The poaching of rhinos for their horns has resulted in the loss of many animals. It is particularly sad when pregnant rhinos or mothers with calves are poached. When calves under the age of 12 months are orphaned, they are likely to succumb to predation or starvation. However, according to Professor Leith Meyer, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science's Department of Paraclinical Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP), these orphaned calves have a better chance of survival if they are located and taken to rehabilitation centres where they can be kept and cared for until they are ready to be released back into the wild.
The Department of Paraclinical Sciences, in collaboration with SANParks, Care for Wild, Kaapse Valley Conservancy and Mpumalanga Parks, have initiated a research project with the aim of determining how the rearing conditions and environment of the rehabilitation facility affect the orphaned rhinos' subsequent adaption to their natural habitat. The principal investigator on this project is Dr María Fàbregas, a behavioural ecologist and post-doctoral fellow in the Department. She will be supervised by Prof Meyer and Prof Henk Bertschinger. Numerous other experts in the fields of wildlife veterinary science, epidemiology, endocrinology, ecology and reproduction will be involved. The team will use physical, physiological and behavioural indicators to assess the welfare of the rhino calves during rehabilitation, and will explore how these animals cope once they are released. This study is generously funded by Groupelephant.com, a division of EPI-USE.
Prof Meyer explains that little is currently known about how these animals cope with the rehabilitation process, or how well they adapt once released into the wild. 'Rearing conditions, particularly mother deprivation, can have profound effects later in the life of an animal, potentially affecting their ability to survive, interact with other members of their species, breed, or raise their offspring,' he says. Through scientific research, it is possible to determine which aspects of the rehabilitation process influence the welfare and behaviour of these animals. This information can then be used to adapt rehabilitation programmes accordingly, in order to maximize their success. Prof Meyer concludes: 'If successful, rehabilitated rhinos could form their own healthy, sustainable groups in the wild, or be re-introduced into wild populations. This could be of immense benefit to conservation programmes.'
Visit our brand new Research Matters website to find out more about how researchers at the University of Pretoria are making today matter with other exciting rhino research projects.
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The poaching of rhinos for their horns has resulted in the loss of many animals and it is particularly sad when pregnant rhinos or mothers with calves are poached. When rhino calves under the age of 12 months are orphaned, they are likely to succumb to predation or starvation. However, according to Professor Leith Meyer, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Veterinary Science's Department of Paraclinical Sciences at the University of Pretoria (UP), these orphaned calves have a better chance of survival if they are located and taken to rehabilitation centres where they can be kept and cared for until they are ready to be released back into the wild. Prof Meyer explains that little is currently known about how these animals cope with the rehabilitation process, or how well they adapt once released into the wild. 'Rearing conditions, particularly mother deprivation, can have profound effects later in the life of an animal, potentially affecting their ability to survive, interact with other members of their species, breed, or raise their offspring,' he says.
Through scientific research, it is possible to determine which aspects of the rehabilitation process influence the welfare and behaviour of these animals. This information can then be used to adapt rehabilitation programmes accordingly, in order to maximise their success. Prof Meyer says that if successful, rehabilitated rhinos could form their own healthy, sustainable groups in the wild, or be re-introduced into wild populations, which could be of immense benefit to conservation programmes.
The Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Care for Wild, Kaapse Valley Conservancy and Mpumalanga Parks, have initiated a research project with the aim of determining how the rearing conditions and environment of the rehabilitation facility affect the orphaned rhinos' subsequent adaptation to their natural habitat. The principal investigator on this project is Dr María Fàbregas, a behavioural ecologist and post-doctoral fellow in the Department. She will be supervised by Prof Meyer and Prof Henk Bertschinger. Numerous other experts in the fields of wildlife veterinary science, epidemiology, endocrinology, ecology and reproduction will be involved. The team will use physical, physiological and behavioural indicators to assess the welfare of the rhino calves during rehabilitation, and will explore how these animals cope once they are released. This study is generously funded by Groupelephant.com, a division of EPI-USE.
See related photo in the right sidebar.
Professor Leith Meyer
July 15, 2016
Professor Leith Meyer has been doing research at the University of Pretoria (UP) for 12 years. He completed his undergraduate studies at UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science in 2000, and joined the University of the Witwatersrand in 2003 as a lecturer in physiology. After two years, he was appointed as a research officer in Wits University’s Brain Function Research Group at the School of Physiology. During that time, Prof Meyer became particularly involved in the group’s research on wildlife environmental physiology and the consequences of game capture. In 2010, he obtained a PhD from Wits that focused on the reduction of the side-effects of capture.
Through his research, Prof Meyer aims to improve the welfare and conservation of various wildlife species. Within his academic discipline, he leads research that seeks a better understanding of the physiological consequences of veterinary management procedures, particularly when animals are captured, translocated, reintroduced into a habitat, rehabilitated or anaesthetised.
“Wildlife vets and managers play a key role in conservation programmes; my work helps these professionals to improve the health and welfare of wildlife species when they work with them,” Prof Meyer says. “My primary research interest and focus is to find novel ways of reducing the side-effects of wildlife capture, anaesthesia and translocation to improve animal health and welfare. We are working on several studies involving a number of different wildlife species, with a focus on rhinos.”
A recent highlight of his research was the discovery that one of the key drugs used to dart wildlife, especially rhinos, causes the activation of the animal’s stress pathways. This activation negatively affects these animals by making them hypermetabolic and hinders oxygen from entering their bodies through the lungs.
“We recently started a study to test novel drugs that can block these effects, with initial promising findings,” Prof Meyer explains. “We’re hoping to discover ideal drug combinations that can best prevent these adverse effects and make capture and anaesthesia safer for wildlife.”
He hopes that his work will have a positive impact on conservation, and improve the way in which wildlife vets handle and look after wild animals in the face of rapidly declining biodiversity. The changes in the world are making the conservation of nature challenging, with human interventions becoming more and more important, he adds.
Prof Meyer’s advice to school learners or undergraduates who are interested in his field is to stick to their dreams if they are passionate about becoming a wildlife vet and making a difference.
“It is an exciting and important field to be involved in, but hard work, dedication and commitment are required.”
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