Karin Saks aka Baboon Woman - Insert: With Darwin

“I am both honored and thrilled to be working as a volunteer for Nikela…

My job for Nikela is pure fun.  I get to deliver a donation check to Karin.”

There is still time to make your contribution.

>>> Need only $1,375 more to reach GOAL of $3,000 <<<

On March 5th Maggie, a Nikela Volunteer, heads for South Africa to personally deliver a donation check to help Karin with her center where she rescues primates (vervet monkeys and baboons) who have been injured, orphaned, shot, poisoned our otherwise abused. Besides being a rescue center Karin, also known as Baboon Woman, is on the forefront of educating the public in how to live peaceable with the monkeys to resolve human-wildlife conflicts.

In the USA we deal with raccoons finding safe haven in our attics or stealing bananas out of our coolers while camping. In South Africa it’s the monkeys who sneak in thru windows to grab a piece of fruit or rummage through trash cans. Like in the USA we learn to seal holes and put a strap around our coolers Karin teaches the people in South Africa how to prevent monkey mischief.

Three legged Baboon - Snare victim

This education is so necessary as sadly these monkeys are treated like vermin and their populations are declining as their troops are being disseminated by poaching and via snaring, poisoning, shooting and cars.

Karin’s center, a very humble compound in the Knysna forest is a safe place for monkeys to heal and to be reintroduced to the wilds whenever possible. Those that can’t be stay and call the compound home.

Family of Vervet Monkeys

For those who love Monkeys

1. A letter including your name and names of all the other donors will accompany the check given to Karin.
2. Maggie will take tons of photos and videos during her visit with the Baboon Woman. These will be made available first to who make a donation between now and February 29.
3. And one more thing, Maggie will bring back a photo of Karin with her monkeys personally signed by Karin that will be sent electronically to you.

How the money works

100% of your donation via this website (minus a small bank transaction fee) goes to Karin to save monkeys. Maggie is paying her own way to South Africa. Plus she is donating her time and use of her camera to benefit this wildlife conservation project. As Nikela is a virtual nonprofit run solely by volunteers no salaries or overhead expenses are taken out of your donation.

Thanks for joining the fun and helping Karin save more “Josephs”.

When reports came in that eight dehorned dead rhino where found in the Kruger National Park, bringing the total to 25 rhino lost already this year in that Game Reserve alone, the Facebook Outraged South African Citizens Against Poaching group members were invited to take some serious action.

As we at Nikela are in the USA the follow letter was just sent out to both Dr. David Mabunda, CEO of SanParks and Ms. Edna Molewa the Minister of Environmental Affairs.

“Working with nature rather than against it is the only way that mankind can combat some of our own threats to survival”, says Paul Reynolds.

The Long Mynd, Shropshire, UK: One of the areas Paul grew up hiking around as a child

“One of the greatest misconceptions facing the human world is one by which humans are separate from animals and thus the natural world around us”.

Paul is another one of those wonderful folk eager to make a difference for our planet and our wildlife.  We connected via Twitter and started a conversation. Here is Paul’s story, as he joins others in our series, Why I Want to Save Wildlife:

My name is Paul Reynolds and I have just finished my MSc in Habitat management and conservation at Staffordshire University, UK. My interest in wildlife conservation began in early childhood, with trips to zoos and sanctuaries, wildlife documentaries and walks in the beautiful English countryside.

This interest grew as I got older and could understand the world around me to a greater degree. I was originally aiming to train as a doctor, even though my real passion was for wildlife conservation, however, during my A-levels I began to research options for a university degree in wildlife conservation and found myself signing up for a BSc (Hons) in wildlife conservation and zoo biology. It is during my first degree that my academic knowledge of wildlife conservation grew rapidly and along with it, a greater passion to dedicate my life to life… to helping conserve the magnificent flora and fauna of this world. I also developed an interest in wildlife photography which I continue to pursue in my spare time.

The greatest threats to wildlife and habitat conservation the world over are as a direct result of human activities, from the overexploitation of resources to anthropogenic climate change. I believe that education the world over in the principles of wildlife conservation and the physical protection of important biodiversity hotspots are essential for a future where humans remain a part of this planet.

