SOUTH AFRICA: Photo Of Orphaned Baby Rhino Near Dead Mum Irritates People

In the early hours of Sunday 20th May a gunshot was heard in the Skukuza section of the Kruger National Park, leading to the discovery of an injured White Rhino calf clinging to the slaughtered body of his female White Rhino mum.

Poachers had brutally hacked off both of Mum’s horns and, as the calf’s instinct to protect her and stay as close as possible kicked in, had lashed out with their machetes, seriously injuring the calf’s back and his right foot.

Rhino calves are born without a horn so he wasn’t of interest to the poachers.

Veterinarian Peter Buss stabilised the calf before he was transported to Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary who were poised to receive the calf.

This brave little fighter was hydrated on arrival, he had drunk from his mother that morning prior to her being killed. He weighed just 80 kilograms – a White Rhino at birth weighs between 40-60 Kilograms, he was not very old at all.

His wounds included a cut to the toe nail, splitting the nail down to the nail bed, and a 4-inch machete gash to his back, slicing through his cartilage, dangerously close to his spine.

His wounds were cleaned and bandaged and his deep back wound stitched up.

This brave little Rhino was given the regal name Arthur, meaning noble and courageous, and fitting for his fighting survivors spirit.

Arthur is on the road to recovery, he has made friends at the sanctuary with fellow Rhino orphan Summer, Looney – trainee puppy with the K9 Unit – and is a firm favourite with his care givers.

In the wild a Rhino calf will stay with his mum for 3 years, learning how to be a Rhino and how to interact with fellow Rhinos.

Arthur’s mother was snatched from him at an early age, Arthur still calls out for his Mum, a sound that breaks the heart of his human caregivers.

A picture of an injured white rhino calf lying next to the slaughtered body of his mum went viral on social media on Friday.

Many heartbroken and speechless Twitter users shared the picture.

The mother was reportedly shot and killed by poachers for her double horns, in the South Africa’s Kruger National Park.

The one-month-old baby rhino was spared because he was too young to have horns. He was, however, attacked with machetes.

According to the South Lakes Safari Zoo’s website: Poachers had brutally hacked off both of mum’s horns and, as the calf’s instinct to protect her and stay as close as possible kicked in, had lashed out with their machetes, seriously injuring the calf’s back and his right foot.

Rhino calves are born without a horn so he wasn’t of interest to the poachers.

The baby rhino refused to leave his mother’s side after she was killed. He was taken to a nearby rhino orphanage called the Care for Wild Rhino Sanctuary and was named Arthur, for his bravery and courage.

Arthur’s story went viral after South Lakes Safari Zoo in Dalton recently pledged their support to raise money for his rehabilitation and care.

The zoo’s website stated: The Rhino’s wounds included a cut to the toe nail, splitting the nail down to the nail bed, and a four-inch machete gash to his back, slicing through his cartilage, dangerously close to his spine.

His wounds were cleaned and bandaged and his deep back wound stitched up.

Online users were furious when the pictures started doing the rounds.

Tweep @adamtafazoli posted: “We have so much to learn when it comes to respecting this planet! How can people still do this? #sad #savetheplanet.”

While Twitter user @StvnNgm reached out to Disney and posted: “There’s need for greater awareness on the barbarism of poaching and its threat to the extinction of so many animal species. Hey @DisneyStudios the Lion King was a classic, but it’d be ingenious if you could create a “G” rated spin-off to highlight the vileness of these ghastly acts.”

@tiachocgirl urged world leaders to “come together” to protect rhinos and elephants from harm. She tweeted: “There needs to be thousands of rangers, to have any chance of protecting rhinos and elephants from being poached. Why can’t the worlds countries come together and do this?”
Many called the attack “shameless” and “inhumane”.

According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF): “Very few rhinos survive outside national parks due to persistent poaching and habitat loss over many decades.”

In Africa, the southern white rhinos are near threatened.

After more than a century of protection and management, 19,600 – 21,000 animals exist in protected areas and private game reserves. There are only three northern white rhino individuals left on earth - all of them in captivity.

The South Lakes Safari Zoo has a page dedicated to Arthur. According to an article on the page: Arthur still calls out for his Mum, a sound that breaks the heart of his human caregivers.

