Francesco Nardelli

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Francesco Romano Nardelli (born 5 September 1953 in Rome, Italy, where he currently lives) is an Italian naturalist who has dedicated his life to the protection and conservation of endangered species. He is also the co-founder, with John Aspinall, of the Sumatran Rhino Project, [1] one of the most important coordinated efforts to save a critically endangered species. [2]

Contents

Career

Early career

In 1972 Nardelli established the private Wild Felids Breeding Centre near Rome where he successfully bred in captivity several threatened species including the red-shanked douc langur Pygathrix nemaeus, the snow leopard Uncia uncia, and the clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, all the first ever bred in Italy.

In 1980 he moved to England where he became Curator of Howletts and Port Lympne Zoo, John Aspinall’s Zoos in Kent. There he was curator of several breeding programmes including the African elephant Loxodonta africana, (first ever bred in UK), western lowland gorilla Gorilla g. gorilla, siamang Symphalangus syndactylus, red-shanked douc langur Pygathrix nemaeus surili langurs Presbytis sp. clouded leopard Neofelis nebulosa, and snow leopard Uncia uncia.

Sumatran Rhino Project

In 1982 he conceived of and directed the Sumatran Rhino Project , the first international program for the conservation of the Sumatran rhino Dicerorhinus sumatrensis. That project was and remains a collaborative effort involving – for the first time – national governments, local agencies, European and Asian conservation centres and international zoological institutions to save this species from extinction. [3]

Under Nardelli's leadership, the Indonesian Government, Howletts and Port Lympne Zoo , the Cincinnati, San Diego, New York and Los Angeles zoos all played a crucial role in the success of the project. This plan is continuing under the Department of Forest Protection and Nature Conservation of the Indonesian Government assisted by the UK based Save the Rhino International, the US’s International Rhino Foundation and other agencies.

The project resulted in the Indonesian government's signature of a rhino conservation agreement in 1985, the first time Jakarta has signed such an agreement and decided to participate in a coordinated international programme for the protection of an endangered species. Today the Sumatran rhino has a scattered population of around 300 individuals in the wild. Another legacy of the Sumatran Rhino Project is that several conservation agencies in Europe and North America are committed to save these very few surviving animals.

Among other success stories related to this programme is the birth in captivity of three calves of Sumatran rhinos [4] at the Cincinnati Zoo: on 13 September 2001. Andalas, [5] a male, was the first of his species born in captivity since 1889 . [6] His mother, Emi, has since had two more calves in Cincinnati: a female, Suci, born in 2004 and a male, Harapan, born in 2007. "Ten years ago many people were skeptical claiming this species would never breed in a zoo. Yet today, the Cincinnati Zoo is world-renowned for being the only place in the world this species is breeding successfully in captivity," said Dr Terri Roth, Vice President of Conservation, Science and Living Collections at the Cincinnati Zoo. On 29 April 2007 Emi became the first Sumatran rhino in history to produce three calves in captivity, breaking her very own record. [7]

Yayasan Badak Indonesia

In 1987 he co-founded the Yayasan Badak Indonesia (Indonesian Rhino Foundation) in Jakarta, a non profit organization for the long term conservation of rhinos in South-East Asia and is a patron of Save the Rhino, since 2003. [8]

Today

Today Francesco Nardelli collaborates with Save the Rhino International and IUCN/SSC Asian Rhino Specialist Group on projects for the protection of Indonesian rhinos and promotes several conservation projects in Italy and abroad. His work with wild mammals, in particular with the Sumatran rhino, makes Francesco Nardelli a reputable naturalist and Italian conservationist. [9]

Publications

Nardelli's commitment to the protection and conservation of Sumatran rhinos inspired him to write “The Rhinoceros” (Basilisk Press, London) a monograph featuring coloured plates by renowned wildlife artist Matthew Hillier, [10] describing the life and history of the five surviving species of rhinoceroses.

Nardelli regularly contributes articles to British, Italian, and Indonesian magazines and newspapers on the themes of conservation [11] and protection of endangered species [12]

Hobbies

As an aquarium hobbyist he is an accredited “Master of Natural Layouts” of the Soto Zen School. [13]

Related Research Articles

Clouded leopard Species of wild cat

The clouded leopard, also called the mainland clouded leopard, is a wild cat inhabiting dense forests from the foothills of the Himalayas through mainland Southeast Asia into South China. In the early 19th century, a clouded leopard was brought to London from China and described in 1821. It has large dusky-grey blotches and irregular spots and stripes reminiscent of clouds. Its head-and-body length ranges from 68.6 to 108 cm with a 61 to 91 cm long tail. It uses its tail for balancing when moving in trees and is able to climb down vertical tree trunks head first. It rests in trees during the day and hunts by night on the forest floor.

