The Rhino Keepers

The Rhino Keepers
Author: Clive Walker
Publisher: Jacana Media
Total Pages: 237
Release: 2012
Genre: History
ISBN: 1431404233

The conservation of the rhinos in southern Africa is described in this account of these fascinating animals, the reasons behind their historical decline, the myths that surround them, and the resurrection of the rhinoceros horn trade. Few animals face as violent, as well organized, and as determined an enemy as the world's rhinos. But across the African continent, they are being slaughtered on a daily basis, and approximately 5,000 black rhinos and 21,000 white rhinos are all that prevent their extinction. This real account of the rhino wars is a harrowing story, underscoring the enormous challenges that lie ahead for conservation in a world where rhino horns sold by the gram raise double the price of gold and are more expensive than cocaine in the end-user Asian markets. Arguing that protecting Africa's rhinos is of utmost importance, it questions the management of natural heritage and implores readers to recognize their role as rhino keepers of the future.

The White Rhino Saga

The White Rhino Saga
Author: Ian Player
Publisher: Jonathan Ball Publishers
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2013-08-14
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1868425975

The White Rhino Saga - back in print after more than 30 years - is more relevant than ever as our rhino population faces a deadly poaching onslaught. With a new introduction by Julian Rademeyer and a 'missing chapter' never before published, a new generation of readers can enjoy and learn from the extraordinary story of how the white rhino was saved from extinction four decades ago. From Ian Player's first visit to the Umfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa's Zululand in 1952, the salvation of the white rhino from extinction became a personal obsession. The white rhino, the second largest animal in the world, had roamed over the southern half of the African continent in large numbers during the nineteenth century and before. By the 1960s fewer than five hundred remained, confined to 72 000 acres, not nearly enough territory for them to remain healthy and alive. The problem confronting Ian Player and his co-workers was twofold: how to repopulate the game reserves of Africa where white rhinos had once lived, and how to supply white rhinos to the zoos of the world. The techniques for capturing and transporting the huge animals are fascinating. The White Rhino Saga, Alan Paton writes in his foreword, 'is a book for every lover of the wild. The danger of captures, the disappointments, the ultimate successes, makes a splendid tale.' It is a tale of adventure, of Africa, of animals - and of the man who set out to save them.

African Rhino

African Rhino
Author: Richard Emslie
Publisher: IUCN
Total Pages: 102
Release: 1999
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 2831705029

The black and the white rhinoceros have become flagship species for international conservation. They are significant not only for the continuation of a major evolutionary heritage, but also as symbols for the protection of African savannahs. The battle for the survival of these species has been marked by some notable successes and sadly, many failures, and the situation is still critical. The international horn trade ban and the domestic bans imposed in most traditional user states have driven the trade further underground, in some cases inflating prices and making illegal dealing even more lucrative.This Plan is aimed at donors, government and non-government organizations, and all those involved in rhino conservation. It outlines the actions and strategies needed to catalyse support for these majestic animals, and help secure their future in sub-Saharan Africa. The overall conclusion is that, given the political will, stability and adequate field expenditure, rhinos can be conserved in the wild.

Against Extinction

Against Extinction
Author: William (Bill) Adams
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 388
Release: 2013-06-17
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 113657218X

'Conservation in the 21st century needs to be different and this book is a good indicator of why.' Bulletin of British Ecological Society Against Extinction tells the history of wildlife conservation from its roots in the 19th century, through the foundation of the Society for the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the Empire in London in 1903 to the huge and diverse international movement of the present day. It vividly portrays conservation's legacy of big game hunting, the battles for the establishment of national parks, the global importance of species conservation and debates over the sustainable use of and trade in wildlife. Bill Adams addresses the big questions and ideas that have driven conservation for the last 100 years: How can the diversity of life be maintained as human demands on the Earth expand seemingly without limit? How can preservation be reconciled with human rights and the development needs of the poor? Is conservation something that can be imposed by a knowledgeable elite, or is it something that should emerge naturally from people's free choices? These have never been easy questions, and they are as important in the 21st century as at any time in the past. The author takes us on a lively historical journey in search of the answers.

National Park Science

National Park Science
Author: Jane Carruthers
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 563
Release: 2017-08-17
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1108127479

South Africa is renowned for its wildlife and environmental conservation in iconic national parks such as the Kruger, one of the world's first formal protected areas. However, this is the first book to thoroughly analyse and explain the interesting and changing scientific research that has been accomplished in South Africa's national parks during the twentieth century. Providing a fascinating and thorough historical narrative based on an extensive range of sources, this text details the evolution of traditional natural history pursuits to modern conservation science in South Africa, covering all research areas of conservation biology and all the national parks around the country. It reveals the interaction between the international context, government, learning institutions and the public that has shaped the present conservation arena. A complex story that will interest and inform not only those involved in conservation science of South Africa, but worldwide.

The Scientific Imagination in South Africa

The Scientific Imagination in South Africa
Author: William Beinart
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 419
Release: 2021-05-20
Genre: History
ISBN: 1108944817

South Africa provides a unique vantage point from which to examine the scientific imagination over the last three centuries, when its position on the African continent made it a staging post for Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonialism. In the eighteenth century, South African plants and animals caught the imagination of visiting Europeans. In the nineteenth century, science became central to imperial conquest, devastating wars, agricultural intensification and the exploitation of rich mineral resources. Scientific work both facilitated, and offered alternatives to, the imposition of segregation and apartheid in the twentieth century. William Beinart and Saul Dubow offer an innovative exploration of science and technology in this complex, divided society. Bridging a range of disciplines from astronomy to zoology, they demonstrate how scientific knowledge shaped South Africa's peculiar path to modernity. In so doing, they examine the work of remarkable individual scientists and institutions, as well as the contributions of leading politicians from Jan Smuts to Thabo Mbeki.

Mammals of Africa

Mammals of Africa
Author: Jonathan Kingdon
Publisher: A&C Black
Total Pages: 3500
Release: 2013-05-23
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 1408189968

Mammals of Africa (MoA) is a series of six volumes which describes, in detail, every currently recognized species of African land mammal. This is the first time that such extensive coverage has ever been attempted, and the volumes incorporate the very latest information and detailed discussion of the morphology, distribution, biology and evolution (including reference to fossil and molecular data) of Africa's mammals. With 1,160 species and 16 orders, Africa has the greatest diversity and abundance of mammals in the world. The reasons for this and the mechanisms behind their evolution are given special attention in the series. Each volume follows the same format, with detailed profiles of every species and higher taxa. The series includes some 660 colour illustrations by Jonathan Kingdon and his many drawings highlight details of morphology and behaviour of the species concerned. Diagrams, schematic details and line drawings of skulls and jaws are by Jonathan Kingdon and Meredith Happold. Every species also includes a detailed distribution map. Extensive references alert readers to more detailed information. Volume I: Introductory Chapters and Afrotheria (352 pages) Volume II: Primates (560 pages) Volume III: Rodents, Hares and Rabbits (784 pages) Volume IV: Hedgehogs, Shrews and Bats (800 pages) Volume V: Carnivores, Pangolins, Equids and Rhinoceroses (560 pages) Volume VI: Pigs, Hippopotamuses, Chevrotain, Giraffes, Deer and Bovids (704 pages)

Conserving Africa's Mega-Diversity in the Anthropocene

Conserving Africa's Mega-Diversity in the Anthropocene
Author: Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Total Pages: 453
Release: 2017-03-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1107031761

This book synthesises key insights from a century of ecological research and monitoring efforts in one of Africa's oldest protected areas.