Arthur will be emotionally scarred for a long time, long after his physical wounds have healed.

He has a long road to full recovery ahead but with your support and help he, and other orphans like him, will get there!


Tourism Observer

RWANDA: Mountain Gorillas Most Popular Tourist Attraction For Rwanda

Rwanda’s beloved mountain gorillas are experiencing an exciting resurgence.

Though their numbers once dwindled as a result of poaching, war, and habitat loss, Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park has witnessed the gorilla population steadily rise, mostly because of Rwanda’s conservation efforts, just as the country’s tourism industry is buoyed by the mere existence of these creatures.

Though there is a lot to see and do in Rwanda, the country’s famous mountain gorillas bring in most of the country’s tourists.

Lodges are built around the very concept of gorilla-related travel, sparking an entire tourism industry.

From the growth of hotels around the country to the dozens of new tourism companies, restaurants, and boutiques that have sprung up, gorillas have undoubtedly contributed a lot to the international recognition of Rwanda.

Rwanda now halts gorilla habitat loss and deforestation.

There are approximately 880 mountain gorillas left in the world, with about half residing in the Virunga mountain range.

This range is shared by Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.

One of the biggest threats to mountain gorillas is the loss of habitat, and Rwanda has made every effort to maintain the size of the park and make sure the gorilla population is appropriately protected.

Possibly as a result, over 60% of the gorillas in the Virunga mountain range reside in Rwanda.

After Dian Fossey’s gorilla conservation work, skirmishes in gorilla habitats deterred the population growth of these endangered primates.

After Rwanda experienced the harrowing genocide of 1994, the country endeavored to rebuild. Alongside the revival of cities, towns, and communities, the gorilla population also started to make a comeback.

Since 1994, Rwanda has experienced peace, political stability, and fewer human threats to the mountain gorillas.

Limited tourist interactions have kept the gorillas healthy and happy.Gorillas share 98% of their DNA with humans.

As a result, gorillas have notoriously frail immune systems when it comes to interacting with humans, and Rwanda does everything it can to prevent the spreading of disease, airborne viruses, and bacteria.

Tourists are not allowed to hike to the mountain gorillas if they have flu or a cold, and upon reaching the gorillas, cannot stand closer than 30 feet (10 meters).

In fact, to keep the gorillas content, tourists are only allowed to observe the gorillas for one hour before returning down the mountain.

Gorilla doctors are also on hand in case any of the gorillas fall ill.

The permit prices directly fund sustainable community development and further gorilla conservation.

In 2017, Rwanda increased gorilla trekking permits from US$750 to US$1500.

Although this decision was met with a lot of complaints, it was done to raise more funds for conservation efforts and surrounding communities.

Previously, communities were given US$37 per gorilla-trekking tourist for schools, hospitals, clean water sources, and business development.

With the price increase, Rwanda now gives surrounding communities US$150 per tourist.

Before these institutionalized funds, these communities were some of the gorilla’s biggest threats, as impoverished families would poach gorillas, take trees and food from their habitat, or accidentally kill them while in search of other animals.

Now, with tourism dollars directly impacting these same communities, the incentive to preserve is greater, and reformed poachers are now found in a range of roles such as park rangers, gorilla trackers, porters, and conservationists.

Rwanda’s famous mountain gorilla population is one of East Africa’s greatest tourist attractions as well as animal conservation success stories.

There are 880 mountain gorillas left in the world, and half of that population resides in the Virunga Mountain range spanning Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Seeing mountain gorillas in the wild is unforgettable, and planning a trip to Rwanda is easier than ever.

The group, a selection of tourists from all over the world, is spellbound. The sheer size of these humanlike creatures is astounding, and their misty forest home beyond serene.

A gorilla toddler shows off his newfound climbing skills by scaling a nearby eucalyptus, as the group joyfully watches on until the allotted hour is up.

Located in the scenic Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, the Umubano group is one out of ten habituated gorilla families that intrepid travellers are able to visit in the country.

The plight of the Rwandan mountain gorilla was initially made famous by celebrated environmentalist Dian Fossey, and since her passing, the Rwandan government has been committed to preserving these beautiful animals.

