EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Mom & Calf:  Promise of a
a New Year of Conservation

White Rhinoceros, Female with Young (Ceratotherium simum)
Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya

Explanation:  Dozing in the central African sun are this mother white rhinoceros and her young of the year.  White rhinos, also called square-lipped rhinoceros, were once widespread in Africa, but have been persecuted for their horns and for trophies.

Intensive conservation efforts in South Africa spurred recovery of the species, which is doing well at Lake Nakuru, as seen here, and also in several other of the Rift Valley lakes and national parks in Kenya.  

However, conservation of these amazing animals requires constant vigilance and protection, as they are continually sought after by poachers.  

As our fragile globe spins once again around its local star and we enter a new year, let it also be a renewal of that vigilance, to protect and restore today's biodiversity for tomorrow's generations. 

Happy New Year to all of us, on this magic & delicate planet.