2022/04/05, 11:07 - Gary Bauer: Does anyone have an image and explanation for numbering of rhino by ear-notching. Am in a discussion with someone and would like some documented back up please? 2022/04/05, 11:13 - Bossie Boshoff : There are 3 different systems in use in the Lowveld: 2022/04/05, 11:15 - Jacques O'Dell: And another... 2022/04/05, 11:22 - Gary Bauer: Can colleagues reply with which numbering method they prefer using? Now I understand why the discussion I am having is going in circles. 2022/04/05, 11:24 - Dave Cooper: This is the system used in KZN. In spite of not being able to illustrate # 8, we prefer to minimise the number of notches. We also went away from punching holes as too many torn ears result due to dense thorn thickets. 2022/04/05, 11:24 - Bossie Bosman : The interesting thing is when one farmer with a certain system buys an animal from a farm with another system and it ends up being a double number now on the buyer farm when it is both about the same sex and same age animals. 2022/04/05, 11:32 - Gary Bauer: Thanks very much Dave. Makes sense...wished someone would standardise this nationally to avoid issues I have had now and those alluded to by Bossie. On a much sadder note, the way things are going, we could probably do away with 100 and 200 notches in the net year or 2. 2022/04/05, 11:34 - Dave Cooper: Sad but true. Am now nervous to get airborne as new carcasses are cropping up everywhere. Not even the vultures are keeping up! 2022/04/05, 11:34 - Theuns Smit: Oh this always causes drama. 2022/04/05, 11:37 - Bossie Boshoff : In Greater Kruger parts where I help, numbering is no longer used. Only a set notching to ID where animal was done is used. One notch on the right and one notch on left ear on same place for all animals done in specific areas. 2022/04/05, 11:44 - HO Reuter: I find specific numbered ear-notching very useful, especially in sub-adult / young adult and dehorned rhino. Generally I find it reasonably easy, by adding notches (shape of notches) if needed, to add animals from different numbered notching systems, without causing too much confusion or drama. 2022/04/05, 11:53 - Mike Toft : Hi all. I agree with Dave, the "limited" version of ear notching is used on all our major reserves in KZN. It is purely a management tool and is no use as a legal identification system. DNA and/or microchips are for that purpose. I agree with HO - just add another notch if there is a duplication. Given the finite number inherent in the system, there will always be a duplicate somewhere. 2022/04/05, 12:06 - Michelle Otto: I think it depends on the number of rhino present at the location as well as the choice of using as few notches as possible on the actual ears to represent the number We use this one. If it occurs that we relocate rhino that are already notched into a population that already has a rhino with the same notch and there isn't another notch available that we can change the existing one to, then we just add a double 1 or 2 etc. notch Something like this. JW Eksteen: 5 April 2022 I keep all notches, including rhino, according to the standard bovine method, so no confusion. I must however admit in rhinos the 50 and 5 can be challenging. 2022/04/05, 22:49 - Hendrik Hansen: I use the same system as JW. 2022/04/06, 04:30 - Pierre Nel: Free State Provincial Government uses the same as JW. 2022/04/06, 05:08 - Erik Verryne: We also use the 1124 system in Botswana as in Bossie's second photo and similar to the Zimbabwe black rhino system. We duplicate numbers for males and females, as it only goes up to 388. Until 2013, we had all rhinos on one national Central register - this was as part of my masters dissertation. Identification is purely for management purposes, especially familial relationships. The ears are the first to be eaten by hyenas, so we add a microchip number. 2022/04/06, 06:49 - Willem Burger:
