SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHORITIES IGNORE LIFE & DEATH STRUGGLE OF TAME BLACK RHINO.

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SOUTH AFRICAN AUTHORITIES IGNORE LIFE & amp; DEATH STRUGGLE OF TAME BLACK RHINO.

 

Since an article by Fiona Macleod appeared in the Mail & Guardian of 4 June 2001

about the possible hunting of a highly endangered tame East African Black Rhino

called Baixinha South African Conservation Authorities have ignored the efforts

of a register non-profit Wildlife Trust to save this animals from certain death.

 

The SanWild Wildlife Trust had reached an agreement with the legal owner of the

rhino to purchase and move her to the SanWild Wildlife Sanctuary in the Northern

Province. Various attempts to obtain a permit to allow Baixinha to live out the

rest of her natural life in a reserve ideally suited to black rhino had failed.

Northern Province Conservation who believes that this particular rhino could

threaten indigenous South African rhino populations and they regard her as an

alien organism has turned down the applications. Although the permit

applications clearly states that this was purely a humanitarian rescue with no

commercial objectives and that she will be kept in sanctuary on a reserve that

has no other black rhino could not persuade the authorities to issue a permit.

 

The SanWild Wildlife Trust learned confidentially late last year that

negotiations to have this rhino hunted have been resumed. When the first report

appeared in the Mail & Guardian Ms. Sonja Meintjies, Assistant Director for

Biodiversity Utilization in Pretoria confirmed that although no country has a

CITES hunting quota for black rhino a permit to hunt such an animal will be

issued on request if a province can prove that the hunt will not be detrimental

to the survival of the species in the wild and if a CITES import permit is

received from the hunter's country of origin. This condition applies to both

rhino and cheetah, and could allow tame and even highly endangered animals to be

hunted under canned conditions.

 

In August last year it was brought to our attention that a veterinary

examination showed a worm burden, but fortunately Baixinha responded positively

to de-worming treatment. However she has recently suffered a relapse in her

condition and she is not eating well and prefers to stay recumbent. Being 27

years old, she is fairly old and more prone to stress and disease and she has no

real stimulation (e.g. other rhino or wild animals) to brighten her day. A

wildlife vet paid by the SanWild Wildlife is presently treating her for gastric

ulcerations (bleeding stomach ulcers).

 

On the 7th January 2002 a memorandum reapplying for the permit to bring Baixinha

to SanWild was faxed to Dr. Greg Knill of the Northern Province Conservation

authorities, but despite the fact we made it clear that the rhino's

deteriorating physical condition called for an urgent review, we still have had

no reply nor any indication when we could receive a reply and numerous telephone

calls to the Department is being ignored.

 

A year ago the Northern Province Conservation authorities also declined a permit

to import the African Elephant Bull - Sahib to the SanWild Wildlife sanctuary.

After months of negotiations and a meeting with Dr. Feltus Brandt and the MEC,

Dr. P.A. Motsoaledi appeals were made to Dr. Chrispian Olver (Director General

DEAD) and Minister Vali Moosa to allow Sahib to return to Africa, however they

referred the issue back to the Northern Province authorities who were not

willing to reverse their decision to decline the permit to allow Sahib to return

to Africa and spend the rest of his life in a natural habitat sanctuary.

Kwa-Zulu Nature Conservation Services issued a permit to the Royal Zulu Reserve

to bring Sahib to Africa and introduce him into a 100-hectare enclosure.

 

Another permit application to give sanctuary to and introduce a single black

backed jackal pup - that was captured by the authorities on the beach at Houtbay

in Cape Town - back to the wild had also previously been denied by the same

department as they regarded the pup as vermin.

 

We would like to appeal to animal lovers world wide to please email Dr. C. Olver

(Director General DEAD) at colver and ask him to please

intervene and allow Baixinha to live out the rest of her life at SanWild. Emails

of support can also be sent to the Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

- Mr. Vali Moosa at vmoosa Emails of support and proxies can

also be emailed to sanwild

 

 

 

 

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