Green Options

Thanks to rampant poaching and habitat destruction, rhinos have the unfortunate distinction of being one of the most endangered animals on earth.

Over the last 30 years, the world’s overall rhinoceros population has declined by over 90% - and if not for dedicated conservation efforts over the last 100 years, it is likely that all rhinoceros species would already be extinct.

To help raise awareness for these proud pachyderms, here are 11 incredible facts about rhinos - plus a compilation of beautiful photos (except for one very graphic photo) and a couple of videos, too. Enjoy!

The Chinese delegation attending the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop has reportedly claimed China’s tiger farms supply ‘medicine’ to 60 countries.

A shocking article from Nepal’s Republica says that the Chinese delegation attending the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop claims China “cannot put an end to its tiger farming as medicine produced from tiger parts is supplied to 60 countries”.

Expansion of critical habitat for tigers and the establishment of a Wildlife Crime Control Committee are among the announcements from the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop. But will these efforts be enough to protect tigers from China’s ‘bizarre obsession’ with tiger body parts?

Encouraging news so far from the inaugural session of the Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop: Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal announced a 900 sq km increase of Bardia National Park, expanding critical habitat for Nepal’s tigers.

A shocking discovery by forest guards in the Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve exposes a family business built on killing tigers.

Learning from grandma is usually a good thing. But not this time: An eight-year-old boy and his grandmother were arrested after laying a steel trap to kill a tiger.

The pair was caught adjacent to the Indo-Nepal border, in the Manguraha jungle area.

Park authorities have arrested a dozen people in connection to the recent Chitwan National Park rhino killings.

The good news: Multiple arrests have been made in connection to the recent rhino poaching incidents inside Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.

The bad news: It turns out that three - not two - rhino were killed by poachers over the last two weeks. Two of the rhino were females.

Poachers have slaughtered two rhino in Chitwan National Park - bringing the total since January to at least nine.

Chitwan National Park authorities were dismayed to discover the carcasses of two greater one-horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) in the span of just ten days. On September 2, a male rhino was found in the Temple Tiger area, and on September 12, a female rhino was found in Krishnasar Community Forest of Nawalparasi.

Both rhino had their horns hacked out.

“For every beautiful garment People Tree makes, there’s an equally beautiful change happening somewhere in the world” ~ Peopletree.co.uk

People tree is an exemplary model of “think global, act local” in sustainable fashion. With a strong business base in Europe and Asia, they work internationally with small handicraft makers in nearly twenty countries. Each textile collective is different. For example, in the nightwear collection highlighted above, they feature Nepalese hand-knit slipper socks together with these well constructed organic nighties made in India.

In order to raise awareness for vulture conservation and educate the public about the threats facing these majestic birds, September 5, 2009 has been designated as International Vulture Awareness Day.

Over 100 organizations from around the world will be participating in International Vulture Awareness Day 2009 (IVAD09), a worldwide event that aims to publicize vulture conservation to a global audience and to bring attention to the work being done by vulture experts.

Nepal’s Chitwan Buffer Zone hosted more than 800 people for the “Women on Conservation” event to mark the occasion of Teej - a festival of Nepalese women.

The “Women on Conservation” event was kicked off by Surdevi Community Forest User Group President lighting the ceremonial candle.

This lively theatrical competition was held at the Surdevi Community Forest User Group Office on August 23, 2009 and presented by Partnership for Rhino Conservation and Friendship Chitwan. A total of seven groups from the Chitwan Buffer Zone and surrounding villages participated in the program with songs, poems, and stories about wildlife conservation.

In order to provide safe food for critically endangered vultures, Pakistan has opened a “vulture restaurant.”

After 95% of the vulture populations in India, Nepal and Pakistan were lost due to poisoning by the drug Diclofenac, the idea of “vulture restaurants” have been catching on.

Vulture restaurants serve up the carcasses of cattle that have been monitored by a veterinarian prior to death, to confirm the animals have not been treated with Diclofenac.

Following on the success of Nepal’s vulture restaurants, Dhartee Development Society, in collaboration with the UNDP Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme has opened a vulture restaurant in Pakistan.

Finally, a bit of good news about wild tigers.

In Nepal, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (in coordination with the WWF and the National Trust for Nature Conservation) has released an estimated population of critically endangered tigers and snow leopards. And, the tiger population has increased in Chitwan National Park.

According to The Himalayan Times:

It said that there were a total of 121 adult tigers spread over the four protected areas, with the highest number in the Chitwan National Park with 91 tigers. Bardiya National Park, Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and Parsa Wildlife Reserve were estimated to have 18, eight and four tigers respectively. Similarly, the estimated population of snow leopards is 300-400 in the Himalayan region.

The tiger census was conducted from December 2008 - March 2009, using data collected from camera traps and tiger footprints.

The Chitwan National Park tiger census in 2000 determined the population to be around 60 adult tigers.