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THE DURBAN NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUM VOLUME 15. 2012 / 13 RHINOS POACHED IN 2012 We report on the rapidly diminishing rhino population and what action we must take 668 to save these magnificent creatures. A museum about the earth, its history and life on earth, both past and present. thola VOLUME 15. 2012 / 13 4 Director’s Report Letter from 8 Past, Present and Future the Editor 12 Spot the Difference 14 The Butterfly Effect welcome 18 Mammalogy Department 2012 was another busy and productive year 26 Conserving our Future for the Museum and you can read about the highlights from our various departments in 29 Palaeontology Department the following pages. 30 Ornithology Department You’ll find a report on the anti-rhino poaching display that our exhibitions 36 Exhibitions Department team put together – proof, if any were needed, of the Museum’s ongoing role in the preservation of our natural heritage. There are some wonderful 38 Entomology Department first-person accounts from our staff about the work they do – such as David Allan’s adventures among the vultures and Leigh Richard’s field trip 42 The Killing Fields expeditions. Also, look out for interesting articles on Conservancies and the new online site – iSpot.org.za – where you can upload photos of any 46 Education Department plants or animals that you would like identified. 48 Herpetology Department 2012 was also a great year for this publication: I am proud to announce that the Museum was the winner of Division A in the South African 51 Library Department Museums Association 2012 Publication Design Awards for the 2011 edition of Thola (Vol 14, 2011/12). This award was received by our director, 52 Volunteer Programme Allison Ruiters, at the South African Museums Association conference in November. It is a tribute to the passion, dedication and enthusiasm of all 55 Museum Diary our staff which makes our Museum the special place it is to work. We always look forward to hearing from our readers and receiving feedback. Please email me and keep in touch. We wish you all a wonderful year. Happy reading, and thank you for all the ongoing support for our proud institution! Till next year, happy reading! Thola Magazine is published by: The Durban Natural Science Museum Kirstin Williams P. O. Box 4085, Durban, South Africa 4000 [email protected] 165 Anton Lembede Street, Durban, South Africa 4001 Tel: +27 31 311 2256. Fax: +27 31 311 2242 Director: Allison Ruiters Editor: Kirstin Williams All material is copyright protected and Design and Layout: Science™ may not be reproduced either in whole or in part without the prior written The editors wish to extend a special thanks to Emil von Maltitz permission of the publisher. The views for donating his photographic expertise and opinions expressed in the magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the Durban Natural Science Museum Trust publisher or editor, who reserve the Thola is a non-profit educational magazine and any financial right to amend articles. Whilst every contributions to the Durban Natural Science Trust are welcomed. care has been taken to ensure accuracy of information, the publisher and editor Mr David R. Bennett (Chairman) cannot be held responsible for any errors Mr David G. Allan (Secretary/Treasurer), or views expressed. Readers are invited to Mrs Nicky F. Armstrong, Mrs Marilyn N. Bodasing, express their views to the editor. Mr B. Themba T. Mathe, Mr Thembinkosi N. Ngcobo © Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. 4 Director’s Report (Photos: Maltitz) von Emil Allison Ruiters People. Planet. Profit. A life-size replica of a rhino sponsored by the eThekwini Municipality was commissioned by the eThekwini Community Foundation to highlight the plight of the rhino and pay tribute to the creativity of our community artists and crafters. Yenza, meaning “Do it!” in isiZulu, was created for permanent display and is testament to the remarkable talent that can be found locally. Decorated with traditional beadwork and telephone wire as well as decoupage and mosaics from recycled and upcycled corporate waste, Yenza is a perfect example of an innovative collaboration that celebrates our creativity, our natural resources, our people and our planet. thola: VOLUME 15. 