Rhino files: SA needs rhino for tourism

35 Rhinos dead from Blackquarter Bacteria

Article credit: Beeld

 

South Africa’s largest private rhino farmer and pro trade protagonist John Hume has experienced a major setback in the past 2 months on his farm Elandslaagte because of an outbreak of the Blackquarter virus, which has killed 35 of them.  Terry Bengis, Hume’s spokesperson said that all the animals on this farm now need to be vaccinated against the bacteria, of which there are between 2- - 25 variants. Scientists including vets from Onderstepoort managed to isolate the bacteria and are now trying to develop the vaccine. Ecologists believe the bacteria developed after the recent heavy rains in the North West Province, in the grass where the animals are grazing. Hume has said that he will have all his rhinos vaccinated as soon as the vaccine is available.

 

SA Needs Rhino Tourism

Article credit: Pretoria News

 

The popularity of rhinos as a tourist attraction is on the increase making their value in the tourism industry even greater, says Professor Melville Saayman.

A director of Trees (Tourism Research, Economics, Environment and Society) at North-West University, Saayman expressed his opinion after a study he and his team completed at Kruger National Park to determine whether tourists’ desire to see rhinos, in relation to other animals that make the Big Five had changed over the past three years.

“In a similar study in 2011, 26.6 percent of respondents said they were willing to pay to see rhinos. This increased to 36.9 percent in 2013. The non-consumptive value of rhino for Kruger National Park has increased from R39.5-million to R112.4m.

“Rhinos are the only species of the Big Five to become more popular,” he said.