A once in a life time opportunity to participate in a White Rhino darting operation
And experience a Big 5 - African Safari with a difference...
White Rhino (Ceratotherium simum) is the biggest land mammal after elephants, although it is outweighed by hippopotamus. The weight of an average male White Rhino is between 2000 to 2300 kg.
Although White Rhino were originally widespread from the area to the west of the White Nile and as far south as the Cape, they have as a result of their preference for open habitat and their un-aggressive nature become vulnerable to human predation. After being in decline for many years the southern race was wiped out in the last century except for a few hundred animals in kwaZulu Natal. Saved by protection and effective management in Umfolozi-Hluhluwe game reserve they have bread to a surplus and have been reintroduced over much of their former range. In the southern habitat there are now several thousand White Rhino and they currently outnumber the Black Rhino (Diceros bicornis). The northern White Rhino has declined and almost disappeared completely except for a few dozen survivors in Zaire’s Garamba National Park.
Today White Rhino are once again so abundant in Southern Africa that they are reduced each year to keep them from overexploiting the resources of their habitats. This does not however mean that they are without danger and that we humans can slack off on their management. This is why we need to manage our rhino population as we would any other expensive asset. We photograph them, measure their horns, take blood samples, clip their ears for easier identification in the field and follow them regularly to ensure they are safe and accounted for.
How does this involve you?
In order to ensure their continued safety and effective management, you are going to participate with the wildlife management team in a darting exercise. This is not as simple and easy as it initially sounds. We have to find the animal we intend darting first. This you will do with your ranger and tracker team during your game drives. Then we have to bring the veterinarian, Doctor Peter Rogers to the correct area and after careful study, he will select the area and dosage of drug for the correct darting of that particular animal. It them becomes a waiting game until the rhino succumbs to the effects of the drug and falls over on his side. You and your team will them become involved in helping to get the rhino onto his belly as he can not be left on his side for a prolonged period. Under the supervision of Dr. Rogers you will then assist in the various tasks to which he allocates you. Among these will be the taking of a blood sample, the clipping of an ear for identification, full frontal and side digital photographs for our “Rhino File” and the implanting of a microchip into the front horn, to name but a few. You will also get the opportunity to feel first hand what an animal this size feels like and can touch and feel the horn and skin. You may also pose for a photograph and get your picture taken to show friends back home.
How does this help us?
By means of the passive transponder (micro chip) which we will implant into the front horn of the darted rhino, we will later be able to identify this animal as originating from our reserve, wherever it ends up in the world. This information is essential in order to control any abuse or poaching of these animals. It also assists for breeding purposes to ensure the correct mixture of genetic stock among animals that possibly originate from the same areas. We are also given the opportunity to build up a comprehensive file on each of our animals and place this for future record in our “Rhino Files”.
DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS ONCE IN A LIFE TIME OPPORTUNITY...
BECOME PART OF THIS VERY IMPORTANT PART OF WHITE RHINO CONSERVATION IN A PRIVATE GAME RESERVE IN SOUTH AFRICA
CONTACT BOW DMC INTERNATIONAL - FOR MORE INFORMATION AND DETAILS...
