Horns of a dilemma: retiree to fly 80 South African rhinos to Australia
Source: Agence France-Presse
Horns of a dilemma: retiree to fly 80 South African rhinos to Australia
Former sales executive who emigrated to Australia 30 years ago is hatching a daring plan in an attempt to save the species from poachers
Agence France-Presse
Friday 13 May 2016 22.26 EDT
A retired South African sales executive who emigrated to Australia 30 years ago is hatching a daring plan to airlift 80 rhinos to his adopted country in an attempt to save the species from poachers.
Flying each animal on the 11,000-kilometre journey will cost about $A60,500, but Ray Dearlove believes the expense and risk is essential as poaching deaths have soared in recent years.
The rhinos will be relocated to a safari park in Australia, which is being kept secret for security reasons, where they will become a “seed bank” to breed future generations.
“Our grand plan is to move 80 over a four-year period. We think that will provide the nucleus of a good breeding herd,” Dearlove said while visiting South Africa to organise for the first batch to be flown out.
Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/14/horns-of-a-dilemma-retiree-to-fly-80-south-african-rhinos-to-australia
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Ray Dearlove with very young rhinos. [/center]
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And kill any mother F-ers and their chain of despicables who show up there looking to kill one of these magnificent creatures for any reason whatsoever!!
This guy is probably spending down his bonus miles.
They are usually "standing stalls", where they are tied. And they are watered, some hay. Very humane, and a relatively short amount of time. Each travels with an individual groom to take care of it. However, the pilot is equipped with a euthanasia gun to take out one that has become unruly enough to endanger the flight--even if its a 100K animal.
Wonder if this will be the same for the rhino's? This man is a saint! Wish there were more people doing this with endangered species.
Last edited Sat May 14, 2016, 09:53 PM - Edit history (2)
Preston mule O8K0, had traveled from the US in 1944 for the Burma Campaign, turned over to the Nationalist Chinese and some how the Communist ended up with it and US forces captured it in Korea in 1952.
http://olive-drab.com/od_army-horses-mules_korea.php
More details on muies in WWII and Korea:
http://www.qmmuseum.lee.army.mil/WWII/mules_of_mars.htm
An Article on the British policy of "Silencing" their mules by cutting their vocal codes. It prevented the mules from braying (which can be heard three miles away) but since the silenced mules could NOT hear each other, when it came to cross rivers, it was almost impossible to do so with the silence mules (un-silenced mules, hearing each other braying, hearing each other, they crossed the rivers easier then the "Silenced" Mules):
https://leminhkhai.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/the-silenced-mules-of-world-war-ii-burma/
At last a bit of good news on the conservation front. 
The audacious plan to airlift 80 rhinos to Australia
By Jon Donnison
BBC News, Sydney
10 May 2016
A South African expatriate's desire to protect rhinoceroses from poachers is driving an unusual plan to breed the giant animals down under.
It's sometimes said that people look like their pets. But that's not the case with Ray Dearlove. He's a a statuesque slab of fellow, built like a prop forward with the weathered features of somebody who's spent most of his life under the sun in South Africa and Australia. When he speaks, you listen.
Snapping around his ankles at his home in suburban Sydney is a somewhat yappy little terrier. They make an unlikely pair that pours water on the pet theory. Yet "Rhino Ray" does bear some resemblance to the beast he loves more than any other.
"I have a deep passion for rhinos," the 67-year-old tells me. "The rhino is the closest thing you will ever see to the dinosaur. They're incredible animals."
More:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-36244910
