edition.cnn.com/2011/11/10/world/africa/rhino-extinct-species-report/index.html
Good work world, once again proving that humanity is defined by selfish, arrogant ignorance.
Not that this isn't a bad thing to happen, it's a shame these animals are no longer around, but 99.x% of species that ever lived are also extinct. Most of them went extinct before humans existed. One day humans will be extinct too.
Virtually all the fault of pig-ignorant ancient chinese quackery that sees a big erect horn and says well if I eat some of that I'll have one too...
Select to expand quoteGreenPat said..
Not that this isn't a bad thing to happen, it's a shame these animals are no longer around, but 99.x% of species that ever lived are also extinct. Most of them went extinct before humans existed. One day humans will be extinct too.
That's slippery path of logic, GreenPat! Next you'll be telling me I don't need to learn to nail my gybes for similar reasons! 
Select to expand quotekiteboy dave said..
Virtually all the fault of pig-ignorant ancient chinese quackery that sees a big erect horn and says well if I eat some of that I'll have one too...
Not everyone is as virile and talented as you and I David.
maybe we should have imported a few and let them run wild up the top end of OZ every introduced species up there seems to be doing quite nicely
Not a bad idea mate.
Perhaps we should get Twiggie to go and purchase all the Java Rhinos and settle them up north.
There is only around 40 left.
More like Clive (MP)'s baby.
Maybe he could keep them in the same paddock as the Stegosaurus and Diplodocus
Maybe he could breed them for T-Rex meat.
If the T-Rex didn't like the taste maybe Gina could use them as finger food ?
Perhaps the problem is these animals were worth more dead than alive. So it was in the self interest for the people inhabiting the areas where the Western Black Rhinoceros lived to go out and kill them. I don't know where these animals lived but perhaps it was in countries such as Zimbabwe where the the people have been impoverised by incompetant and corrupt post colonial governments. It sounds like the Western Black Rhinoceros is a sub species, so perhaps the species as a whole is not gone.
The answer to animal extincion, especially big animal extinction is to make them more valuable alive than dead so it is in our self interest to keep them alive. Humans can do more than act only in self interest but when its a choice between putting a meal on the table for your family and a wild animal roaming the bush, the animal will roam the bush for only so long.
Select to expand quoteUnderoath said..
Not a bad idea mate.
Perhaps we should get Twiggie to go and purchase all the Java Rhinos and settle them up north.
There is only around 40 left.
Since there have just been 7000+ feral horses shot at Lake Gregory [W.A. Kimberlies],
and with another 3000 slated to go next year- you would think there should be enough room for a few refugee rhino's.
Realistically- would it be so hard to bring in a bunch of rhinos and let them loose?
The only problem I can see is red tape.
By the time the red tape industry does its thing [achieving very little] the rhinos would all be ground up and in a shop in China.
That + every man and his dog will be demanding govt. funding and kickbacks for feasability studies, progress reports, royalties for land access etc.
stephen
Select to expand quotesn said..Underoath said..
Not a bad idea mate.
Perhaps we should get Twiggie to go and purchase all the Java Rhinos and settle them up north.
There is only around 40 left.
Since there have just been 7000+ feral horses shot at Lake Gregory [W.A. Kimberlies],
and with another 3000 slated to go next year- you would think there should be enough room for a few refugee rhino's.
Realistically- would it be so hard to bring in a bunch of rhinos and let them loose?
The only problem I can see is red tape.
By the time the red tape industry does its thing [achieving very little] the rhinos would all be ground up and in a shop in China.
That + every man and his dog will be demanding govt. funding and kickbacks for feasability studies, progress reports, royalties for land access etc.
stephen
we have rhino's here already in zoo's so wouldn't be that hard to let them loose but your right about red tape and all the leaches wanting to cash in on studies etc
Select to expand quoteMobydisc said..
Perhaps the problem is these animals were worth more dead than alive. So it was in the self interest for the people inhabiting the areas where the Western Black Rhinoceros lived to go out and kill them. I don't know where these animals lived but perhaps it was in countries such as Zimbabwe where the the people have been impoverised by incompetant and corrupt post colonial governments. It sounds like the Western Black Rhinoceros is a sub species, so perhaps the species as a whole is not gone.
The answer to animal extincion, especially big animal extinction is to make them more valuable alive than dead so it is in our self interest to keep them alive. Humans can do more than act only in self interest but when its a choice between putting a meal on the table for your family and a wild animal roaming the bush, the animal will roam the bush for only so long.
I agree Mobydisc that they were worth more dead than alive, however I don't think it was the locals that drove them to extinction. It had to be the ridiculous amount of poaching that occured over the last 20-30 years. Corrupt governments certainly don't help the cause.