2012/13 5 Director’s report: Allison Ruiters “We all have a role to play in safeguarding, promoting and reflecting on our collective and common heritage, and this is the key to achieving dialogue, sustainable development and social cohesion.” - Allison Ruiters Our role as museums is multifaceted: as the principal custodians of our national material heritage, museums collect. We preserve and study what we collect and we share both the collections and the knowledge from these collections. These are the corner-stone functions of museums, the common base upon which all rest - art or science, large or small, national or municipal, public or private. ur galleries are a façade which sometimes give an inaccurate account of all that we do and can do. And some museums are stillO locked in the colonial era, where these were establishments that merely collect and display. However, our relevance as museums goes beyond this. This public space is a prime location that needs to be utilised optimally and we must go beyond simply presenting general information to our patrons about a range of different species; species that some of them will only ever see in a museum. We are obliged as heritage practitioners to link our heritage to what is current, to make ourselves and the information that we present more relevant to our visitors. We have taken the plight of the rhino beyond the odd media development of this exhibition, we were on display in perpetuity, secure in the faced with two choices: remove the horns knowledge that we will fight to the death to excerpt that the and replace them with replicas, or keep the guarantee its place in the public eye. average citizen may authentic horns in the public galleries. We are first and foremost heritage My gut reaction as Director of the Museum, professionals, who understand and respect happen across. was to protect my staff and patrons and the value of museums displaying authentic therefore remove our horns from public objects, as well as the scientific value display. However, this would have left us, as a attached to our museum specimens, and Faced with a stark reality that we are at museum, with one less reason for the public therefore we made the decision to keep the war with the rhino poaching syndicates that to visit us; one less authentic treasure to authentic rhino horns on public display. target not only our nature reserves, but also marvel at; one less reason for a “Phillip Tobias- The advantages of this approach are two- museums, our “Stop Rhino Poaching” of-the-future” to feel inspired in our galleries; fold: we continue to meet our core duties of exhibition was a challenge that speaks to the one less reason for a potential donor to give exhibition, education and collections, utilising heart of our core business. In the us something valuable for the public to enjoy the things that are most characteristic of real thola: VOLUME 15. 2012/13 6 Director’s Report museums: the opportunity to be exposed to about the meaningful role that museums can cultural, scientific and educational resource of the authentic items; AND we boldly step play in the development of mutual great value that require conservation and forward to become a high-profile part of the understanding and cooperation through a safeguarding. To achieve this, controls are solution to the rhino poaching crisis. Of shared heritage. The collaborative exhibition required that are characterised by course, with this decision comes great with KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Museum permanence, special knowledge, civic responsibility, and we have done everything Services to mark this occasion depicted the commitment and the observance of ethical possible with all the appropriate experts and perception of our Common Human Identity standards accepted internationally by the role-players to minimise these risks. It was in this light that the DNSM launched the “Stop Rhino Poaching” exhibition in The true owners of our collections are the support of the work being done by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife and the other organisations citizens of Durban, as well as future affiliated to Project Rhino. We have access to hundreds of thousands of visitors to our generations of citizens. These collections of site, as well as millions of citizens through our network of Municipal sites. Realising this, specimens are not only part of the City but also we have taken the plight of the rhino beyond the odd media excerpt that the average part of the national treasure. citizen may happen across, and have placed this crisis into the spaces that they use regularly, in the form of rotating exhibitions as a fascinating journey through our shared world community of museums. Because of in our Libraries and Sizakala Centres. heritage through various media, illustrating the moral and legal obligations to donors and 2012 marked the 35th anniversary of that our museums are using the past to build the principal responsibility of museums International Museum Day, and it was apt and shape their future. towards their collections, every effort must that this was also named the year of heritage Our collections are a vital source of be made to ensure their preservation and by our President. With the theme “Museums evidence that scientists, both locally and unity. The addition of the very first mammal in a Changing World. New Challenges, New internationally, use to understand the world type specimens of four recently discovered Inspirations.”, we are called to demonstrate around us and drive solutions to basic human horseshoe bats to our collections, thanks to how our spaces are important centres for needs.