We should not be posting *** sightings

[Frederik]

I see that Nedret Saidova, SANParks E-Business Manager, requests forumites not to give the location when reporting on *** sights. It makes good sense.
What about the "yesterday", "today" sighting boards in restcamps? Shouldn't rhinos be removed from those as well, as a precautionary step?

[Sprocky]

This is a sad state of affairs. I must however agree, don't disclose their location. When posting pics also make sure that there are no give away landmarks in the pic. This has gone too far!!!!

[Imberbe]

The chance of poachers using sightings boards to get information on *** is remote. Firstly, those boards are notoriously inaccurate and very in precise. Secondly, poaching on a public road is not really the modus operandi of the poachers.

The really professional and problematic poachers are bush wise people who go in under cover of night and spend time in the bush, tracking their quarry, without vehicles and without being seen. They know the habitat preferences, and where to find the animals.

Yes, the odd chancer may come in and take a pot shot if he meets a ***, but they are not really the big problem at the moment.

[schumi786]

Who agree's that forum members should not post *** sightings .
What if that is helping poachers find the ***.

Even in the parks sighting board the *** markers should be taken away.
People who are frequent visitors to the park know were to find the animals.

[DuQues]

You may not have noticed, but the guys in the field, like Martie and Lourens, already make the sightings obscure.
When moderators see recent sightings in posts they are edited so the location(s) are not clear.

[MATTHYS]

SANParks do , Schumi
Not the sightings specifically but :

Dear forumites,

In your trip reports and general input on the forums, please do not refer to rhinos or other endangered species if the info gives their possible location away. Your post may contribute to putting these animals at risk.

Please respect the sensitivity of this subject, and help us raise awareness in this regard.

[ross hawkins]

I agree with the sighting not having a location.

Where I am working the guides are in radio contact for all Big 5 sightings, except all ***.
This is to ensure that should anyone be listening on the outside to the radio chatter that the location is not revealed of any ***.
There are some individuals (***) which can be found in the same area on a regular basis and any constant mention of these animals will just point any prospective poacher in the right direction.

Should anyone mention *** over the radio they can get into a bit of a dwang.
This is to ensure the safety of all our *** in the park

[DuQues]

Newer members will not know, but remember the little maps at the bottom of the pages with the latest maps? There used to be maps showing last months Big 5 sightings.
Those were removed for the same reasons.

[barcelona]

I am so glad you all have your thinking caps on, and are continuing to take the safety of the animals above all else. Hats off to you all!

[Rookie2009]

There are lot of other posts, for example the daily sightings around the BnD area of the guides or from ecojunkie - but i think that this rhinos next to the camps, the wecams or the gates are not the endangered ones

The only time I give specific location is when they are at the Matjulu waterhole or the open area near the gate......and everyone knows they can be found there very frequently anyway. Otherwise I try to be a bit circumspect. Unfortunately our routes are also a bit limited here too!

It was absolutely no reproach ecojunkie, it's no mystery that there are rhinos around matjulu waterhole and everyone knows that, but as i mentioned - these rhinos are not the endangered ones. Don't think that poachers
try to catch them next to tar roads, gates..... So please go on writing about your sightings

[Elsa]

Do we really think that not talking about it or not putting pins up on the boards is going to make it more difficult for these guys, the whole point of these guys is they are professionals and don't need these aids at all.

Groovy, I agree with you in principal but my point was, if we are going to adhere to Sanparks request, then again, surely it needs to be implemented from their side as well as from ours, otherwise what is the point?

[bambazonke]

Black *** are probably the most critical, low breeding levels plus the ever present threat of POACHERS, whites also under threat, also Cheetah, Wild Dogs, Sable. Roan I believe come under the heading of rare.
Lion, Leopard, Elephants and AWC's also appear on the list, as do a whole lot of other flora and fauna including baobabs, but most people are looking for the Big 5 of which 4 appear on the list, so perhaps a general posting rather a specific location for Cheetah, (Wild Dogs etc and yes they can and do cover a fair territorial area, so they can be here today and gone tomorrow).

Perhaps the MOD's can clarify what we are allowed to post under the rules of endangered species or put it on the top of the page with the headers like FAQ's??

[Bushmom]

Hi Bambazonka
except for the ***'s (white) please keep on posting locations.
Only *** used for fancy hocus-pocus meds at the moment.

Isn't the poaching limited to white *** because the black *** is scarcer and more skittish?

[DuQues]

so I think that stopping posting *** sightings will not have any impact on poachers or the main people running these syndicates.

It may indeed not, but why take chances?
If simply leaving out or generalizing the location helps even just 1 *** it will have served its purpose.
It's the same for Pel's, nesting sites are not to be disclosed.
And it seems to help.

[Elsa]

Seems to me its a matter of courtesy. SANParks have asked us, politely, not to do it so don't do it.

Exactly, which is why I was querying the fact that they have not removed the *** pins from all the sightings boards at the camps and picnic sites, (well in Feb they hadn't anyway.)

Maybe the poachers don't heed those or our reported sightings but can we afford to take the chance?
how simple is it to remove the pins and put a little explanation there as to the reasons.
At the very least it makes the public out there aware of how serious and dire the situation.