in the Pilansberg Gamer Reserve.
Apart from poaching there is pressure from other grazers such as kudu, Nyala, eland,
elephants, impala, giraffe which means a lot of water is needed within about 15 km. Indeed, in
Tsavo Game Reserve, the failure to control the elephant population led to the extinction of the
black rhino population because the trees were destroyed by the elephants. Although the tomboti
tree is largely poisonous to most species, including humans barbecuing with it, black rhino
favor eating the leaves and buffalo and giraffe can also eat the leaves. Giraffe appear to be
resistant to prussic acid but buffalo, as with cattle, can be killed by plants with cardiac
glycosides like digoxin from foxgloves. Black rhino and klipspringers can also eat the highly
poisonous euphorbia plants.
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