Javan rhinoceros Rare species of rhinoceros from Asia

The Javan rhinoceros, also known as the Sunda rhinoceros or lesser one-horned rhinoceros, is a very rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant rhinoceroses. It belongs to the same genus as the Indian rhinoceros, and has similar mosaic, armour-like skin, but at 3.1–3.2 m (10–10 ft) in length and 1.4–1.7 m (4.6–5.6 ft) in height, it is smaller. Its horn is usually shorter than 25 cm (9.8 in), and is smaller than those of the other rhino species. Only adult bulls have horns; cows lack them altogether.

Sumatran rhinoceros Endangered species of small Asian rhinoceros

The Sumatran rhinoceros, also known as the hairy rhinoceros or Asian two-horned rhinoceros, is a rare member of the family Rhinocerotidae and one of five extant species of rhinoceros. It is the only extant species of the genus Dicerorhinus. It is the smallest rhinoceros, although it is still a large mammal; it stands 112–145 cm (3.67–4.76 ft) high at the shoulder, with a head-and-body length of 2.36–3.18 m (7.7–10.4 ft) and a tail of 35–70 cm (14–28 in). The weight is reported to range from 500 to 1,000 kg, averaging 700–800 kg (1,540–1,760 lb), although there is a single record of a 2,000 kg (4,410 lb) specimen. Like both African species, it has two horns; the larger is the nasal horn, typically 15–25 cm (5.9–9.8 in), while the other horn is typically a stub. A coat of reddish-brown hair covers most of the Sumatran rhino's body.

Indian rhinoceros Species of rhinoceros

The Indian rhinoceros, also called the Indian rhino, greater one-horned rhinoceros or great Indian rhinoceros, is a rhinoceros species native to the Indian subcontinent. It is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, as populations are fragmented and restricted to less than 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi). Moreover, the extent and quality of the rhino's most important habitat, the alluvial Terai-Duar savanna and grasslands and riverine forest, is considered to be in decline due to human and livestock encroachment. As of August 2018, the global population was estimated to comprise 3,588 individuals, including 2,939 individuals in India and 649 in Nepal. Kaziranga National Park alone had an estimated population of 2,048 rhinos in 2009. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary in Assam has the highest density of Indian rhinos in the world with 84 individuals in an area of 38.80 km2 (14.98 sq mi) in 2009.

Howletts Wild Animal Park

Howletts Wild Animal Park in the parish of Bekesbourne, near Canterbury in Kent, was established as a private zoo in 1957 by John Aspinall. In 1962 the House known as Howletts was being restored. A small cottage was inhabited by an employee. The animal collection was opened to the public in 1975. To give more room for the animals another estate at Port Lympne near Hythe in Kent was purchased in 1973, and opened to the public as Port Lympne Zoo in 1976.

Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve near the town of Hythe in Kent, England is set in 600 acres (2.4 km2) and incorporates the historic Port Lympne Mansion, and landscaped gardens designed by architect Sir Herbert Baker, for Sir Philip Sassoon.

Ragunan Zoo

Ragunan Zoo is a zoo located in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta, Indonesia. The zoo has an area of 140-hectare (350-acre). The zoo has an aviary and a primate centre, and employs over 450 people. Many of the animals in the zoo are endangered and threatened from all parts of Indonesia and the rest of the world. There are a total of 2,288 animals inside the zoo. Laid out in a lush tropical habitat, rare animals such as crocodile, gorilla, orangutan, tapir, anoa, sumatran tiger, babirusa and peacocks are given ample room. The zoo is located in South Jakarta and is easily accessible through the Jakarta Outer Ring Road and TransJakarta Corridor 6 bus.

Save the Rhino International (SRI), a UK-based conservation charity, is Europe's largest single-species rhino charity, in terms of funds raised and grants made, and in terms of profile and positioning. They began fundraising for in situ rhino conservation projects in 1992 and were formally registered as a charity in 1994. One of SRI's founder patrons was the British writer and humorist Douglas Adams, who was also known to be a conservation movement enthusiast.

Way Kambas National Park

Way Kambas National Park is a national park covering 1,300 square kilometres in Lampung province, southern Sumatra, Indonesia. It consists of swamp forest and lowland rain forest, mostly of secondary growth as result of extensive logging in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite decreasing populations, the park still has a few critically endangered Sumatran tigers, Sumatran elephants and Sumatran rhinoceroses. It also provides excellent birdwatching, with the rare white-winged wood duck among the over 400 species present in the park.

