Scimitar, Addax, and Dama Gazelle news

[gerenuk]

This is a touchy subject but the legalization of rhino horn could save their populations. Look at the white rhino in South Africa. Private ranchers saved them and look at what they bring in South Africa! 150,000 US for breeding cows, that is something those rhino ranchers will make sure are around for generations to come. They have a huge value and if they legalize the trade in rhino horn then the white rhino has another renewable resource of which the rancher can utilize. This will mean more value in the animal and more return for the rancher which all of them will expand their operations which will only bring more sustainability to white rhinos. Many of these ranchers are devoting armed forces toward their protection. I believe if the other species were pulled out of their native ranges and privately owned it would put an end to their demise. The examples are all there in history. Species that were pulled into the private sector were saved and these miniscul wild population left in their native states met or are meeting their demise ie northern white rhino, western black rhino, hirola, western giant eland. Many wanted to keep the arabian oryx in their range country and prioritize insitu conservation. Thankfully sheiks pulled out all they could zoos did they same and they collaborated their efforts. Ultimately the private ranchers seized there efforts and grabbed as many as they could from zoo surplus now their population is the only sustainable group.

Agreed that its hard to dance around this subject and economics could be an answer. But even private game ranches in Africa can't stop the poaching. While the answer may seem easy to us, the Chinese and Vietnamese have their own opinions and beliefs. It is their economy that is driving the poaching epidemic. And we just can't go over there and say stop, especially when our own companies are poisoning the water we drink. So if we ever want to be involved with exotic species conservation, we have to be certain that we can maintain assurance populations.

 

[vogelcommando]

Put a surtain price on an animal ( no matter if it is an anilope, a bird, a reptile or what ever ) and you can be sure it will be "saved" by privat breeders ! As an example I mention here softbills ( = fruit- and insect-eating birds ). In the time that still large shipments came from Africa, Asia and South America and the prices fro there birds were relative low, hardly any breeding result was archieved with those species. After the imports were banned and the price for the few remaining specimens got higher and higher, suddenly the breeding results started to increase and species which were called ünbreedeble started to breed !
Also many small mammals which suddenly pop-up in East European zoos find there orgins by privat breeders so IMO it would be realy great when zoos and privat breeders would work more closely together ! Only in this way a large number of species can be saved in captivity and when neccecary, used for breeding-programms and re-introductions.