Even as mountain gorillas remain on the World Wildlife Fund’s critically endangered list, Rwanda’s conservation efforts have been globally renowned, with the country managing to increase the population by 25 percent in the last decade.

Part of these efforts are funded by gorilla trekking, rendering much tourism in Rwanda often environmentally friendly and economically supportive.

Trekking with mountain gorillas, while seemingly difficult, is actually quite easy to arrange.

June through September and December through February are the country’s dry seasons.

Avoid the muddy and difficult treks in the off-season, as there are no discounts for rainy days.

There aren’t yet any direct flights from the United States to Rwanda, but travellers can transit through Rwandair, Turkish Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Qatar Airways, Kenyan Airways, KLM, and Ethiopian Airlines.

Citizens of all nationalities can get thirty day tourism visas on arrival for $30 U.S.D.

Permit prices, unfortunately, are the most prohibitive part of this trip. Permits clock in at $1,500 U.S.D. per person, although a large percentage of the funds from the permits are put directly into Rwanda’s conservation work and local communities.

Permits can be reserved directly through the Rwandan Development Board via email, or through accredited tour guide companies.

Options for that include Thousand Hills, Volcanoes Safari, and Primate Safari.

Book this permit before booking anything else in order to guarantee availability, as there are only one hundred permits available daily.

Gorilla trekking is located in the Musanze district of Rwanda, just a two to three hour drive from the capital city of Kigali.

Most trekkers fly into Kigali before driving to Volcanoes National Park, and have many options when it comes to lodging.

Check out the Marriott or Serena Hotel for a high end experience, and the Mijo Hostel for a budget stay.

In Musanze, the new and luxurious Bisate Lodge has made headlines around the world for its innovative design, with the Virunga Lodge also known as one of Rwanda’s finest.

For more budget or mid-range travelers, check out La Locanda and Five Volcanoes Boutique Hotel.

Rwanda’s famous mountain gorilla population is one of East Africa’s greatest tourist attractions as well as animal conservation success stories.

There are 880 mountain gorillas left in the world, and half of that population resides in the Virunga Mountain range spanning Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Seeing mountain gorillas in the wild is unforgettable, and planning a trip to Rwanda is easier than ever.

The sheer size of these humanlike creatures is astounding, and their misty forest home beyond serene.

A gorilla toddler shows off his newfound climbing skills by scaling a nearby eucalyptus, as the group joyfully watches on until the allotted hour is up.

Located in the scenic Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, the Umubano group is one out of ten habituated gorilla families that intrepid travellers are able to visit in the country.

The plight of the Rwandan mountain gorilla was initially made famous by celebrated environmentalist Dian Fossey, and since her passing, the Rwandan government has been committed to preserving these beautiful animals.

Even as mountain gorillas remain on the World Wildlife Fund’s critically endangered list, Rwanda’s conservation efforts have been globally renowned, with the country managing to increase the population by 25 percent in the last decade.

Part of these efforts are funded by gorilla trekking, rendering much tourism in Rwanda often environmentally friendly and economically supportive.

Trekking with mountain gorillas, while seemingly difficult, is actually quite easy to arrange.

June through September and December through February are the country’s dry seasons. Avoid the muddy and difficult treks in the off-season, as there are no discounts for rainy days.

Anticipate a difficult hike. Treks range from two to seven hours round trip, and regardless of the season, are often over rough and uphill terrain.

Anyone in moderate shape can do this, but expect a serious workout with some possible rain showers and mud up to your knees.

Although you’ll have to bring some serious rain and hiking gear, get ready for a trip of an experience of a lifetime.

Check in for the hikes takes place at the Volcanoes National Park offices in Kinigi at 8 am. There, trekkers are sorted into groups based on fitness level and greeted by their park rangers for the day.

Expect a really special performance from Intore dancers, a gorilla-oriented briefing, and complimentary tea, coffee, and bananas at the offices.

At around 9 am, trekkers pile back into their cars and drive an additional forty minutes to the trail head.

From there, porters are available for hire to carry backpacks and sometimes trekkers themselves up the steep mountain paths. Sturdy walking sticks are also handed out, and save a many a weary hiker.

