 Reference Base  Rhinoceros noir du Nord Ouest de l'Afrique (Diceros b... |
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Planton, H., 1999. Rhinoceros noir du Nord Ouest de l'Afrique (Diceros bicornis longipes): le compte a rebours continue. Pachyderm 27: 86-100, figs. 1-6, photo 1-8, table 1
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| Location: |
Africa - Western Africa - Cameroon |
| Subject: |
Distribution - Records |
| Species: |
Black Rhino |
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In the 1980's, Cameroon was earnest in trying to improve the conservation status of the fauna. A formal request for assistance was formulated by the ministry in December 1980, but the response from WWF International in October 1981 was that after evaluation of the priorities of IUCN, no funds were available. This lax attitude continued during the 1980's.
A cooperation of those involved ended with two requests for assistance by the Cameroon government (in 1991 and 1992) and by the taking into consideration by the French Ministry of Cooperation aid for a project directed mainly to the rhinoceros. However, these funds were released as part of a larger environmental programme, the Project Biodiversit? Nord. The following actions were taken:
1. The distribution area in North Cameroon was regularly visited from 1987 to 1990 as part of the Pan African Campagne against Bovine Fever, and 1991-1995 to obtain more information. More intensive and specific investigations were done in 1996, 1997, 1998 as part of the FAC project Biodiversit? Nord. WWF Cameroon on the basis of these investigations keeps a regular update of the information sicne 1991, but it has been decided that sensitive information is not to be disclosed.
2. In 1993, a sample from a recently poached animal was sent to two laboratories specialised in rhinoceros genetics (Kleberg Genetic Chair, Centre for Reproduction of Endangered Species, San Diego, and Department of Chemical Pathology, University of Cape Town), but they have not yet been investigated.
3. A second tissue sample was sent in July 1996 under the best circumstances to a laboratory in South Africa for DNA sequencing for systematic purposes. Although the analysis only had one individual to work with, the results clearly indicated a marked difference between longipes and the other black rhino subspecies. At the moment, two alleles exist in longipes which have not been found in any other black rhino subspecies (Harley, communications of 1988 and 1999).
4. In the initial programme, it was decided to equip 10 rhinos with radio transmitters. One radio was placed in a female with the help of Peter Morkel, but the animal was poached after 1 ? months. The trial was lengthy, and was decided due to the presence of the radio in the horn. The authorities then decided to abolish this part of the project.
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