African Wildlife & Environment Issue 81

FAUNA, FLORA & WILDLIFE

1. Eco-tourism is ecologically sustainable tourism with a primary focus on experiencing natural areas that fosters environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation, and conservation. 2. A rhino population is free-ranging if: • Individuals are self-sustaining and live in an extensive wildlife system large enough to meet all its social and ecological requirements. • where the process of natural selection plays a major role. • where they fulfil their natural ecological role in the system. • where no or minimal human intervention is required, except in the form of the provision of water, the supplementation of food during low rainfall (winter) periods and or drought, the control of parasites and the provision of health care; and implementing measures to prevent poaching. • and management is limited to prevent over-population and/or maintaining genetic health.

I would like to encourage everybody to support these sincere initiatives by passionate, committed individuals, who give so much for no personal gain. They look at the bigger picture and through practical interventions and representations, are making a dramatic difference in trying to save rhino. Let us learn from history and be remembered by future generations for being the people who helped save the rhino (again), rather than being remembered as the people who let the poaching syndicates and corruption get the upper hand and sent our rhinos down the slippery slope of extinction. Just like wilderness, we only have what we have now, once it is gone, it is gone forever!

Bryan Havemann General Manager Selati Game Reserve gm@selatigamereserve.co.za

38 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 81 (2022)