CLASH OF THE TITANS - Elephants vs Rhinos - A real life story

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Interesting Story

CLASH OF THE TITANS

CLASH OF THE TITANS

– managing the delinquent young elephants of Pilanesberg National Park

Pilanesberg National Park, in the North West Province of South Africa had enjoyed the fruits of a massive reintroduction programme, operation Genesis, for 15 years. Thousands of animals of a variety of species were relocated to repopulate the new park. White rhino were particularly successful, with a founder population that was used to repopulate other newly formed “Bop Parks”. Rhino continue to generate substantial revenue through live sales, trophies and eco-tourism. Poaching is absent and all were lulled into the comfortable idea that this important population was secure.

The first indication of a problem came in March 1994 when game scout reports included an adult white rhino bull mortality. This was not in itself unusual, since every year a few rhinos are reported killed. Most injuries are sustained during territorial-clashes between adult bulls, and occasionally rhino calves are also found dead, probably killed by bulls intolerant of interference with their amorous advances towards cows. What was different with this mortality was that the scouts reported that an elephant was responsible for the death

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