Edit: I filmed these Rhino some years ago when it looked like they had literally just dodged the bullet of extinction.
Recently I noticed a sharp increase in views of this video on my YouTube channel and was baffled why it was happening?
The poachers it appears are back and in force killing the rhinos for their horn.
Some people will never learn?
Original post.
Southern White Rhino grazing on the open Savannah in South Africa.
Rhino were once a huge success story. One of the first species to be taken off the endangered species list.
Recently poaching for horn is on the increase. Rhino are one of the southern African big 5 wild animal game species. The big five varies from place to place.
Southern White Rhino facts.
Rhino urine contains key hormonal indicators in determining when a Female Rhino is in estrous (breeding cycle) and is largely dependent on the Rhino's diet.
Collecting the urine for testing can be done by tickling the Rhino's vulva which causes the cow to urinate.
rhino pees 02:40
They usually only have a calf every 2 years so the breeding cycle is quite long and the fate of the Rhino may hinge on whether or not enough can be bred to counter the losses to the poachers.
During my research at ZSL London Zoo my task was to analyze when the Rhino was available for breeding. It was fascinating work and we learned a lot about how their grazing habits affected their breeding cycles.
White Rhino have very particular grazing habits which change with the seasons and impact breeding opportunities.
Filmed at Shamwari Game Reserve near Grahamstown, South Africa.
The Southern White Rhino can be identified by it's broad top lip. It is one of the largest land animals on Earth.
It is under intense pressure from Rhino Horn Poachers who kill it for it's horn.
Some deluded people think the horn is an aphrodisiac or has some medicinal properties?
Tourism is helping to save the species because people want to see them alive and in the wild just like above.
My blogs http://molometer.blogspot.co.uk/
