Rhinos just love rolling in the mud and due to the unsually high rainfall in Zimbabwe during December there was plenty of mud around. What you see are the the remains of a termite mound which when Carla isn't rolling in it, she is eating it. The call of the Woodland Kingfisheris the musical accompaniment with backing from the Cape Turtle Dovewhich sounds like it's saying 'work harder, work harder'.
Lin Barrie lives at Senuko which is part of the Save (pronounced sar vay) Valley Conservancy in eastern Zimbabwe. The conservancy is dedicated to the protection of animals such as the Black Rhino and the African Hunting Dog, also known as the Wild Dog and the Painted Dog.
For the past 10 years Lin had worked with and studied these highly fascinating and socially complex African Wild Dogs, Lycaon pictus, which are breeding and thriving in the conservancy.
Lin works only from nature, directly creating large works of oil on canvas or oil on handmade paper from her own field sketches. Abstract movement and colour are paramount in her work, whether the subjects are the Wild Dogs, other animals or landscapes.
She has had successful exhibitions in Zimbabwe, South Africa, UK and USA.
Wild Dogs 'Deliberation' 130 cm x 100 cm and Wild Dogs 'Where to from here' 152 cm x by 74 cm. These paintings available at Senuko and prices are about 3000 US dollars each. For more information contact Lin at linb@senuko.com
Black rhino 130 cm x 200 cm, White rhino (one with the wide mouth) 130 cm x 200 cm. These paintings are available at Senuko and prices are about 3000 US dollars each. Contact Lin at linb@senuko.com
Black Rhino Orphans are Friends
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An update on the two orhan rhino calves in Zimbabwe.
Carla and Lisa Maria are both out and roaming around. As Lisa Maria's leg is healing quickly she has been let out of her small enclosure. Since putting them together, Carla's whole personality has changed - she is now very quiet and wants no attention. Lisa Maria has such a gentle nature. They stick to each other like glue - HAVE to eat from the same bush, sleep just about on top of each other, have mud baths together, but still want the hugs and kisses after their evening feeds.
How different Carla looks now to when she first arrived - see post dated November 10, 2007.
Black Rhinos Breeding Successfully
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January 3, 2008
It's always a great day when a black rhino is born. In 1972 there were about 65,000 in Africa, today little more than 3,000.
Ulemule is a very successful breeder and I am told her name reflects her attractiveness - like Huba-Huba! Her daughter in this photo is Serina. Ulemule is about to give birth again - usually a month or so before birth the cow will look a bit light in weight over the top and looking at her now she is big in the belly but boney on top. Stay tuned......
Ulemule's older daughter, six year old Sinikwe, had her first calf about October 2007 and it was first sighted by the monitors on 3 January, the day both these photos were taken. Not a great view of the new calf as new mother Sinikwe was very protective.
If a cow gives birth at six years it is a good indication that the breeding population is healthy. In overstocked populations cows may not produce their first calf until they are 8-10 years old. Gestation for a black rhino is 15 months and 16 months for a white rhino. In healthy breeding herds the average time between calves is two and a half years although some breeding cows can reproduce again in 26 months.
Thanks to everyone involved with rhinos at Bubiana in the south east Lowveld of Zimbabwe for this information. Your assistance is much appreciated. To learn more visit http://www.rhino-sadc.org/
Orphaned Genets Growing Quickly
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December 31, 2007
When I first saw these orphaned genets in late November, see post below dated 29 November, one would fit in my hand. They seemed so tiny and now a month later they are fit and healthy and have all but trebled in size since arriving at the Tikki Hywood Trustin Harare two months ago.
This is due to the wonderful care provided by Lisa and Ellen. 'Dior' is the extrovert on Ellen's hand and the shy one, 'Coco' is hiding behind.
I heard Bryce Courtney, the author of 'The Power of One' speak about the 'big sky' in Africa, well here is the 'big moon'. After a relaxing sunset, this rising moon was so enormous as it peeped above the trees I couldn't stop staring at it. The immense beauty of mother nature and the stillness of the moment was so peaceful.
The Chilojo cliffs in Gonarezhou National Parkare breathtakingly beautiful. With several lodges in the area, they are easily accessible and you must camp beside the river. For information on Senuko, Mahenye and Chilo lodges email ilala@zol.co.zw
Imagine relaxing on the bank of this river with good friends, good wine and watching the rays of sunlight dance upon the cliffs at day's end.