Throughout the trek, the park rangers will be in constant communication with the rangers assigned to the respective gorilla families.

These rangers are always aware of the gorilla’s movements, and exist to deter poachers, monitor the gorilla’s health, and guide tourists.

Upon reaching the gorilla families, hikers will be asked to discard their bags and hiking sticks before officially entering the gorilla’s territory.

Groups are allowed to spend exactly one hour with the gorillas, and although tourists must keep themselves 10 meters away, these gorillas are laws unto themselves and can get as close as they want.

Thankfully, these majestic creatures are usually very friendly and safe. Get ready to see them play, eat, sleep, swing, and just do their general gorilla games.

These encounters feel entirely natural, and will undoubtedly be the capstone to an excellent trip in Rwanda.

It’s no secret that Rwanda is well on its way to becoming one of the most desirable tourist destinations in Africa.

Worldwide Rwanda has been lauded for the country’s clean city streets, lush volcanoes, playful gorillas, and, most recently, the new luxury lodging options.

As luxury tourism is undoubtedly on the rise, it begs the question, is Rwanda’s focus on luxury actually benefiting local Rwandans?

Mountain gorillas are Rwanda’s key draw, as there are approximately 880 mountain gorillas left in the world, earning them a spot on the World Wildlife Fund’s critically endangered list.

They are located only in Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda specifically has done an unbelievable job at gorilla conservation.

Tourists are able to visit specific gorilla families daily, with a limited number of gorilla trekking permits in Volcanoes National Park available.

Until recently, these permits were $750 USD for foreign visitors, but have since been raised as of May 2017 to $1,500 USD for everyone.

Previously, Rwandan citizens were able to go gorilla trekking for approximately $35 USD. These price increases might be unremarkable, except for the fact that luxury lodging has also cropped up around the country.

With the recent openings of the Marriott, Radisson Blu, Bisate Lodge, and Nyungwe House, more and more international luxury tour operators are launching, and Rwanda is becoming known as a luxury-oriented destination.

The challenges faced in getting tourists since Rwanda’s shift to luxury tourism,is that it’s cheaper now for them to go to Uganda or Congo.

Several midrange Rwandan tour companies have already begun to operate in Uganda and DR Congo.

Gorilla trekking is much cheaper in Uganda and DR Congo, with permits available for $600 USD regularly and $450 USD during April, May, and November for rainy season.

The increase in gorilla permits has slowed down business in Rwanda.

This all being said, with rising tourism prices and Rwanda’s clean and anti-corruption reputation, the Rwandan government should be able to put more money into local communities, infrastructure, education, and countrywide development.

Though the influx of money helps Rwanda, people are nervous about Rwandan tourism businesses being left behind.

Rwandans themselves will also have much less of a chance than wealthy visiting tourists to see the mountain gorillas their own country is so famous for.

This because of the price increase did not account for Rwandan citizens.

Chances for Rwandans to actually participate in the tourism industry, both as domestic tourists and tour operators will continue to decrease as everything gets more expensive across the board.

International operators such as Wilderness Safaris, One&Only Resorts, Volcanoes Safaris, and Governor’s Camp become the primary operating tour companies in the country.

On the bright side, this change should lead to more of a focus on the rest of the country for budget and mid-range travelers.

Though gorilla trekking is now out of the question for many, non-luxury travelers in Rwanda can opt to visit Nyungwe National Forest, Akagera National Park, Gisenyi, and the volcanoes.

There is much to do and see in this beautiful country, regardless of the gorilla and luxury increases.

People will still visit. Whether Rwandan communities will indeed benefit from the upmarket tourism industry or not.


Tourism Observer

Who Benefits? Illegal Wildlife Business

The report says illegally acquired animals are being sold in legal markets - and much of the time the buyer is unaware.

Crimes involving wildlife have increased dramatically over the past few years.

UN says virtually every country in the world plays a role either as a source, transit or destination for the trade.

The World Wildlife Fund says these crimes are the fifth most profitable illicit trade in the world - estimated to be worth $10bn a year.

Now for the first time, the UN has produced a global report on the problem. It says virtually every country in the world plays a role either as a source, transit or destination for illegal wildlife trade.

