date: 04 december 2018 for immediate release victims of ... · poaching to the wild, as survivors...
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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]