Working with nature rather than against it is the only way that mankind can combat some of our own threats to survival, such as food security, energy production and medicinal research. One of the greatest misconceptions facing the human world is one by which humans are separate from animals and thus the natural world around us. This is simply not true, we are part of the kingdom animalia (along with all other animals on earth) and within the order of primates (along with all apes, monkeys and prosimians). Ultimately what happens in the natural world directly affects us as a species and thus we all have an obligation to work to protect this planet, not just for other wildlife, but for our species very survival. This is why I want to work to save wildlife and protect our wonderful planet.

We wish Paul well in his work, our very lives may depend on it!

You can stay in touch with Paul via his blog or Twitter.

]]> http://www.nikela.org/conservation/why-i-want-to-save-wildlife-paul-michael-reynolds/feed 0 http://www.nikela.org/blog/lorinda-hern-speaks-out-about-spencer-the-rhino http://www.nikela.org/blog/lorinda-hern-speaks-out-about-spencer-the-rhino#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:30:34 +0000 Wildlife Margrit http://www.nikela.org/?p=3809 The truth about what happened to Spencer the Rhino who died suddenly during a treatment to help protect him from animal poachers in South Africa.

Source: Rhino Rescue Project

Why did Spencer die? Who’s to blame?

Sadly as Lorinda Hern and others involved in the Rhino Rescue Project reel from the unexpected loss of their rhino named Spencer the internet is a buzz with why, who and how come.

In an effort to set the record straight here are the stories right from the people themselves:

Lorinda Hern (Rhino Rescue Project) speaks out about Spencer the Rhino:

As you can probably well imagine, last night was fraught with much reflection, a crushing sense of loss and endless “would have, could have, should have” questions. I woke up with the realization that, if I were given the opportunity to perform this particular procedure again, there was not a single thing I would have changed or done differently. By anyone’s standards, Spencer’s horn treatment was the perfect procedure – from start to finish, everything ran absolutely smoothly; a fact to which I believe every person present on the day can attest. To be honest, I myself did not realize disaster had struck until I sat down to do the media briefing after and received the devastating news: “We’ve lost him”. Stupidly, in that instant, I had an “ER moment” – I was convinced we could resuscitate our unresponsive patient with a shot of adrenalin or a heart massage… had it not been for the fact that the “patient” weighed in at a hefty two tons, I think I would actually have tried.

I have unfortunately become, from one day to the next and certainly not by choice, a rhino owner in a very unique position: I have lost an animal due to poaching and I have lost animal in an attempt to protect it from poaching. Although the emptiness and the sense of grief is the same, I am at peace with Spencer’s passing in a way I was not with Queenstown’s. You see, my sadness over Queenstown was punctuated with feelings of guilt and shame that we had not done enough to protect her. With Spencer, I am comforted in the knowledge that we could have done no more for him.

I am sure many will question the need for this procedure, and why we invited the press to attend it. These are valid questions. Some time ago, we received information that Spencer was a potential poaching target, as he did not form part of our initial treatment sample and was therefore vulnerable. We had reason to believe that he was in danger and scheduled the treatment accordingly. Such is my belief in this project, all the research we have done and the number of successful treatments we had performed previously that I was happy to have the media attend, given that so many had expressed an interest before in seeing what exactly the treatment entails. We were certainly not engaging in any activity we were embarrassed about or did not want recorded. I believed openness and transparency about the procedure would debunk many of the myths that still surround it, hence our willingness to engage with the press.

In my mind, we could only ever have handled the ensuing tragedy by telling the truth. Although I will gladly admit that running away was a very attractive (albeit completely unrealistic) alternative as sheer panic set in. The truth is that, in this industry, losing animals under anaesthesia is not uncommon. In fact, losing humans under anaesthesia is not uncommon either. Rhinos especially, are very sensitive to sedatives and these animals are often lost during relocations, dehornings or other medical procedures. Whenever an animal is immobilized for whatever reason, the possibility exists that said animal might not regain consciousness. Needless to say, this does not mean we should no longer perform medical procedures on animals, only that we be aware of the risks involved every time we do.

