Got some information from Hubert Plankton. He said he would send more info to me in the future fingers crossed...
Hereunder a copy of a letter sent to several specialists, explaining why I/we do not agree with the field mission which lead to the decision you are refering to:
"(...), as Chairman of our Association, I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to reconsider this decision, based on the following points which we understood now that we have received the report itself :
1- The Symbiose/Lagrot team did not cover many important potential rhino sites
1.1 - Map 1 (hereunder, page 2) shows where we (myself up to 2001 and in 2003 or, later, our trackers and volunteers) did confirm indubitable rhino presence during our last missions (light green areas) and where the 2006 mission walked (bold red lines).
1.2 - It seems that, despite our conversations prior to their departure, the Bour-Lagrot team decided to spend a lot of time in places where it was already established that the rhinos had been wiped out. Of course, some could have come back since. But as a result, a very small part of the most interesting areas has been searched.
1.3 - The size of what we consider as being currently the known potential distribution area is about 440,000 hectares (black circles).
2. The Symbiose/Lagrot team did not search effectively for rhino in the areas they covered.
2.1- Area covered.
2.1.1.- The Bour-Lagrot mission and it’s several teams report they walked a total of about 2,500 km.
2.1.2 - Assuming they looked for spoor on each side of the trails they walked, they covered a maximum of 1250 hectares, or less than 0.3% of the key areas.
2.2- Searching efforts.
2.2.1 - Trackers were sent out between late October 2005 and mid June 2006, or approx. 225 days.
During this period, several teams walked a total of 1974 km during 31 field trips which lasted a total of 130 days (or 4 days per trip).
In other words, it is as if there had been on average the equivalent of one single team looking for activity signs 57% of the time only, and walking only about 16.5 km/day when working.
2.2.2 - The Lagrots, leaders, spent 5.5 months, or approx 160 days, in the Northern Province specifically for this purpose.
The supervision teams (potentially 2 to 3 separate teams) walked a total of 527 km, during 10 excursions which lasted a total of 37 days.
This means that more than 3 days out of 4 were spent in a city 150 km away from the field.
When in the field, 90% of the missions lasted less than 4 days, walking 3 to 129 km, or about 14 km/day (or 8 km/day if we exclude the 3 field trips where more or less 100 km walk are reported).
(Interestingly, on one occasion the report mentions almost 40 hours walk per day during 3 days).
2.2.3.- Too much time and money have been spent on microlight flights and camera traps while previous experience had clearly demonstrated that these techniques were not appropriate under local circumstances.
2.2.4 - When I was involved in rhino work in Cameroon, looking for a rhino and finding it meant at least 1 to 2 weeks walking full time far away from roads and villages with outstanding trackers, i.e. 12 hours a day, or over 30 km/day.
3. Association Kilifori teams in Cameroon have, in the last two months, found encouraging signs of recent rhino activity.
3.1 - Since the Bour and Lagrot left, the field can be patrolled again by our volunteers, in close collaboration with the old experienced trackers who used to help me finding the rhinos yearly between 1988 and 2003. Though the rainy season is the worst possible time to walk the bush, we are getting interesting news week after week, mainly from 3 areas : Faro National Park, Makat-Kotape (between Bénoué and Bouba N’Djidda National Parks), and Bouba N’Djidda. Another site South of the Vina river might be worth investigating. It seems there were still rhinos in these places in late 2005, and up to April 2006. We are eager to getting more recent activity signs.
3.2 - As displayed on map 1, some of these areas have been visited by the Bour-Lagrot teams, but a tiny proportion only has been searched. From my 15 years field experience in this areas, only intensive surveys with help of the best old traditional hunters can lead to success.
4. Association Kilifori, in conjunction with WildTrack, intends to undertake a field mission to Cameroon in the next few months to confirm the continued presence of the Cameroon black rhino in accordance with the points above.
4.1 - Given the changed circumstances, the aim is simply to establish the continued presence of the animal, not to undertake a comprehensive survey as we had previously intended.
4.2 - Work would include Ministry officials (mostly excluded from the Bour-Lagrot work), experienced trackers, and four among our most motivated, experienced and trained field staff with myself as full time supervisor.
4.3 - Map 2 (hereunder, page 3) shows the places where the last successful efforts were made by Mike Kock (1) (red areas), and ourselves, and where we think efforts should be concentrated now (black circles).
5. Backing and assistance from Cameroon’s Government
5.1 - We always kept contact with senior Government official. It seems they have not been part of the last survey, nor even informed at all by progress reports.
5.2 - The news that the D. b. longipes might have gone extinct is a serious matter for them. Firstly because it would be a huge loss to biodiversity as this sub species is unique and genetically far away from the others. Also because a short survey conducted on a tiny part of the known recent habitat by non experienced persons should not lead the international community and the AfRSG to declare the sub species as extinct.
5.3 - Cameroon Government is in the process of thinking/deciding how to help a sound survey to be designed, funded and implemented ASAP.
Association Kilifori greatly appreciates your continued patience in this difficult situation, and asks that you kindly consider one last attempt at this critical time to prove the continued existence of the Cameroon black rhino. Hundreds of thousands of USD have been spent by various agencies and field teams on the 'rescuing' of this sub-species in the last decades, to little effect, and we believe strongly that the Symbiose/Lagrot census is flawed.
However, if your decision is irrevocable we will respect this and ask our teams in Cameroon to stop their work and send us an update of the accountability. We will then send you the balance of funding with a final report as requested.
Yours sincerely
Hubert Planton
(1) KOCK (Mike), 2001 – WWF Cameroon Black Rhino location and identification project. Project ref CM0041.01. Final report. (35 pp)"
