Green Options

Is Ross Perot Jr. taking legal action over the head of a rhino he shot and wounded during a trophy hunt?

The son of former American Presidential candidate Ross Perot - Henry Ross Perot Jr. - is reportedly engaged in a legal battle involving South African wildlife authorities over the head of rhino he wounded during a trophy hunt earlier this year.

Perot supposedly shot a bull rhino at Mkhuze game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, but the animal escaped. However, Perot believes he’s still entitled to his trophy - the rhino’s head.

About 200 rhino have reportedly been killed by poachers in Zimbabwe over the last three years, and wildlife officials warn that international and regional poaching syndicates are benefiting from local cooperation.

Disappointing news: Zimbabwe may have lost a quarter of its rhino population in just three years, due to the increasing strength of organized poaching syndicates and a network of local support.

Additional field rangers and the military are part of Kruger National Park’s plan to fight commercial poaching - which has led to the death of 94 rhinos in South Africa this year.

KNP Chief Executive Dr. David Mabunda declared war on poachers with the appointment of 57 field rangers and the return of the military to protect the park’s precious wildlife from the onslaught of unprecedented killings.

Well-funded poaching syndicates are cashing in on Asia’s demand for rhino horn - and jeopardizing decades of rhino conservation efforts in South Africa.

The reason behind the current 15-year high in rhino poaching is no longer a mystery or “baffling” to experts: It is fueled by the insatiable demands of a newly affluent - and increasing - population in Asia.

Commercial rhino poaching has become a well-oiled machine - and the “new Asian wealth” is bankrolling the slaughter.

Despite ongoing efforts to protect Kaziranga’s precious wildlife, poachers have managed to kill a rhino and a leopard inside the park.

Kaziranga park officials were dismayed to discover the carcass of a female rhino with her horn chopped out. She was found in the park’s Bagori range, near the western part of the Dimoli forest camp.

Less than 24 hours earlier, a female leopard’s carcass was found in the Kohora range, near the Mikirjam forest camp.

Forest officials have arrested three suspected poachers involved with last weekend’s rhino killing in Kaziranga National Park.

The arrest of three poachers is the latest development in last weekend’s shootout in Kaziranga between forest guards and poachers. The trio was captured in Nagaon as they were trying to escape through the Karbi Anglong district.

Two of the men are Paites from Manipur and the other a Guite from Karbi Anglong district’s Manja area. They were handed over to the police and are being held in Assam.

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.

Dudhwa National Park’s most prolific rhino has become a father again.

Thanks to Banke - an old male rhino who still loves the ladies - Dudhwa National Park’s greater one-horned rhino population has increased to 29.

Wildlife officials in India’s Kaziranga National Park discover grass laced with poisoned salt - the latest attempt by poachers to kill rhino.

Unfortunately, five cattle have died after consuming grass laced with poison salt hear the edge of Kaziranga National Park. The deaths happened in the Baghmari area near the Burapaha range - and authorities believe the poison was actually meant for the park’s rhino.

The good news: Four men were arrested after a vehicle inspection yielded two recently butchered rhino horns and a .303 rifle. The bad news: KwaZulu Natal has now lost 19 rhino to poachers this year.

Thanks to quick action by Ezemvelo KwaZulu Natal Wildlife (EKZNW) field rangers, there are four less poachers in the region. Upon hearing a single gunshot in the Makhamisa area of the Imfolozi section, EKZNW field rangers acted immediately with Imfolozi management and police to set up a roadblock that led to the arrests.