Suspected traffickers represent about 80 different nationalities, it says.

And it says that without international regulation, it is difficult to prevent illegally acquired wildlife from being traded once goods leave their home harbour.

Who is gaining from this illegal trade?

LIBERIA: Sapo National Park

Sapo National Park is a national park in Sinoe County, Liberia. It is the country's largest protected area of rainforest and its only national park,and contains the second-largest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa after Taï National Park in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire. Agriculture, construction, fishing, hunting, human settlement, and logging are prohibited in the park.

Sapo National Park is located in the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, a biodiversity hotspot that has "the highest mammal species diversity of any region in the world", according to Conservation International,and in the Western Guinean lowland forests ecoregion, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature's ecoregions classification scheme.

Sapo National Park is a national park in Sinoe County, Liberia. It is the country's largest protected area of rainforestand its only national park, and contains the second-largest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa after Taï National Park in neighbouring Côte d'Ivoire. Agriculture, construction, fishing, hunting, human settlement, and logging are prohibited in the park.

Sapo National Park is located in the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, a biodiversity hotspot that has "the highest mammal species diversity of any region in the world", according to Conservation International,and in the Western Guinean lowland forests ecoregion, according to the World Wide Fund for Nature's ecoregions classification scheme.

During the First Liberian Civil War, Sapo National Park fell into the hands of rebel forces, and much of the park's infrastructure and equipment was damaged or destroyed, including a wildlife rehabilitation and orphanage facility constructed in 1989 and supported by Friends of Animals.

Of 33 park employees, at least three were killed and seven became refugees. The extent of illegal resource extraction from inside the park during the period of rebel control is disputed. John Terborgh, a professor of environmental science and biology at Duke University, writes that "logging was rampant during the war". However, Peal reported that logging was limited, and that farming and hunting pressures were minimised, by population displacement — including the exodus of people out of over two dozen villages surrounding the park — and the prevailing climate of insecurity, to the extent that species populations actually increased during the war years. William Powers, a Catholic Relief Services official posted to Liberia from 1999 to 2001, noted that the Park was a war-time haven for small groups of people, who scavenged for food and hunted bushmeat to survive.Logging and poaching became more common after the war's end in 1996.

In 2002, allegations surfaced that President Charles Taylor had sold concessions worth several millions of United States dollars to a Hong Kong-based timber company — the Oriental Timber Company — to conduct logging within the boundaries of the park. The funds were reportedly pocketed by Taylor or used to secure the loyalty of various senior commanders, to arm loyalist forces embroiled in the Second Liberian Civil War (1999–2003), and to acquire mercenary fighters from South Africa. Liberia's Minister of Information, Reginald Goodridge, denied the allegations, noting that no evidence of logging was found during a National Geographic Society team's two-week visit to the park.

Fauna and Flora International and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) worked with Liberia's Forestry Development Authority and the Society for the Conservation of Nature of Liberia (SCNL) to prepare a two-year initiative to restart management of the park. Mainly funded by the Darwin Initiative of the United Kingdom's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the World Wildlife fund from 2000–2002, the objectives of the initiative were to re-establish the park's management, build support for the park among the local community, and to build Liberia's capacity in conservation management and planning. The SCNL also received a grant from the Whitley Foundation to begin a programme to monitor the park's large mammals.

There has been very slow progress in the establishment of protected areas in Liberia. Sapo National Park, proclaimed in 1983, was the country's first protected area. The approval of the Sapo National Park Act (An Act for the extension of the Sapo National Park) on October 10, 2003 expanded the size of the park to 1,804 km2 (697 sq mi), constituting an increase of more than 37%. The act recognised the park as being "at the core of an immense forests block of the Upper Guinea Forest Ecosystem that is important to the conservation of the biodiversity of Liberia and of West Africa as a whole". The 135 km2 (33,359 acres) Mount Nimba Nature Reserve, covering four percent of Liberia's forest land, was created at the same time to become Liberia's second protected area.

