one of the most impressive inhabitants of the African Savannah of the black Rhino, which engages the Feed with its finger-shaped upper lip, leaves and branches. Prior to full-grown specimens, often more than a ton heavy, and with powerful horns equipped, have self-hungry lion respect. The rhinos have the distinctive nasal horns, however, are still fatal. Although they are made of the same Material as hair and finger nails, in East Asia there is a persistent Belief in a healing or potency-enhancing effect of the horns. The prices paid are high and make poaching a lucrative business.
The fact that rhinos since time immemorial, a tempting hunting prey, has a special relationship with the red-Abel-let the made hacker (Buphagus erythrorynchus) arise. These birds from the relationship of the Stare as the guards useful, to have Roan David Plotz from the Victoria University in Melbourne, and Wayne L. Linklater of the California State University in Sacramento discovered. Your observations confirm that the made hacker rightly carries the name “Askari wa length”, that means “guard of the Rhino”,. So the bird that picks ticks and other parasites from the skin of large ungulates means that in Swahili, an East African language widely used. For the free state research in the framework of his PhD thesis, traveled Plotz in the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal.
made hacker alert Rhinos
This national Park is home to one of the two South African black Rhino populations that survived the unbridled hunting on the Horn in the twentieth century. Of the two – to three-hundred rhinos, who are currently living there still, almost all can be identified by notches in their ears individually. Some of the animals in one of its horns is also a small transmitter that can be reliable places.
In the experiments, in which the Ranger Bom Ndwandwe approached each of a rhinoceros, was the site always so clear that the man was able to keep the selected animal is constantly in the eye. If not made hackers were present, came Ndwandwe, usually to less than 30 meters before him, the Rhino noticed, if at all. Like Plotz and Linklater, in the journal “Current Biology” reports, noted three-quarters of the rhinoceros, apparently, still nothing, as the Ranger safety-pulled half-back. Made hackers, however, were present, it was discovered the uninvited visitor but, in any case. The more numerous the birds were, the earlier the rhinos responded.
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The average of the distance to the animal was approximately 60 meters, and in one case even 110 meters, as the made hackers launched their cry of alarm. Prompt the Rhino straightened up alert. It turned his head but never to the Ranger, the approached transverse to the direction of the wind. Almost always, the rhinoceros turned in the direction of the wind. This is quite reasonable because hunters maintain against the Wind anzupirschen, so that the Wild can’t smell it. Most of the rhinos remained attentive, some ventured even a few steps forward, a possible attacker is the opposite. Other made on the spot returns, and sought in haste their salvation in the escape.
warning calls increased chance of Survival of the pachyderms
This scientist were able to confirm anecdotal accounts of hunters: Feathered guardian to help the rhinos to escape from their human pursuers. Plotz is believed that more than forty percent of the animals wore a transmitter, have been warned of the made hackers so early that you were able to make undetected from the dust. In the case of rhinos without transmitter the watchful birds were encountered much less frequently than in the case of Rhino with a transmitter, whose owner settled with a suitable antenna tracking.
According to the assessment of Plotz and Linklater, the red-easily portable-made hack only less than 50,000 years, your job as a security guard taken. As in the stone age, savvy hunters in rhinos pre-trust, it was liable for these military animals are dangerous. First of all, with powerful spears thrown, and later with guns, man has influenced the Evolution: If a Rhino is heard on the Wake-up call alert made hacker, and increased his chances of Survival. To bind the feathery guardian in his price, however. Unlike, for example, Cape Buffalo, rhinos tolerate that the red-Abel-made hacker does to your blood amicably. What he often finds the opportunity, if parasitic thread have settled in worms in the rhinoceros skin.