SOS
Rhino Review
December 2005
Welcome to the SOS Rhino Review, a newsletter about rhinos from
SOS Rhino. You’ll find links to interesting articles here
as well as updates on our efforts to save rhinos all over the world.
Let us know if you’d rather not receive this newsletter.
And now, let's go to the rhino news.
1. Feature Stories
2. World Rhino News
3. Donor Appreciation
4. Find It On Our Web Site
5. Trivia Questions
6. How You Can Help
7. Trivia Answers
8. About Us
Full Stories Are Available Via Web Links
1. Feature Stories
MONTHLY FIELD REPORT
October 2005
October means a lot to the Germans. It is the Beer Festival. Somehow, the beer drinking festival also has a place in many Sabahans’ hearts. How about the Sumatran rhinos? Do they drink? Of course they don’t but they do visit the mud volcano, the so-called “pub” of wildlife. Just recently, another school of thought has emerged on mud volcano. They believe that wildlife, especially ungulates, patronize the mud volcano not only for the minerals but also, to acquire kaolin, a substance in the soil that neutralizes toxic substances. It is thought that plants have many toxic components and animals protect themselves from these substances by consuming kaolin.
2. World Rhino News
Dwindling sex-ratio of rhinos at West Bengal Gorumara National
park
A skewed sex-ratio among the herbivorous heavyweights
is worrying conservators at the Gorumara National Park in the
Jalpaiguri district. The forest officials have warned it could
even result in dwindling the rhino population. Poachers are also the cause for worry for wildlife officials at the
reserve for the critically endangered one-horned rhinoceros in West
Bengal.
Species' survival depends on the public's voice
In 1989, as government lawyers tried to assess the environmental damage caused
by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the American public was asked: How much was an
Alaskan sea otter worth? The public is again being asked how much wild animals
are worth. Based on proposed changes to the Endangered Species Act approved by
the House of Representatives in September, the answer is, not much. At least
not to the average American. Rather than businesses being charged for harming
wildlife, the proposal would compensate developers and farmers on whose lands
endangered species had the misfortune to reside.
3. Donor Appreciation
SOS RHINO wishes to acknowledge the following individuals, organizations,
and foundations for their generous support of our programs. Their
support comes in many forms: donation of their expertise and time,
funds for specific programs and equipment, and donation of products. THANK
YOU!
Click HERE to
view the list of our donors!
4. Find It On Our Web Site
Rhino Species
Only five main rhino species survive on three continents in
the world. What used to number in the hundreds of thousands,
now only amounts to a few thousand for all the rhino species collectively.
Click on the rhino species icon to learn about their unique traits.
5. Trivia Questions
1.
TRUE OR FALSE: Javan rhinos can be found in captivity today.
2.
How far do rhinos usually travel in a day?
3.
In the dry season, how far will rhinos travel to seek water?
6 . How You Can Help
Adopt a rhino, doc or keeper. Buy a t-shirt, hat, or
video
There are only 300 Sumatran rhinos left on Earth. Without direct
help from generous humans, they may never be seen again. We urge
you to give what you can in the form of a donation – protect
a rhino or adopt a rhino, doc, researcher, keeper, or purchase one
of SOS Rhino’s products: a T-shirt, hat, or video. Visit today,
and give from your heart.
Contribute to the “SOS Rhino Annelisa Memorial Fund”
SOS Rhino has established memorial fund in Dr. Annelisa Kilbourn’s
name to help continue her work dedicated to the survival of the Sumatran
rhino in Malaysia. Contributions can be made by clicking the button
below or mailed directly to SOS Rhino (checks should be made out
to “SOS RHINO”)680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611.
attn: Annelisa Fund. 312.335.0868, fax 312.335.0076. Inquires emailed
to info@sosrhino.org.
Volunteer
SOS RHINO is looking for volunteers interested in helping us in our
efforts to save the Sumatran rhinoceros. Our Borneo Team is studying
the demographics of the remaining animals in Tabin Wildlife Reserve
to determine when patrol units, habitat protection, or translocation
may play a role in the rhinos' survival. Read more:
Participate in the Borneo Rhino Challenge 2006 Fundraiser
SOS RHINO invites you to climb to the summit of Mt. Kinabalu,
cycle the Northern tip of Borneo, and help us search for the elusive
Sumatran rhinoceros of Borneo. You'll see an astonishing variety
of rare and endemic plants, primates, and birds during your trek
and cycle in some of the most beautiful areas of Sabah, Malaysian
Borneo. As part of the challenge you will join SOS Rhino's field
staff deep in the jungles of Tabin Wildlife Reserve, in search of
the last remaining small, shy forest rhinos of Malaysian Borneo.
7. Trivia Answers
1.
FALSE. Throughout history from 1600 onward there have been only 22 Javan rhinos
in captivity. The last known specimen in captivity was housed at a zoo in Adelaide,
Australia from 1886 to 1907.
2.
In Africa, it is said that when food and water are abundant, rhinos have no incentive
to travel, so they stay in their favored localities. Rhinos in Africa are said
to have a home range of about 12 sq. km, which means they would not travel more
than a few miles each day.
3.
Asian rhinos do not have a major problem in obtaining water, and travel to find
food or partners. In Africa during the dry season, depending on the sources of
water, the range increases from 12 sq. km up to 20 sq. km. Rhinos don’t
need to drink everyday, and cycles of about six days have been recorded.
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8. About Us
SOS Rhino is a non-profit, international foundation dedicated
to preserving the five rhinoceros species in their natural habitats.
Our conservation programs combine research, education, marketing
and advocacy, all working collectively to achieve sustainable results.
Through diverse stakeholder support, SOS Rhino develops and funds
rhino conservation and awareness programs appropriate to individual
countries, providing these countries with the information and tools
to build lasting rhino conservation.
It is our goal to secure a place for this ancient animal in tomorrow’s
world.
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