THE RHINO WAR & ITS WARRIORS
The war on rhino poaching, despite not being in the news as much as it used to be, is very much still an everyday crisis
.
Recently, we had the privilege of joining on a rhino de-horning mission in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. It was an impactful experience, giving me new insight into this issue, and an eye-opener into the
immense efforts being put in to save these magnificent, innocent animals.
We joined one of four teams which were ready to work on rhinos as they were darted from the air, by renowned wildlife vet, Dr Rowan Leeming (who I’ve learnt is a sharp-shooter of note!).
Dr Leeming was being flown around the bush by pilot, Etienne Gerber from @Heligistix. The only time I have seen a helicopter maneuver around like that has been in Hollywood movies – it was incredible to watch!
Etienne would use the helicopter to chase the rhino closer to the road, while allowing Dr. Leeming to dart them, so that it would be easier for the teams on the ground to get to the rhinos ASAP.
Each team had a vet and a small team of game capture specialists, with a leader. On the team we were a part of, was @African Wildlife Vets Dr Jennifer Lawrence, also a renowned & experienced vet, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife Head of Game Capture, Dumisane Zwane, who oversees game capture operations with decades of experience, and his knowledgeable team.
Carla, my fiancée, also a vet, was kindly shown the ropes and included by Dr Lawrence, an amazing experience for her, and a big help especially when we had two to three rhinos.
Multiple rhino’s would be darted, and each team would rush off to each tranquilized animal, often through Acacia thicket, as my head learnt the hard way! The helicopter hovers above the rhino/s until the team arrives.
Sometimes, we’d arrive on scene and find one animal, then notice it’s actually two, or even three!