On the surface, Spencer (I called him “Seuntjie”) appeared to be in excellent health, and the risk of immobilizing him was a calculated one. It was only after the veterinary team failed to revive him that a preliminary post-mortem examination was performed during which it was revealed that Spencer had a particularly high body fat percentage. This, coupled with his age (he was in his mid-twenties) could possibly have brought about his negative reaction to the anaesthetic. We are still waiting for the toxicology, hematology and histopathology testing to be completed and will give feedback on the results as soon as we can. However, I can categorically state that the horn treatment was in no way responsible for, or a contributing factor to, Spencer’s passing.

In closing, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has shown their support and sent messages of encouragement in the wake of yesterday’s events. What happened was, and remains, a humbling experience, and the unexpected kindness of virtual strangers is equally humbling. Bad things happen to good people all the time, and we are not exempt from our share of suffering. I am sure that we will face many vindictive attacks about Spencer in days and weeks to come. However, we shall continue the work we are doing with the same level of integrity we always have. I am happy to answer any questions anyone may have about Spencer or the treatment. But right now, I’d like to take some time to just be sad. Goodbye my old friend, you will be sorely missed. I promise you will not have died in vain – we will continue the good fight however long it takes.

Source: TimesLive - Photo by KEVIN SUTHERLAND

Peter Stewart Rogers Tells it Like it is:

Dr. Peter Stewart Rogers a notable wildlife veterinarian posted on the Rhino Revolution Facebook page in regards to this unfortunate incident:

One must always bear in mind that any anaesthetic procedure carries a risk-so let`s put everything into perspective-even human beings die under anaesthetic and they are examined before undergoing anaesthesia !!! Although the risk is very small, it is obviously impossible to examine a wild animal before anaesthetising it, so the vet darts the animal in good faith and just hopes that there is no predisposing underlying condition that may negatively influence the anaesthetic procedure. In this particular case, it would seem that the animal may have had some underlying problem-probably cardiac related-the death would most definitely have had nothing to do with the chemical treatment of the horn.

Lorinda has a few things to add…

There are a few people who deserve to be singled out and thanked for the hard work they put into the preparations for Thursday and also for their efforts on the day itself. Susan Walley worked non-stop, Dr. Joseph Okori turned out to be a wonderfully supportive figure, Brett Gardner was an absolute trooper and my friends Marc, Allison and Pam kept me up when I would almost certainly have keeled over in sorrow. Karen Trendler, Ainsley of the NSPCA and Reinette from EWT engaged with the press and addressed numerous questions we simply didn’t get around to.

Possibly the single biggest surprise on the day was the media. The entire Rhino Rescue Project team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to every member of press and all invited guests that attended the horn treatment. With the sad death of Spencer the media could, by all accounts, have had a field day. Instead, every single report we’ve thus far heard, read or seen about the incident (produced by those who were there) has proven to be a fair and accurate reflection of the events that took place. Your actions speak volumes about the integrity of the South African press, and the sensitivity and lack of sensationalism with which you handled the matter is very much appreciated.

We are grateful that, instead of destroying the project and all the good work done to date by everyone involved, you instead reported on a simple truth: wild animals are lost under anaesthesia frequently, despite humans’ best efforts to save them. A very sad day ended on a more positive note through the support and compassion shown by everyone present, as well as personal emails and messages throughout the remainder of the day.

As I mentioned in my previous post, a preliminary post mortem examination has been done and we will issue an official statement on Spencer’s cause of death as soon as we receive the results of the toxicology, histopathology and hematology tests. We can, however, categorically state that the treatment procedure itself was in no way a contributing factor in the loss of this animal. If anything, our veterinary professionals did extraordinary work on Thursday, and their sense of loss is possibly even greater than ours.

Spencer’s passing is a stark reminder that rhino poaching is one crime that leaves little room for happy endings.

Dr. Ian Player’s Note of Sympathy

Dr. Ian Player. the renowned rhino conservationist, wrote this note to Lorinda:

Dear Lorinda,

Simon Bloch phoned me today and told me of your tragedy.

Very sorry to hear about the death of your rhino Spencer. I can appreciate how you are feeling.

The same thing happened to me in the early days of Operation rhino. I had invited a whole lot of politicians to attend a capture. I had a long crawl to get close enough to the rhino but when I darted it, it died within a few minutes. The dart had nicked a vein and the m99 had gone straight to the heart. As you can imagine there was much embarrassment and one official’s l took particular umbrage and blamed me for carelessness.

