Flying Rhinos

[sandgrubber]

http://www.npr.org/b...&cc=sh-20111112

These photos, which came to us via email from the World Wildlife Fund, show an amazing scene: Nineteen sedated black rhinoceroses were airlifted out of an area in South Africa, and spent about 10 minutes upside down in the air en route to a new home.

These thick-skinned mammals, weighing up to 3,000 pounds each, were being transported to the Limpopo Province in South Africa. Led by the WWF's Black Rhino Range Expansion Project, nearly 120 black rhinos have been relocated, with the hope that a new home will help protect the critically endangered species from poachers.

Flying Rhinos from Green Renaissance on Vimeo.

This new technique in removing rhinos from dangerous situations is gentler than previous methods, according to Dr. Jacques Flamand, World Wildlife Fund project leader. "The helicopter translocations usually take less than ten minutes, and the animals suffer no ill effect," he said in a statement. "All of the veterinarians working on the translocation agreed that this was now the method of choice for the well-being of the animals."

Poachers have been responsible for the demise of other rhino species as well. About 65,000 black rhinos thrived in 1970, according to the International Rhino Foundation, but less than 5,000 roam the planet today.

Note: I screen grabbed one of the photos and inserted it in small format. The full photos are much more spectacular. There's also some video.

Edited November 12, 2011 by sandgrubber

[Scarlet]

On the news last night "they" were saying that black rhinos are now extinct in the wild and only exist in captivity.

Just a point in how media vary............but there is no denying that black rhinos are under serious threat

[Steve]

On the news last night "they" were saying that black rhinos are now extinct in the wild and only exist in captivity.

Just a point in how media vary............but there is no denying that black rhinos are under serious threat

Yep my news said that they had just been officially listed as extinct.

I thought at the time that must mean the ones which were at Toronga zoo had died too.

5000 left is hardly extinct and gives em something to work with even if only in captivity - hard to kbnow which one to believe isnt it?

[Steve]

oops hang on - it seems they are only extinct in S Africa - that would explain the differences though if they said in south africa I mised it and it was pretty misleading.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/11/11/black-rhino-extinct-in-west-africa-in-new-red-list-what-animals-will-disappear-next-115875-23553018/

[Ruffles]

According to the IUCN Red List, Black Rhinos are critically endangered and only listed as extinct in Camaroon, Chad, Rwanda and, Ethiopia.

IUCN RED LIST

efs

Edited November 13, 2011 by Ruffles