2000 rhino 7 day12/11/2023 ![]() We’re thankful, at least, that the overall trajectory for rhino poaching in South Africa remains on its downward trend. Unfortunately, this meant that as those restrictions started to lift, criminal syndicates started to seize their opportunities to find rhinos again, causing poaching to increase by 13% since 2020. As lockdowns were in force across the world, and in particular, curfew laws in place in South Africa, it would have been much harder for poachers to get into a reserve to kill a rhino and then smuggle its horn out of the country, without being noticed. It’s likely that this change was due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, rhino poaching increased in South Africa for the first time in six years. Thankfully, it’s still a decline, but with a rhino poached in the country every 20 hours, it’s not time for celebration. In 2022, 448 rhinos were killed in South Africa, a decrease of three compared to 2021. The latest poaching numbers from South Africa South Africa holds the majority of the world’s rhinos and has been the country hit hardest by poaching criminals, with more than 1,000 rhinos killed each year between 20. Yet, at least one rhino is still killed every day: there is a lot more that we must do. Thankfully, poaching numbers have decreased across the continent since the peak of 1,349 in 2015. The current rhino poaching crisis began in 2008, with increasing numbers of rhino killed for their horn throughout Africa until 2015. Pregnane metabolites were reliable indicators of the corpus luteum and pregnancy, whereas fecal 17-oxo-androstanes and estrogens were indicators of the follicular phase.*The 20 African-wide poaching figure is estimate based on most recent news reports (these have not been officially released for all countries). In conclusion, estrous cycle and pregnancy in Indian rhinoceroses can be monitored using fecal steroid analysis. Postpartum fecal estrogen and 17-oxo-androstane concentrations in one animal indicated follicular development comparable to the follicular phase of the estrous cycle, but this was not followed by a subsequent luteal phase. Concentrations of a peak with an elution profile similar to that of pregnanediol increased as pregnancy progressed. HPLC separation of immunoreactive fecal metabolites indicated the presence of estrone, estradiol-17beta, and several 17-oxo-androstanes, 20 alpha-OH-pregnanes, and 20-oxo-pregnanes. Pregnane levels increased from the 3rd month of gestation onward and levels exceeded luteal phase concentrations approximately 10 times by the 7th month of gestation onward. The length of the diestrus, indicated by basal steroid levels between declining 20-oxo-pregnanes and subsequently increasing estrogens, was 11.4 +/- 1.2 days. ![]() ![]() Fecal pregnane values were already increasing while follicular estrogen values were still decreasing. Estrous cycles were regular throughout the year, with an average cycle length of 43.4 +/- 1.5 (n = 27) days the length of the follicular phase, as indicated by elevated estrogen levels, was 15.9 +/- 1.0 days, whereas the luteal phase, as indicated by elevated 20-oxo-pregnane levels, was 19.1 +/- 0.4 days. Progesterone metabolites were also reliable indicators of pregnancy, whereas 17-oxo-androstanes and estrogens were basal throughout gestation. Androgens and estrogens were found to be reliable indicators of the follicular phase, whereas 20 alpha-OH- and 20-oxo-pregnanes were reliable indicators of luteal function. Antibodies used were raised against pregnanediol (20 alpha-OH-pregnanes), 20-oxo-pregnanes, epiandrosterone (17-oxo-androstanes), and total estrogens. Enzyme immunoassays for fecal progesterone, androgen, and estrogen metabolites, respectively, were tested for their ability to determine follicular and luteal phases and to characterize endocrine profiles during pregnancy. Fecal samples were collected 1-3 times per week from nonpregnant and pregnant captive females (n = 7). This investigation aimed to establish noninvasive methods for endocrine monitoring of estrous cycles and pregnancy in the Indian rhinoceros. ![]()
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