This is just to let you know that I sympathize with you having been there myself. These things happen and there is little we can do but to accept it as fate playing a hand.

With warm personal regards.

Ian

 These are the people who deserve our gratitude for being in the trenches saving and protecting the rhino. We salute you!

With 50 already rhino dead in the first 40 days of 2012, the poaching for its horn continues to escalate.  This short informative video tells the rhinos’ sad story, what’s being done, what’s working and what’s not and what you can do to help.  Thank you Margot.

“

One of Sofia's favorites: Rhino - Facebook Designdautore

Sofia hangs out quite a bit on Twitter. As she is an avid wildlife lover and amateur photographer who speaks her mind freely I invited her to tell us how she thinks wildlife photography can help save our planet’s animal, bird and plant species.

Sofia and How Photos Can Save Wildlife

Someone once said: “A picture is worth a thousand words” and I think the same thing; an image may be able to capture endless of settings, emotions and feelings. Besides being a current biology student, one of my greatest passions is photography. Although I am not a professional yet, through photography I have the opportunity to show my personal experiences, occurrences, art expressions and as expected, it’s a way I can convey my love for animals.

In my opinion, through photography it is possible to transmit to the rest of the world the importance of wildlife and the obligation we have as human beings to be more sensitive and conscious of our natural environment. In addition, this discipline can be a source of evidence to prove abuse that humans can get to have on the rest of living beings on our planet. For example: poachers that kill baby seals by smashing their heads with a hook or smiling while holding skins of exotic animals of endangered species like trophies, or the fishing boats that do not mind butchering thousands of dolphins in their nets daily, etc., etc.

I still can’t understand how a human being that describes itself as “rational” can be able to become so indifferent and cruel against animals and that in the majority of cases with no other justification rather than satisfy their desire of domain or still worse, to make money. Unfortunately not all people have an education for environmental care or natural conservation or hold with the minimal values of respect for other living organisms.

That is why in today’s world, photography is becoming a powerful channel to give voice to the ones that can’t speak up. I firmly believe that images can make a call for help and reach a major number of people and in this way expose the need we have as humans to improve the present and the future conditions of our ecosystems, thus better understand that we must learn to live with more harmony as we will always rely on nature to keep our survival.

Many thanks to our guest blogger Sofia G. Martinez-Villapando. We look forward to more stories from her. You can visit Sofia’s blog or follow her on Twitter

Source: SanWild

This just in from our colleague Kevin Beswick in South Africa:

South African National Parks (SANParks) announced today (31 January 2012) that three Rhino poachers from Mozambique were found guilty of illegal rhino hunting at Phalaborwa Regional Court and sentenced to a maximum of 25 years imprisonment each. A fourth suspected poacher died in custody in 2011 after attempting to escape. The three poachers found guilty are Aselmo Baloyi, Jawaki Nkuna and Ismael Baloyi.

According to Dr David Mabunda, CEO of SANParks the accused were arrested on 10 July 2010 in Mooiplaas, Kruger National Park. “They were found with two freshly chopped rhino horns, an assault rifle, a hunting rifle and an axe.” The poachers admitted to camping in the Kruger National Park prior to poaching the Rhinos.

The poachers were found guilty on 4 counts:

1. Illegal hunting of a rhino – 10 years imprisonment with an option of a R100 000 fine.

2. Possession of a prohibited firearm (automatic rifle) – 15 years imprisonment.

3. Possession of a firearm (hunting rifle) – 8 years imprisonment.

4. Possession of ammunition – 15 years imprisonment.

Last year 232 suspected poachers were arrested, of which 26 were fatalities. Dr Mabunda said “the sentencing of these poachers is an indication that as a country we are taking more stringent measures in the fight against rhino poaching. I am glad the sentence is harsher than it has been in the past.”