It's a shame this world revolves around money in every single aspect
Select to expand quotechoco said..
we have rhino's here already in zoo's so wouldn't be that hard to let them loose but your right about red tape and all the leaches wanting to cash in on studies etc
Even Twiggy would have his hands full setting up something like this without the govt. industry barging in and stuffing it up.
If Big Brother really wanted to do something- the rhinos would be rounded up, innoculated + dosed with fluoride
Then sent to Cocos island for a 3 month quarantine- and when cleared, dropped into the Kimberlies or wherever.
There are plenty of stations in the N/W that would love to cater for the tourism generated.
stephen
Select to expand quoteHaydn24 said..Mobydisc said..
Perhaps the problem is these animals were worth more dead than alive. So it was in the self interest for the people inhabiting the areas where the Western Black Rhinoceros lived to go out and kill them. I don't know where these animals lived but perhaps it was in countries such as Zimbabwe where the the people have been impoverised by incompetant and corrupt post colonial governments. It sounds like the Western Black Rhinoceros is a sub species, so perhaps the species as a whole is not gone.
The answer to animal extincion, especially big animal extinction is to make them more valuable alive than dead so it is in our self interest to keep them alive. Humans can do more than act only in self interest but when its a choice between putting a meal on the table for your family and a wild animal roaming the bush, the animal will roam the bush for only so long.
I agree Mobydisc that they were worth more dead than alive, however I don't think it was the locals that drove them to extinction. It had to be the ridiculous amount of poaching that occured over the last 20-30 years. Corrupt governments certainly don't help the cause.
It's a shame this world revolves around money in every single aspect
Who are the poachers? They are generally not hunters from the USA, China or Germany. The poachers are local people who are driven to hunt as most other avenues of employment are not available to them. They are just trying to survive. They certainly don't get rich out of killing rhinos.
I read the article and its quite self explanatory. The White Rhinoceros was almost wiped at the turn of the 20th century. However as it was seen they were worth more alive than dead, they are now back up to healthy numbers. This was under a government that allowed people to get on with making a living. However if South Africa goes down the tubes and people become desperate for a living or a meal, we can expect the White Rhino to be wiped out too.
Select to expand quoteMobydisc said..
Who are the poachers? They are generally not hunters from the USA, China or Germany. The poachers are local people who are driven to hunt as most other avenues of employment are not available to them. They are just trying to survive. They certainly don't get rich out of killing rhinos.
Someone is getting very rich out of killing them mate.
Most of the locals are just snaring smaller animals for food rather than hunting for ivory or rhino horns.
At about $4000/kg horns and ivory is now majorly big business. Organised crime are going in after these animals by helicopter raids. A quick hit and run affair, the poachers are a ****en site better armed and trained than any of the govt. park and wildlife officers. Animals on game parks and reserves, private ranches nowhere is safe. There's too much ground to cover and there simply isn't enough money for the privately owned places or the public sentiment in Africa to protect the majority of them.
It's a sad state of affairs but in a few years the only wildlife in africa will be concentrated to a very few little private reserves.
On a brighter note, the Western Lowland Gorilla's are doing better than thought. 125,000 of the buggers found hiding out up at Lake Tele, deep in the Congo...
www.wcs.org/our-work/species/gorillas
Select to expand quotesn said..
......
Realistically- would it be so hard to bring in a bunch of rhinos and let them loose?
The only problem I can see is red tape.
....
The only problem you can see ?
I bet the bloke who brought a few cane toads in couldn't see a problem either
Or the bloke who brought a few little plants of lantana or rubber vine
Or the person who thought water buffalo would be good up north
Or the person who let a few horses out into the Kimberly
Or the windsurfer who first said "sure mate you can try kiting in our little pond"
......
Select to expand quoteMark _australia said..kiteboy dave said..
Virtually all the fault of pig-ignorant ancient chinese quackery that sees a big erect horn and says well if I eat some of that I'll have one too...
Not everyone is as virile and talented as you and I David.
Don't bet on it buddy. I'm hung like a fkn horse.
Even worse is it seems most don't even care
Select to expand quotepoor relative said..Mark _australia said..kiteboy dave said..
Virtually all the fault of pig-ignorant ancient chinese quackery that sees a big erect horn and says well if I eat some of that I'll have one too...
Not everyone is as virile and talented as you and I David.
Don't bet on it buddy. I'm hung like a fkn horsefly.
OK. Lucky Mrs fly.
Agreed with Mark. There's probably none of our life's luxury that don't damage the env't big time.
The list of those animals on the way out is depressing:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critically_endangered
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extinct_in_the_wild
