tgfny

Just received an e-mail from one of the camps we use in Botswana. What's probably the first rhino born in the wild in the last decade, came to the world in early July! Great for the rhino, great for Botswana!

ArthurSA

I don't understand. What's your definition of "in the wild"? The black rhino population has increased by 500 in just the past two years. And that's not in zoos!

tashak

Perhaps this was a white rhino-- several were moved to Chief's Island ("wild&quot from captive breeding programs in Botswana and South Africa. If so, this is excellent news, because it means they are taking to their new home well.

When in Bots we saw 3 white rhino in the breeding program at Mokolodi (where you can track them on foot!!!) and it was one of the highlights of the trip. Two adults, and an adolescent...but these were in the "captive" breeding program, as Mokolodi is an educational reserve and not really wild.

Mokolodi and Chief's Island are the only two places with rhino in Botswana, I believe...

thit_cho

I believe the original post refers to rhinos born in Botswana (check the Wilderness Safaris website). Its true that many black rhinos have been born in the wild, but as far as I know, none in Botswana.

tgfny

Sorry, forgot to specify white. It was a baby white rhino. Introduced 2.5 years into Moremi. Release was from one of Wildernesses camps. Since gestaton is almost a yr and a half, think the acclimated pretty quickly! Sorry, brings a gruesome visual!

Kavey

In June we spotted two white rhino (adults) together whilst at Mombo. That was wonderful! Even though we'd had exceptional sightings of white rhino in South Africa it was exciting to share the delight of our guide who had never imagined he'd see rhinos back in Botswana and gets emotional each time he does (which isn't that often even since the release programme began). I wonder if one was the pregnant mama...

ArthurSA

Ah, I assume that thit cho has the key, that it's a reference to Botswana and the white rhino as well. I used that stat for the black rhino because it was first to hand, white rhino have also thankfully been on the increase.

But congrats to Botswana breeding and the successful parents!

Kavey

Arthur
Hence the thread of the title... and the repetition in the first post about it being great news for Botswana!

It would hardly be great news for Botswana if a rhino was born somewhere else!

ArthurSA

I did read the subject Kavey, and with the post I read it to be great news for Botswana that the first rhino born in 10 years had been born there. As opposed to it being the first born in Botswana. The latter is also great news, but not as great as the former!

Isn't English a wonderfully ambiguous language?!

Have we exhausted this one yet?!

Kavey

Ha ha ha! Now I see! I couldn't spot where the ambiguity lay in this one!

We saw the cutest little white rhino calf in Ndumo (on foot, pretty darn close, which was electrifying) and another cutey in Hluhluwe.

Didn't see any black rhinos on our trip, adult or calf. :'-(