The peace that followed the conclusion of the Second Liberian Civil War gave rise to new threats to the park. Groups of fighters and civilians moved into the park during the final months of the conflict — some to escape the conflict and others to harvest timber or prospect for gold. The influx of people into the park continued after the war's end, eventually growing into a

full-scale gold rush. Accompanying or following the prospectors were hunters, many of them former combatants, who poached the park's animals to sell as meat to the settlers. By March 2005, an estimated 5,000 people lived in the park, according to the United Nations Mission in Liberia.Although efforts were undertaken to remove the illegal squatters, the park was not completely emptied until late August-early September 2005, and then only through the participation of conservationists, the Liberian government, and United Nations peacekeeping forces.

Due to its remote location and the near-complete absence of tangible amenities, such as visitor housing or recreational facilities, there are few visitors to Sapo National Park. Entry into the park is prohibited without approval from the Forestry Development Authority. No roads lead into the park, so it can be reached only on foot. The park also has no trails.

Located in Sinoe County in southwestern Liberia, Sapo National Park covers an area of 1,804 km2 (697 sq mi). The park is bounded to the north by the Putu Mountains and to the west by the Sinoe River.The park's quite homogeneous, flat and marshy topography supports a large area of uninhabited forest. Its southeastern area has lower elevations of approximately 100 m (328 ft) and gentle hills, while there are elevations of about 400 m (1,312 ft) and steep ridges in the north. There are many small streams and rivers between these ridges. Sinoe River is the largest river in the park. Mount Putu's 640 m (2,100 ft) summit is the highest elevation in the park.

The park has a tropical climate, with temperatures ranging between 22–28 °C (72–82 °F). The forest's average relative humidity is 91%. Annual precipitation at Basintown, 4 km (2 mi) south of the park's headquarters, averaged 2,596 mm (100 in) in the 1980s. The park's dry season occurs from November to April and the wet season lasts from May to October. January and December are the driest months in the park, and May and August are the wettest months. There is a mid-dry period of decreased rainfall in July, which occasionally extends into August. During the dry season, many of the smaller streams dry up and their sandy and rocky stream beds are exposed. The dry season also causes the larger rivers shrink in size, exposing waterfalls and sandbars. In the rainy season, river levels can rise by more than 4 m (13 ft) in one night, inundating forests near the rivers.

Liberia has the largest remaining part of the Upper Guinean forest ecosystem, with an estimated 42% of the remaining forest. The rest of the Upper Guinean forest is located in Côte d'Ivoire (28% of the remaining forest), Ghana (16%), Guinea (8%), Sierra Leone (5%), and Togo (1%). Just an estimated 40-45% of Liberia's original forest cover remains, and less than 30% of its area is covered by natural forest. Its tracts of forest were once continuous, but are now fragmented into blocks that are isolated from each other as a result of logging, road-building, cultivation, and human settlements. Before the civil war, the Forestry Development Authority calculated that about 35% of Liberia's original forest was "undisturbed", 45% was "disturbed but productive", and 20% was "disturbed and unproductive." Sapo National Park's forest is one of the country's last remaining blocks of tropical lowland rain forest, and one of West Africa's least disturbed lowland rainforests. It is the second-largest area of primary tropical rainforest in West Africa after Taï National Park in Côte d'Ivoire.

The park has one of the richest amounts of floral species in the country, with many endemic species. A 1983 survey of the park determined it to be composed of 63% primary and mature secondary forest, 13% swamp forest, 13% seasonally inundated forest, and 11% young secondary forest. The forest is luxuriant, with trees that can grow to a height of 70 m (230 ft). The forest canopy's height ranges from 12–32 m (39–105 ft), with an average height of 25 m (82 ft). Plant species found in the park include the legumes Tetraberlinia tubmaniana and Gilbertiodendron splendidum, and the tree Brachystegia leonensis.

Sapo National Park is a "regional centre of endemism" and biodiversity, at one time hosting around 125 mammal species and 590 types of bird, including a number of threatened species, such as the African golden cat, drill, Gola malimbe, Liberian mongoose, white-breasted guineafowl, and white-necked rockfowl. The park is also home to the African civet, African fish eagle, African grey parrot, giant forest hog, great blue turaco, speckle-throated otter, water chevrotain, three species of pangolin, seven species of monkey (including the endangered Diana monkey, crocodiles, leopards, bee-eaters, egrets, hornbills, kingfishers, rollers, and sunbirds.