Issued By : Gabrielle Venter: Manager; Media and Stakeholder Relations

South African National Parks

]]> http://www.nikela.org/blog/rhino-news-poachers-get-75-years/feed 0 http://www.nikela.org/blog/how-long-till-south-africa%e2%80%99s-rhino-are-extinct http://www.nikela.org/blog/how-long-till-south-africa%e2%80%99s-rhino-are-extinct#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 01:44:16 +0000 Wildlife Margrit http://www.nikela.org/?p=3769 At the current poaching rate in South Africa rhino females will not replace themselves this year (2012) and total extinction of Africa’s remaining rhino becomes probable in less than ten years.

My husband is a numbers guy. I asked him to play with some of the figures surrounding the plight of Africa’s rhino and how illegal trafficking is driving this species to extinction.

Our conclusions are purely speculative. In no way do they claim to be scientific, only a means to project the impact of current rhino poaching trends over time. Our information is based on data gleaned from several websites (referenced below.)

According to the World Wildlife Fund there are about 16,000 rhino left in Africa with 93% of them calling South Africa their home.

Apparently more male rhino calves are born than females. However, supposedly the mortality rate of males is higher due to territorial fighting and hunting. As there are no numbers regarding current female populations we simply went with the broad assumption of 50% or 8,000.

We supposed that about 5% of these females die from natural causes each year leaving around 7,600. Of these females around 3,884 may have a calf (a cow is around 7 years old when she has her first, and can have another every three years until around age 30.) Using these assumptions plus that some females will not bear every three years, thus about 971 calves were possibly born in 2011. If half were female and as calf mortality rate is high (according to Save The Rhino) we can questimate that around 242 female calves survived.

Now if we assume that half the rhino poached last year were female that would leave a female population of female rhino at the end of 2011 at roughly 7,620. We can deduct from this that beginning this year (2012) female rhinos will no longer replace themselves.

Or we can look at it like this: The 222 mothers killed in 2011 resulted in the loss of at least 1,100 calves. Using the same mortality, reproduction and poaching calculations that means, that in just four years we lose close to 10,000 young rhino!

In 2008 83 rhino were killed by poachers, a 638% increase from 13 in 2007. In 2009 122 were lost (147%), 333 in 2010 (273%) and an alarming 445 in 2011 (135%).

If we hypothesize that the rhino poaching rate continues unchecked at a 25% increase (assuming the anti-poaching efforts make a difference) the rhino will be extinct by 2022 or in 10 years. Even if all the female calves born in 2012 survived they would barely be old enough to have a calf before that dreadful day!

Now of course there are far too many variables to make any kind of accurate predictions. Plus we hope that the anti-poaching organizations prove successful. Thus please view these assumptions merely as a means to paint a picture of current trends and the trail to the rhinos extinction, if we can’t curb the poaching and stop the illegal trafficking.

References:

Number of rhino left

http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/wildlifetrade/faqs-rhinoceros.html

High mortality rates have limited the successful breeding of black rhinos

http://www.honoluluzoo.org/black_rhinoceros.htm

More male calves are born than female calves, but male mortality rate is higher, leading to adult sex ratios biased towards females. Fighting is the most common cause of adult male deaths. Most females die of old age

http://www.savetherhino.org/eTargetSRINM/site/745/default.aspx

In May 2011 Brandi became a donor, shortly thereafter she offered to help. Since then Brandi has designed auto decals for Nikela (they’re not for sale, however, we’ll send you one when you make a donation), she posts and comments on the NikelaWildlife fan page, plus provides us with news stories regarding the rhino which she is passionate about saving.

This week we highlight Brandi a valued Nikela Volunteer. Thank you for all you do.

Brandi Wilson

What do you do for a living?

I am a registered architect.

Tell us a little about you and where in the world you live?

In a nutshell, I am a hopeful visionary!!

I studied architecture at Kent State University with dreams to contribute to the built environment and make the world a better place through mindful development.

In 2008, I became a LEED Accredited professional in an effort to influence the projects I was working on, and integrate sustainable design strategies.

I am continually seeking ways to use my knowledge and talent to create positive change for the future inhabitants of our world (both human and non). There is so much beauty that surrounds us, and I know that part of my mission is to help preserve it. I am excited to be volunteering for Nikela- to hopefully make an even larger impact.

How did you get introduced to Nikela?

I randomly ran across Nikela’s website one day and thought that maybe I could help…I realized that I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. Complacency isn’t in my vocabulary. The Earth is losing species faster than ever before! And is happening on our watch….UNACCEPTABLE!

