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

[astro]

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

[Ogre]

I remember this happening. Turned out, IIRC, that young elephants need socializing just like young humans do. They imported older elephants which had been socialized in family groups, and the last I’d heard of it was that the young delinquents had pretty much straightened out.

Keep in mind that this is all pretty much off the top of my head, and before I read the article, so…

[Ogre]

Ah yes. Basically, raging hormones, as I remembered. They needed somebody to slap 'em around.

[Inigo_Montoya]

Rinoceros…rhinoceros rhinoceros rhinoc eros. Eros? Hmm…rhinoccccccccc erosssss.

Rhinocerousrhinocerosrhinocerosrhinocerosrhinocerosrhinoceros … rhino ceros.

Rhin ocer os. Rhin Oceros. Rhin OCEROS!

RHINO ! ! ! ! !

and

Weasel.

[ArrMatey]

I remember going to the zoo once and seeing evidence of something quite like this. In this case, the zebras and giraffes were -fighting-! It was kinda scary. Zebras were charging full-tilt at a giraffe, and it would kick at them. When a giraffe kicks, there’s a lot of mass behind that long leg. It caved in the side of one of the zebras before the emergency vet crews got there.