Prior to the formal designation of Sapo National Park in 1983 there had been "no systematic study of chimpanzee populations in Liberia". Since then, various surveys have confirmed the existence of the common chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) in Sapo National Park, located primarily in the park's center and western areas, with estimates of the population ranging from 500 to 1,640. The culture of the local Sapo people includes a reverence for the chimpanzee and, therefore, a taboo against their hunting.

Seven species of duiker antelopes are found in Sapo National Park, including the vulnerable Jentink's duiker (Cephalophus jentinki) and zebra duiker (Cephalophus zebra) bay duikers (Cephalophus dorsalis) and Maxwell's duikers (Cephalophus maxwellii) are reported to be locally abundant.

Sapo National Park contains populations of the pygmy hippopotamus (Hexaprotodon liberiensis), an endangered species which has legal protection in Liberia under the Wildlife and National Park Act of 1988. Unique to West Africa, the wild population of pygmy hippopotamuses is thought to number less than 3,000 individuals. According to the World Conservation Union (IUCN), conservation efforts targeted at the species have "historically been most effective in the Sapo National Park ... where protection is good". According to an action plan published by the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Sapo National Park is "the only realistic choice" of a "of suitable conservation area" for the Pygmy Hippopotamus. In February 2008, automatic heat- and motion-sensing cameras set up in Sapo National Park captured the first photographs of the pygmy hippopotamus ever taken in Liberia.The photographs confirmed the continued presence of the species inside the boundaries of the park; previously, scientists did not know whether the pygmy hippopotamus population in the park had survived the civil wars and subsequent poaching and logging.

The endangered African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) is also present in Sapo National park, with population estimates ranging from "as many as 500" for the early 1980s to between 313 and 430 for the end of the decade; however, the IUCN considers the most recent surveys — both of which relied on dung counts — to be of low quality and reliability.

UGANDA: Visiting Mt Rwenzori

I went to Uganda to go back to magnificent nature. I met gorillas in Bwindi and chimpanzees in Kibale. I was so impressed by the purity of the lakes and savannah in Queen Elizabeth and Mburo. All these places touched me but Rwenzori made me feel special. It divides Africa on the Equator but more than that, if the rivers are the veins of the earth, Rwenzori Mountains are unquestionably, the heart of Africa. This place brings life- pumping water to the two main arteries of the continent, the Nile and the Congo Rivers. It is a unique place and a source of life for so many people and cultures along both rivers.

All natural and serene
In this remote corner of the earth you can hear the heartbeat of Africa and feel how pristine landscapes breathe, exhausted, and fearing the deforestation axe. You can experience the poverty, feeling it tear your soul, seeing the contrasts as you journey deeper and higher in Africa. There is an urgent need to find ways for halting poverty and deforestation. Mount Stanley at the Rwenzori is not only the highest mountain in Uganda it is the highest tropical mountain at the Equator in Africa. For mountaineers who look for purity of travelling, running away from artificially transformed circuits, to those seeking the essence of the explorer, pioneer, traveller and climber, this place makes you feel special. Compared to the overcrowded Kilimajaro, the mystical traveller will find something in Rwenzori. There are friendly people who chat and show you how it is possible to live embedded in a place full of richness such as freshwater, biodiversity, a beautiful landscape, glaciers and sunshine and at the same time struggle against poverty.

Sad side
Agonising reality is the tropical mountain glaciers irreversibly melting. Being on the Equator, this mountain is especially vulnerable to climate change effects. One night while talking to Reuben, one of our guides, he commented about the years when his father was a guide. Then, these glaciers poured from the summits over 5,400 metres to below 4,600 metres, to where Elena’s hut, the last camp is today. Just like Chimborazo, the highest peak in Ecuador, it took us almost two hours to reach the glacier of Mount Stanley.

It is disturbing, hearing the sound of ice just melting and running in dozens of creeks, below the ice under our feet. It is a paradox, that in a country with such evidences of climate change, the government’s priority is oil extraction.
On this steep terrain, in the dry season, farmers slash and burn almost everything. It is only the application of the law that protects the national park, thanks to its status as a conservation area. Because it is a growing source of income for the country and for local communities, the economy has contributed to and ensured the conservation of this wonderful place.

