​This week at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, one of the new additions to the rhino family, Wallis, a Southern White Rhino from South Africa, revealed a harsh reality of what is happening to her species throughout Africa. Wallis has been at the Park for just over a year and since her arrival has been exhibiting a wound that just wouldn’t heal. This week keepers noticed something sticking out of her skin at the site of the wound. Vets were called in and removed a bullet casing! Discovery of the bullet suggests a botched poaching attempt. Based on the angle of the wound, vets speculate that the rhino turned toward her shooter before being shot saving her life but leaving her with a stark reminder of the current plight of her species. 

Park staff tried to determine the extent of the wound and find the lead from the bullet but traditional equipment wasn’t strong enough to penetrate the rhino’s thick skin. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Bomb Squad was called in and using a device used to conduct investigations of explosive devices, they confirmed the presence of a metal fragment (likely the bullet). The next step will be removing the bullet but, in the meantime, the casing will be sent to a forensic lab to be included in investigations to aid in the fight against poaching in Africa.

Today is World Lion Day (RAWR) so to celebrate I am going to share with you a paper recently published by a close colleague of mine, Dr. Laura Bertola, and company. Laura completed her PhD at Universiteit Leiden (that’s in the Netherlands) last year on genetic diversity of the lion focusing on phylogenetic patterns and how populations in West and Central Africa fall in comparison to the rest of the population. 
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​In their recent publication, they “challenge current lion taxonomy” emphasizing the need for rethinking the way we view the species on the population level. To challenge taxonomy means they question how the species is classified or labeled. For the lion, currently there are two officially recognized subspecies (internationally or nationally).

​Based on their phylogeny (the pretty tree looking thing on the right), there is a definite North Group and South Group (similar to the findings in my study). Within each of these groups, they were able to identify regions which could narrows lions down further into 6 populations. So, very basically, they’re saying from these findings they can put a lion into 1 of 6 groups based on these genetic markers.
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First off, what does the fact that she is a blonde, cheerleader from Texas have to do with anything?  Every article has this description in the headline.  I am offended as a blonde, former-cheerleader conservationist living in Texas that they are using those adjectives in such a negative connotation.  Just because you have any one of these things, does not mean you should or should not be a hunter.   Having any one of these things does not define who you are or should be as a person.

Second, from what I have read scanning anti-, pro- and neutral opinion hunting news sources she isn’t recklessly venturing out into the African wilderness shooting every animal in sight (which, by the way, is what Teddy Roosevelt – the “Father of Conservation” – did … but I digress).  Yes, she has shot animals which are considered to be “in danger” or “threatened” (NOT endangered) but she shot these animals in fenced game ranches where, sometimes, animals need to be culled (and the professional hunter who has to accompany her during every trek knows exactly which animals those are).  And she didn’t shoot to kill all of these animals.  Some of them, including a white rhino, were shot with a tranquilizer dart.  The photos of her with those animals aren’t any different than the photos I took during my trip (but I’m not going to have my own TV show so I guess it doesn’t matter as much).

Here are some important things most “animal lovers” don’t grasp about hunters:

• Hunt all the animals = no hunting at all so it’s the absolute last thing a RESPONSIBLE hunter would do (sure, there are always exceptions…but that goes for everything so don’t let the bad egg sway your opinion of them all)
• Hunters give more money to conservation than animal rights activists.  Hunting is an expensive sport.  Hunting in Africa is a REALLY expensive sport.  To be a hunter from the US in Africa, you have to have lots of disposable income.   And most hunters don’t just spend it on hunting but donate gobs of their excess cash back to conservation efforts to ensure they can still have majestic animals to hunt in Africa.  In fact, my research, which is 100% conservation-based, is funded primarily by hunters and I am eternally grateful for their generosity.
  

While it may be my third time on the continent, I will be experiencing it like I never have before.  My first time in Africa I was a tourist.  The second time I was a researcher.  Now I will be a student, partaking in an in-depth course on the various aspects of different chemical preparations and their use in wildlife.  Basically, I’m going to become an expert in how to dart and delouse.  Past participants in this program have had the opportunity to wrangle crocodiles, dehorn rhino as an anti-poaching precaution, treat sick and injured wildlife including wild dogs and lions, and take part in the translocation of Cape Buffalo.  I’ve had a lot of hands-on experience having worked at multiple zoos and the Cheetah Conservation Fund but nothing like this.  I am lucky enough to be going on the TAMU Continued Education trip with practicing vets as opposed to the study abroad trip with students.  I’m essentially going to get to be an honorary veterinarian for two weeks (of course with lots of help from the trained professionals).

I am super excited for this trip.  This program is a hands on opportunity to learn field methods no one can learn in a classroom but are incredibly important to know if I want to do field research in the future.  Knowledge of the chemicals used for wildlife tranquilization and capture and how tissue and blood samples are obtained in various capture methods is beneficial for the development of accurate and efficient laboratory protocols needed to process samples.  So, while my initial decision to make this trip was “OMG THAT WOULD BE SO COOL!”; my final decision was based on the fact that it really is an investment to my career.

I always try to find exciting adventures that will enhance my life personally with the added benefit of enhancing it professionally.  This trip will do just that and is totally worth the colossal hit to my bank account!