Download - DATE: 04 December 2018 For immediate release Victims of ... · poaching to the wild, as survivors DATE: 04 December 2018 For immediate release Victims of rhino poaching returned to

ViewinwebbrowserPressRelease:HESCreturnsVictimsofrhinopoachingtothewild,assurvivors

DATE:04December2018Forimmediaterelease

VictimsofrhinopoachingreturnedtothewildassurvivorsandfullyrehabilitatedbyHoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentre

TheHoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentre(HESC)hasreleasedtwowhiterhinosbackintothewildthatwerebroughttotheCentreinSeptember2013afterabrutalpoachingattackonaneighbouringreserveleftthemseverelymaimedandbarelyalive.

Thetwobeautiesthatranoffintoanundisclosedlocationyesterday,3December,wereafarcryfromthepitifulanimalsthatcametoHESCfiveyearsago.Theirhornshadbeencutoffwithachainsawwhiletheyweregrazinginthereserveon30August2013.Thebulldiedonthesceneandthetwocowswereleftwithgapingholesandtheirsinuscavitiesexposedwheretheirhornshadpreviouslydefinedtheiriconicappearance.

SincenamedLion’sDenandDingleDellbyHESC,thetwocowshaveundergoneextensivetreatmentbyateamofspecialisedwildlifeveterinarysurgeons.

LenteRoode,ExecutiveDirectorandFounderMemberofHoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentresays:“IwillneverforgetthesightofthesepooranimalswhentheyarrivedatHESC.Nocreatureshouldhavetoendurewhatthesetwocowswentthroughonthatfatefulday.Itisincomprehensiblethathumanscanstoopsolowforfinancialgain.Whilewedoourutmosttorehabilitatepoachingvictims,everyincidentstrengthensourresolvetohelperadicatethisscourge.”ThereleaseofthefullyrehabilitatedrhinosisinlinewiththeconservationethosofHESCintermsofwhichtheaimisalwaystoreleaseanimalsbackintothewild,whetherbornincaptivityorrehabilitatedaftertrauma.Byreleasingtheanimals,theirchanceofprocreationwasgreaterastherewerenotsuitablesexuallymaturebullsatHESC.

ThetreatmentoftheinjuredLion’sDenandhercalfDingleDellatHESCnotonlysavedtheanimals’lives,butresultedinapioneeringprocedurebeingdevelopedthatwouldserveastheblueprintforrhinorehabilitationinthefuture.

Foreverytreatmenttheanimalsweredartedandsedated,thewoundscleaned,bloodsamplestakentocheckforinfection,bloodpressureandtemperaturemeasured,antibioticointmentanddressingappliedandaprotectivecastdrilledintoplaceoverthewound.Initialtreatmententailedcleaningthewoundsandclosingthecavitieswithafibreglasscastthatcoveredtheentirenasalarea.However,becausethecastswereasourceofirritationtotheanimals,theywererubbedoff.Insubsequenttreatmentsasonarmachinewasusedtolocateandremovedeadtissue,canalsspooledandpensdrilledintotheboneasasupportivebaseforanacrylicfixturetoclosethesinuscavities.

Whenthehealingprocesshadprogressedsufficiently,skingraftswereharvestedandplacedinthewounds–aprocedurethathadneverbeforebeenperformedonrhinos.Despitethepioneeringworkofourspecialistveterinarianteam,theroadtorecoverywasslow.Becausethehealingprocesscausedthewoundtoitchandourrhinostorubofftheircasts,fliesandmaggotsinfestedthewoundsresultinginrepeatedinfection.Ametalplateplacedoverthecastandfixedinplacewithpoprivetsandscrewsprovedasolutiontotheproblem.

On30August2016,threeyearsafterthepoachingincident,Lion’sDenandDingleDellweredehornedtoprotectthemfromfurtherpoaching.Ithadtakenalmost23months,26treatmentsandcloseon400screwsforLion’sDentoreachthispoint.DingleDellrecoveredwithfewertreatments.

WhileprojectssuchastherehabilitationofLion’sDenandDingleDellarefacilitatedandconductedbyHESC,financingandadministrationisprovidedbytheWildlifeConservationTrust(WCT),apublicbenefitorganisationestablishedforthispurpose.TheWCTmanagesalldonations,sponsorships,fund-raisinginitiativesandthesourcingofcorporatesponsorshipsonbehalfofHESC.

ThestoryofDingleDellandLion’sDenisbutoneofthemanystoriesaboutanimalsrescuedandrehabilitatedatHESC.Therehavebeenmanyrhinosbeforeandafterthesetwoanimals,eachwithastorymorehorrificthanthepreviousorthenext.

LenteRoodesaysthebiggestchallengeintermsofrehabilitatingrhinos,besidesthecostlytreatments,isthefinancialburdenofprovidingsecuritytopreventfurtherpoachingatrocities.PoachingofrhinosfortheirhornsisescalatingworldwideandinSouthAfricathemassacreoftheseiconicanimalsremainsaconstantthreatandhasreachedepidemiclevels.Noreserveisguaranteedasafehaven.

AtHESCstringentmeasuresareinplacetoensurethesafetyofanimalsandemployeesandtheCentre’sAnti-poachingUnit(APU)isevervigilant.EstablishedandoperatedinconjunctionwithKapamaPrivateGameReserveandCampJabulani,theAPUisrenownedinthegreaterKrugerarea.

Inall13rhinoshavebeentakeninatHESCafterpoachingattackswhichleftthemeitherinjuredororphaned.Allhavebeen–oriftheyarestilltooyoung,willbe–dehornedtodiscouragepoachers.

Notetoeditors:

TheHoedspruitEndangeredSpeciesCentre(HESC)isauniqueAfricanwildlifefacilitythatfocusesontheconservationofrare,vulnerableandthreatenedanimalspecies.HESChasalsoincreasinglybecomearefugeforanimalswoundedandorphanedasresultofpoaching.

ThestoryandrehabilitationofLion’sDenandhercalfDingleDellaftersurvivingapoachingincidentreflectsthededicationofHESCincaringforanimalsinneed.AfullgraphicaccountofthisstoryisrecordedinHESCblogs(http://hesc.co.za/blog/)whereitisrelatedasafirst-handaccountbyAdineRoode.

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ReleasedonbehalfofLenteandAdineRoodeForfurtherinformationcontactSueHowellsMobile:0834109682Email:[email protected]

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