Sustainable approach
Today more than ever, visiting the national park for trekking or climbing is crucial as an alternative to deforestation. It is a source of income for the locals. Dozens of guides, porters, cooks and numerous families get an income, thanks to tourism that focuses on sustainability and attracting responsible visitors to these mountains.

Sustainable tourism is crucial to end poverty around Rwenzori Mountains. I saw Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) doing a good job in the national park. I got interesting feedback from Rwenzururu Kingdom on an environmental effort in the region. I discovered several companies and NGOs interested in creating value for visitors. One such NGO is World Wildlife Fund (WWF) currently implementing a project in the region to generate additional income for the Rwenzori Mountains National park by especially boosting tourism. Tourist incomes will help alleviate poverty.

Children will have education and opportunities to learn and develop their awareness and skills to protect nature from destruction to sustainability. In the medium and long term, it is crucial to engage the government and international donors in investing in the restoration of natural vegetation on these steep hillsides to create a buffer zone outside the national park. This will prevent soil erosion, conserve the freshwater below these mountains, and to ensure an additional source of income linked to forestry and agro-forestry.

The future
We cannot think of economic development as depleting mineral deposits or oil reservoirs because in this process of extinguishing non-renewable raw materials we accelerate climate change which is the primary and most urgent threat to the degradation of this unique landscape.

No End To Ivory Poaching In Sight

The conference of CITES, the international organisation that controls the trade in endangered species, ends in Bangkok today after almost two weeks of debate and decisions.

For four decades, this organisation has been the judge and jury for international wildlife law. There was an expectation that CITES would pass tough sentences on those complicit in the current wildlife crime crisis.

Poaching levels are rising fast; demand for ivory and rhino horn has exploded in booming Asian countries where people with new money want to show off with old symbols of wealth or buy traditional medicine.

However, the title of one press release I received today sums up a sense of disappointment, from some pressure groups, that an opportunity to halt the well-documented rise in poaching has been missed.

"CITES has no cure for elephant poaching: Compromise and rhetoric are killing world's elephants," came the press release from several wildlife campaign groups.

The groups accuse China, "the single country most responsible for the crisis due to its burgeoning ivory market", of refusing to concede that it is the main problem.

The conference has been held against the backdrop of a well-documented spike in poaching: 25,000 elephants and almost 700 rhinos were killed by poachers last year according to the World Wildlife Fund.

Some campaigners were saying this was a 'last chance' to save the elephant and rhino from unsustainable levels of destruction.

On the opening day, Prince William addressed delegates via a video statement and urged them to "make a difference" as he described poaching levels as "shocking".

The Thai PM also made a speech as the conference began, making her government's first public promise to end the ivory trade in Thailand.

Closing the domestic ivory market in Thailand would also block a loophole that allows illegal African ivory to be 'laundered' through Thailand. So hopes were high.

In the end, there has been no clear timetable for the Thai ban to come into force, and talk of sanctions against countries failing to enforce controls on ivory has come to nothing.

In Vietnam, where I saw for myself widespread abuse of laws banning the trade in rhino horn, the government has been warned it needs to clean up its act. A mere slap on the wrists, say many campaigners.

Sharks have been given extra protection. Latest figures suggest 100 million are being killed for their fins every year. Shark fin soup is an expensive luxury meal for many Chinese people and is traditionally served at weddings or business meetings to impress guests.

However, the shark protections are not a complete ban on the shark fin trade. A permit system is meant to be introduced, aimed at protecting five species, and the new rules don't come into force for 18 months.

The problem for CITES is the same facing any large international organisation. When you get lots of different countries under one roof, in this case 178, then you have conflicting cultures, needs and agendas. Compromise is inevitable.

Others will say that at least CITES exists; at least countries have a forum where they can send delegates and get together to discuss the issues and problems. Its existence and operation for 40 years is proof that action has been taken.

It will be two or three years before CITES meets again. By then it's estimated, based on current rates, that as many as 75,000 elephants and 2,100 rhinos will have been killed by poachers.