Nine

Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), Critically Endangered

100000 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1960
65000 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1973
14000 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1980
2300 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in 1993
4240 - The number of Black Rhinos alive today
9 - The number of Black Rhinos alive in a secret location

Nine Black Rhinos have recently been airlifted to a secret location in an effort to increase the range and numbers of these critically endangered African mammals. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in partnership with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW), selected individuals from different areas and parks to help establish the new population.

The final destination of the nine founders is being kept a secret because of illegal poaching--the main factor in the rhinos' steep decline since the 1960s. Rhino horn is used illegally in traditional Asian medicine, as well as being highly coveted for ornamental use.

In Yemen, rhino horns are used for the handles of curved daggers called jambiyas, which are given to young men as symbols of manhood and religious devotion. Not all jambiyas use rhino horn--only the most prized and expensive.

The use of Rhino horn in traditional Asian medicine, however, is by far the greater threat. Rhino horn is used to treat a variety of ailments, including fever, rheumatism, and gout. The horn is usually shaved or ground into a powder and dissolved in boiling water. As more and more Chinese people accumulate wealth and the ability to pay for expensive treatments, the market for poached Rhino horn will only grow.

Sign a petition to stop illegal Rhino horn trade.

Learn more from Save the Rhinos, The International Rhino Foundation, or Saving Rhinos.

Tigers, North and South

Amur Tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. altaica), Critically Endangered
South China Tiger (Panthera tigris ssp. amoyensis), Critically Endangered

Good news for tiger fans, from South Africa and Russia. Two critically endangered subspecies of tigers have provided new hope, in the form of young, captive-born cubs.

In Russia, Iris, an Amur (or Siberian) Tiger, has given birth to two cubs this year. With less than 500 Amur Tigers in the wild, every birth is a reason for hope, especially since these Tigers are not well-known for breeding in captivity.

In South Africa, Cathay and Tiger Woods, two South China Tigers, have given birth to a young male cub, the first of his kind to be born outside of China. This young cub will be an important part of South Africa's Save China's Tigers program, which aims to build up a stock of Tigers which can be reintroduced to the wild in China. With only 30 South China Tigers in the wild and 60 in captivity, this program has potential to bring these majestic cats back from the brink.

Watch some extraordinary footage of the pre-birth, birth, and post-birth of the South China Cub.



Donate to help save the South China Tiger.
Donate to help save the Amur Tiger

Endangered Species of the Week, 11 Mar 2007

Golden-rumped Sengi (Rhynchocyon chrysopygus)

©Galen Rathbun

The Golden-rumped Sengi lives in a very small piece of forest in Kenya. This species belongs to a group of animals called afrotherians, which includes hyraxes, tenrecs, aardvarks, and golden moles. One of the most interesting things I found about Golden-rumped Sengis, is that if they become aware of a predator, they will slap their tails on the leaf litter on the forest floor. This alerts the predator that they have been seen, and communicates that it's not worth trying to catch the Sengi. The vivid gold patch may also serve as a distraction to predators, causing it to react prematurely, and notifying the Sengi of its presence. Pretty cool, huh?

You can learn more about all kinds of Afrotherians here.

Large, but Hard to Find

Goliath Frog (Conraua goliath)

Check out this great post about the Goliath Frog, over at Endangered Ugly Things.

Species of the Week, 11 Feb 2007

Dlinza Forest Pinwheel (Trachycystis clifdeni)

This is a beautiful snail, confined to an itty-bitty piece of forest in South Africa. Before you read any further, get an idea of just how small this little mollusc's habitat is.


Click here to open a map. Look at the little triangle of forest, just below the green arrow, stuck in the fork of the road. That's Dlinza forest, in the midst of the urban envirnoment of the nearby town of Eshowe, and the only place where the Dlinza Forest Pinwheel is known to live. Now zoom out one click at a time, until you can see all of South Africa, and realize just how tiny an area that is. Only about 250 hectares.

The name of the forest, Dlinza, reflects its past and present. This little piece of forest, once served as a burial site for fallen Zulu warriors during the Anglo-Zulu War. Today, the area is protected by KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife and provides a haven for several interesting and rare species of wildlife. In Zulu, the word idlinza can be used as a noun, meaning grave or sepulchre, or as a verb, meaning meditation and thought.

Not much is known about this species, or, more accurately, not much is known about this species that has been published, other than a few paragraphs in a 2004 field guide. It lives in the understorey, among downed logs, fallen leaves, or in damp and swampy areas.

Listed as critically endangered, the main concerns for this species are its small range, and its location near to an urban environment.

Species of the Week, 4 Feb 07

Bontebok/Blesbok (Damaliscus pygargus)

Ok, so, I know the picture of the Bontebok has been up for a while, even though the Week of the Bontebok is only just now starting. My apologies, in the future, I'll change the picture at the correct time.


I honestly had never heard of the Bontebok, until I started looking for pictures of endangered species. And right after I learned about it, I got confused, as to whether it was a Bontebok or a Blesbok, and whether it was Damaliscus dorcas, pygargus, or phillipsi. It turns out that there are two subspecies of Damaliscus pygargus, and a name change in it's history to confuse things further (from dorcas to pygargus). If all of this doesn't make sense, here's what matters: There are two supspecies of an African antelope, the Bontebok and the Blesbok.

The Blesbok now survives only on game farms and wildlife refuges. At one point in their history, the Bontebok was reduced to a mere 17 individuals. Today, however, the Bontebok is recovering, with over 2000 individuals in the wild.

Here's more info:
Wikipedia
Bontebok National Park
Kruger Park
Blue Planet Biomes
Ultimate Ungulate.

Species of the Week, 29 Jan 07

Ethiopian Wolf (Canis simensis)

Who knew they had wolves in Africa? I didn't, until I read an article entitled Africa's Last Wolves, in the March 2006 issue of National Geographic. This beautiful canid is endangered--the rarest canid on the planet. Look up some images, and you'll see that the Ethiopian wolf does not look like what most North Americans think of when they think of a wolf. Their colour is beautiful.

The greatest risk facing the estimated 600 remaining animals is rabies and canine distemper--infections contracted from domesticated dogs. A paper published in October 2006 in the journal Nature has shown that selective vaccination may help provide some protection for the population, but the future of the Ethiopian Wolf is still uncertain.

Help save the Ethiopian Wolf