Injured Rhino Calf Doing Well
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December 20, 2007
This year old rhino calf, Lisa Maria, has a snare wound to one of her back legs. The wire snare was removed mid November and since then the wound has been treated daily and is healing nicely. Caring for her during December is an experience I will always treasure. Many thanks to the Save Foundation of Australia for funding her care and also to everyone directly involved with her care.
Black Rhino Carla is an Artist
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December 18, 2007
Carla loved to roll in the mud and due to the very wet, wet season she had plenty to roll in. Then she would create her works of art on my ute/pick up.
In December I was asked to assist with the care of two black rhino calves in Zimbabwe for 17 days. It was the most wonderful experience to be so close to these animals. Each drank up to 30 litres of milk a day so there were lots of bottles to prepare and wash. This is Carla and each afternoon whe would go for a walk with William to collect browse which is a necessary part of the rhinos' diet.
Thanks to the dedication of Ellen and Lisa at the Tikki Hywood Trust and vets Lisa and Keith (as pictured), Frodo the serval is improving daily. After a major operation to save his leg in early October it is a miracle he is still with us - see October 14 post for details. He has moved to new lodgings near the vets' house and is enjoying his rest and relaxation.
In early November two orphaned genets were found on a farm and delivered to the Tikki Hywood Trust in Harare. Both the male and the female were dehydrated and had streaks of blood on their fur from birth. They each weighed less than 100g and were not more than a few days old. They were put onto a glucose solution immediately to boost their energy levels and to rehydrate them. All the genets the Trust receives are to be named after perfume houses. The tiny orphan feeding is 'Coco'. Pictured right are 'Coco' feeding and 'Dior' on the 29 November, almost a month after being orphaned.
Carla Orphaned Rhino in Zimbabwe
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November 28, 2007
An update on Carla from the November 10 post below. She is doing well and has the most wonderful nature. As the plan stands today, as of Wednesday, I will be helping with her care and another orphaned youngster with a nasty leg wound.
Many thanks to the Save Foundation of Australia for funding the food for these darlings for without your support it wouldn't be possible. Thank you.
Poachers Kill Three Black Rhino at Imire in Zimbabwe
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November 12, 2007
Wednesday 7 November.
Alive in May, Dehorned in July, Dead in November.
Poachers armed with AK47 rifles shot dead three black rhinoceroses - a species listed as the most highly endangered large mammal on Earth - on a private conservancy . Owner John Travers said the poachers evaded the armed guards surrounding the rhino at the Imire game park about 100km east of Harare and shot dead two females and a male, but left a four-week-old calf unharmed. One of the cows was two weeks away from giving birth.
He said the three animals had had their horns sawn off by wildlife veterinarians a few months ago, a tactic used with some success to deter poachers. The decision to dehorn them was taken when poachers attacked another conservancy outside Harare and shot dead three white rhino. "My assumption is that these guys were after the horns but it was dark and they couldn't see that they didn't have horns," he said.
The three were among the hundreds of black rhino rescued from the Zambezi Valley during "Operation Stronghold", a semi-military operation to fight off the poachers, and came to Imire in 1985, where they became the stock for a scientific breeding programme to build up their numbers again.
Zimbabwe in the 1980s had the largest population in Africa of black rhino, about 7 500, but a wave of poaching all over Africa - driven by demand for the horn in the Far East as a cure for fevers and a sexual stimulant and in Yemen where it was used for dagger handles - decimated the population, including Zimbabwe's. According to biologists the horn is composed of tightly compacted hair fibres, and has no other pharmacological properties.
About 1 500 of the surviving population were captured in the Zambezi Valley on Zimbabwe's northern border and taken to apparent safety in national game parks and conservancies in the interior of the country. About 500 are still left, according to wildlife experts, but they have come under increasing pressure this year.
This is an edited version from The Mail & Guardian (SA), 9 November 2007
Black Rhino Calf Rescued After Mother Shot
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November 10, 2007
Meet Carla, a black rhino calf orphaned on September 1, 2007, when her mother was shot dead by poachers for her horn. Carla was shot high through the shoulders by poachers who then tried to cut off her tiny horn while she was still alive but luckily she escaped. The six-month-old calf was found by Chiredzi River Conservancy staff who treated her injuries and are now caring for her.
In early November two orphaned 