Kerinci Seblat National Park National park on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia

Kerinci Seblat National Park is the largest national park on the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. It has a total area of 13,791 km2, and spans four provinces: West Sumatra, Jambi, Bengkulu, and South Sumatra.

Gray-shanked douc Species of Old World monkey

The grey-shanked douc langur is a douc species native to the Vietnamese provinces of Quảng Nam, Quảng Ngãi, Bình Định, Kon Tum, and Gia Lai. The total population was estimated at 550 to 700 individuals in 2004. In 2016, Dr. Benjamin Rawson, Country Director of Fauna & Flora International's Vietnam Programme, announced a discovery of an additional population including more than 500 individuals found in Central Vietnam, bringing the total population up to approximately 1000 individuals.

The Aspinall Foundation is a British charity which works to promote wildlife conservation. It was set up by professional gambler and zoo owner John Aspinall in 1984 and runs the two zoos he set up, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park and Howletts Wild Animal Park in Kent, England. It also runs a number of conservation projects overseas to protect endangered species and return captive animals back to the wild. The charity is now run by John's son, Damian Aspinall.

The International Rhino Foundation is a Texas-based charity focused on the conservation of the five species of rhinoceros: the White Rhinoceros and Black Rhinoceros in Africa; the Indian Rhinoceros, Javan Rhinoceros and Sumatran Rhinoceros in Asia.

Damian Aspinall

John Damian Androcles Aspinall is an English businessman and conservationist. He has raised and released a number of a zoo-bred lowland gorillas in Gabon.

Southern white rhinoceros

The southern white rhinoceros or southern square-lipped rhinoceros is one of the two subspecies of the white rhinoceros. It is the most common and widespread subspecies of rhinoceros.

Northern Sumatran rhinoceros

The Northern Sumatran rhinoceros, also known as Chittagong rhinoceros or northern hairy rhinoceros was the most widespread subspecies of Sumatran rhinoceros, as well as the only known subspecies native to mainland Asia.

Bornean rhinoceros

The Bornean rhinoceros, also known as the eastern Sumatran rhinoceros or eastern hairy rhinoceros, is one of three subspecies of Sumatran rhinoceros. The subspecies may be functionally extinct, with only one individual, a female named Pahu, surviving in captivity, and held in the state of Sabah. In April 2015, the Malaysian government declared the Bornean rhinoceros to be extinct in the wild in the Malaysian portion of Borneo. However, in March 2016, a young female rhino was captured in East Kalimantan, providing evidence of their continued existence. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the subspecies as critically endangered.

Endangered Primate Rescue Center is located in Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh province, in Vietnam's Red River Delta. 

Terri Roth

Terri Lynn Roth is the vice president of conservation and science at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden. Additionally, she is the director of the Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife (CREW). She has made several breakthroughs in the captive breeding of Sumatran rhinoceroses, a critically endangered species with fewer than 300 left.

References

  1. ↑ "RRC: The Sumatran Rhinoceros Project".
  2. ↑ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". Archived from the original on 2014-06-27.
  3. ↑ The signing of the agreement by Professor Rubini on behalf of the Directorate and Francesco Nardelli on behalf of John Aspinall and the Howletts and Port Lympne Foundation was witnessed and endorsed by the Indonesian Minister of Forestry and the British Ambassador who described the project as "an imaginative illustration of the sort of collaboration between the two countries" and was discussed by the Indonesian President Soeharto and the British Prime Minister during Mrs Thatcher's visit. For more details see: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=1&act=refs&CODE=note_detail&id=1165253601
  4. ↑ "Cincinnati Zoo's Rhino Makes History with an Unprecedented Third Calf".
  5. ↑ "Untitled Page" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-21. Retrieved 2008-09-14.
  6. ↑ "Ficus factor feeds Cincinnati zoo's rhino baby boomlet". The Seattle Times. 11 May 2007.
  7. ↑ Dr. Terri Roth, Vice President of Conservation, Science and Living Collections at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden.: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/05/070501095539.htm
  8. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2008-09-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. ↑ "Repubblica.it/esteri: Bangkok, si chiude la "Cites" Riaperta la caccia al rinoceronte".
  10. ↑ http://matthewhillierart.com/
  11. ↑ http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/ref_files/1181218738.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  12. ↑ For a list of Nardelli's published articles and essays please refer to: http://www.rhinoresourcecenter.com/index.php?s=6f306eed39ce4d7ccd51d8b32a6b5c35&act=refs&CODE=s_refs&author=nardelli&year1=1980&year2=2005&title=&boolean=and
  13. ↑
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