Why did you decide to volunteer?

I didn’t want to leave this planet someday knowing I didn’t try to save an amazing species like rhinos.

Is your experience with Nikela benifiting your career plans, if so how?

If my volunteering helps my career someday, great!…for now, it benefits my soul!

What do you enjoy most about being part of Nikela’s Volunteer Team?

It is important to me to be able to communicate with like minded people that care and want to make a difference in their lifetime.

 Care to become a Nikela Volunteer too? Here’s all you do.

]]> http://www.nikela.org/rhino/wonderful-people-wednesday-brandi-wilson/feed 0 http://www.nikela.org/bird-of-prey/south-africas-wildlife-myth http://www.nikela.org/bird-of-prey/south-africas-wildlife-myth#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:42:40 +0000 Wildlife Margrit http://www.nikela.org/?p=3755 South African wildlife, pristine jungle teeming with wild animals and birds…

What a splendid morning! Thousands of birds including pelican, cormorant and seagulls lined the beach, flew overhead in formation, and bobbed on the gentle waves. A spectacular sight! It made me think of what it must have been like a mere 200 years ago when such a scene was an everyday occurrence. When buffalo roamed the US plans in the millions, when migrating geese filled the sky from horizon to horizon.

As I talk with people about Africa, in particular South Africa. Lions, giraffe, and zebra roaming the bush with teaming birds flying around the watering holes. Gorgeous sunsets over pristine untouched wilds. That’s the South Africa they envision! Sorry, that’s may be how it used to be.

Growing up in South Africa in the fifties we did encounter a leopard while camping. We did trek through the bush in search of an impala for dinner. Water buffalo did attack and badly gore a childhood friend. My mother did shoot and kill about two spitting cobras on our property every year.

Fifty years later South Africa is a patchwork of farms, industry and human activity. The indigenous Knysna forests I knew as a child are all but gone. With no Wilderness Act to protect any part of South Africa from human invasion, even the National and Provincial Nature Reserves are more about commerce than wildlife.

As the South African currency, the Rand, contines to decline and with the “if it doesn’t pay it doesn’t stay” attitude the exploitation of natural resources will surely only get worse.

Lions, giraffe, zebra and most wildlife we associate with Africa is really only found in reserves and on game farms in South Africa today. Their habitat has been gobbled up by humans for farming, mining and living.

There are about 9,000 privately owned wildlife ranches, the South African National Parks board runs around 22 reserves (including the famous Kruger National Park), then there are the smaller provincial run reserves like Hluhluwe Umfolozi. The leopard is the only Big Cat still free roaming in South Africa. Anton’s leopard research is key to identifying just how many are actually left.

Keeping wildlife wild is a great concept, however in South Africa, few are truly wild any more. And those that are, like the vervet monkey and the baboons are persecuted and treated as vermin. Even leopards are shot by angry farmers. The human-wildlife conflict is something us urbanites may have a hard time getting our arms around. However, my friend Anne (in South Africa) says it is a much larger problem than we realize.

Returning animals to the wilds is often a misnomer. Lions for example are no longer wild in the true sense of the word, they live in the large reserves or specialized Big Cat sanctuaries. Silke and Karin both primate rehab experts struggle to find really wild places to release the monkeys they rescue and rehabilitate.

Game ranchers, although preserving wildlife, frequently create unbalanced ecosystems as they only include certain species, and most often no natural predators. So overgrazing and over populations could happen, but don’t, because most such ranches are created for trophy hunting. The hunting fees sustain the ranches. Thus these supposed reserves that we envision as safe places for the wildlife really aren’t, from a pure, “like nature intended” point of view.

What are the solutions? I’m no conservationist just an ordinary person who grew up in South Africa and loves wildlife and nature. I’m fully aware that people need room however this commercializing of wildlife saddens me greatly. It’s no different than warehousing chickens or pigs, than the huge stock yards for cattle, or at least that what it seems to be trending towards.

Once we as humans lose sight of and get used to seeing living creatures as mere commodities we’re all in trouble. Because once we allow for one species to be exploited it’s so much easier to keep going down that slippery path until we become cannibals so to speak and nothing including human life is sacred.