I apologise in advance for this lengthy post today, but please read it. Unlike my normal photos and short descriptions this one is near to my heart. I spent an hour or so yesterday so close to 6 Rhino feeding and interacting right there in front of me. Do you know what a privilege that is for anyone? These are not tame Rhino, or in a zoo, but Rhino that roam free in an area of 3 800 Ha (409 030 000 sq. ft.) and it is necessary to cut off their horns to semi protect them.
My post from yesterday brought a few comments about the dehorned Rhinos and asking if this is for their protection… yes it is.. and to have Rhino that looked like this..
Now having to look like this…
merely to save their lives.. is, as far as I’m concerned, atrocious to say the least… and then to read this news piece this very morning just makes my blood boil…
“Such bad news. This is what is going on is South Africa. A luxury lodge had 18 rhinos. 7 had already been killed. They dehorned the others and last night three, including a mother and calf were killed and their faces mutilated for the little bit of horn that was left. The owner has had it. He can’t afford the protection necessary to keep the ones he has left.”
Statistics of the poaching happening in South Africa are given below…
What does KNP stand for.? Kruger National Park, which boarders on Mozambique…
Mozambique has a lot to answer for when it comes to doing absolutely nothing to address the poaching situation. Their citizens illegally breach our border, armed with illegal semi-automatic/automatic weapons (on its own an act of terrorism and a matter of National Security) with the intent to kill rhinos in Kruger. Mozambique is upset that South African’s are killing their people, yet never mind the threat to our rangers and troop’s lives this side. The community up-lifting from poaching profits in Mozambique is staggering, so why would a government already in bed with Vietnam and China do anything to alleviate rhino losses this side?
Now we are injecting rhino horns with toxins… http://www.news24.com/Multimedia/South-Africa/Poison-injected-into-rhinos-horns-20130612…. and I believe this can make anyone ingesting the Rhino horn very sick, I don’t agree with this, I think the toxin should be terminal to the user. Not only are our Rhinos being killed, but our rangers that are out there trying to protect them, are loosing their lives as well… Yes, we shoot to kill those that fire upon our rangers… should we not be shooting anyone wandering around in our parks on foot??? All signs clearly state “REMAIN IN YOUR CAR!”
There are stories of Rhino wounded and before death, having their horns removed in the most barbaric manner you can imagine. I hate this and strongly despise anyone who thinks that Rhino horn has any medicinal use what so ever.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the horn, which is shaved or ground into a powder and dissolved in boiling water, is used to treat fever, rheumatism, gout, and other disorders. According to the 16th century Chinese pharmacist Li Shi Chen, the horn could also cure snakebites, hallucinations, typhoid, headaches, carbuncles, vomiting, food poisoning, and “devil possession.” (Damn a proverbial wonder drug)
Rhino horns are composed largely of the protein keratin, also the chief component in hair, fingernails, and animal hooves. Overall there isn’t much evidence to support the plethora of claims about the healing properties of the horns. In 1990, researchers at Chinese University in Hong Kong found that large doses of rhino horn extract could slightly lower fever in rats (as could extracts from Saiga antelope and water buffalo horn), but the concentration of horn given by a traditional Chinese medicine specialist are many many times lower than used in those experiments. In short, says Amin, “you’d do just as well chewing on your fingernails.”
SO STOP KILLING OUR RHINOS AND CHEW YOUR FINGERNAILS!!!!!!
Please allow sightings like these, preserved for our children’s children to see…
The Photographic Journey of bulldog. 
Maybe the poachers should be poached or rather executed. It is disturbing that they poach such a beautiful animal! It’s disgusting to say the least! Such a gorgeous animal.
A very worth while post. It is such a shame to hear of such atrocities. I encourage anything that can be done to stop this barbaric behaviour & save these wonderful animals.
Thanks Milton… it is something we need to get a handle on very quickly in some manner or other…
Thank you Bulldog! Yes! They (poachers et al.) should be shot!
I agree Penny…
Nothing to apologise about my dear, this needs to be read. I’m sick and fed up with these people who think it’s their right to take whatever they want from the creatures and land of our planet. Why can’t they take bloody anti- biotics like everyone else?
I so agree with you on this one… with the advancements made in the world of medicines… Mythical medicines should not even be thought of…
Rob, this just makes me feel sick to my stomach … and hopeless. It’s incredible that, in the 21st century, we have to watch the extinction of a species right before our eyes. What is wrong with us?
I agree with you George… sickening it is indeed… and we seem so helpless to stop it…
Your post is another reminder of the atrocities human beings are still so capable of committing. What an advanced race we are, and all in the name of profit. Pity the authorities do not have the resources to hunt down the poachers on a scale that would make a real difference, but no doubt it is easier said than done.
Having fought in a terrorist war, where infiltration was difficult to predict without good found intelligence reports, it was still difficult when they came over in groups more or less where you expected them to be… but in this case the intelligence reports of where they will hit next is almost non existent, making it very difficult for our Rangers and Army to find these guys… so it is a case of cutting the tracks and then pursuing.. at high speed before they hit… or just a case of patrolling and walking blindly into them… gun battles ensue but fortunately we win most of those battles but have had our own wounded… it is not an easy task to control with boarders of 300 – 400 km long it is actually a night mare… but what I do like is the capture sing loudly allowing us to pick up the marketers, they are now receiving harsh sentences, long term imprisonment as well as heavy fines… I still think they should be placed in the middle of the game park, unarmed and let the wild animals who will now find the man defenseless, have their way with him…
It’s taken me awhile to read this…I get so upset when I read things like this..but I needed to read it…and today I had the courage…First..why don’t these people think about the fact that this was going on in the 16th century. Has their world not moved forward? Are they still living like their ancestors did in the 16th century? Hello…there’s something out there today called antibiotics and pain relievers..go buy a stinking aspirin….How can people be so stupid. I’m with you, put something in the remaining horn that will be terminal…..how does one become a poacher…soul-less…and then again………I already knew that evil walks the earth. Sickening, just sickening…
Every once in a while the good men get a gift…your time with them, your priceless gift… the pictures you took and then shared with us…you are an ambassador for these beautiful creatures…. Thank you Bulldog.
Thank you for the comment… it is tragic that the demise of the Rhino is not the only specie facing extinction.. this is happening all over the world, specie loosing to mankind because of his expansion and self enrichment… now we can’t blame people because they want to enrich themselves by destroying habitat to make money, BUT we can penalise them in some way to ensure the continued existence of the specie… that’s what environmental impact studies are for… but when a specie is hunted for a horn that has no use to anyone is a shame on mankind… and these people need to be punished in the harshest of ways… education is not working (we send people to the countries buying the horn to attempt to educate them — clearly not working) So I stand behind the poison the bastards to hell and back… thanks for commenting Suzanne, I know how you feel about this type subject and honestly didn’t expect to see a comment from you… well done for biting the bullet and reading through the post…
I read it because I knew that it was important to you and therefore it demanded attention.
I appreciate that… thank you..
🙂
No need to apologize. The rhinos appreciate this post and so do I. Humans can be such jerks–at least some humans… (and I’d say something worse than “jerks” but I don’t like to use foul language).
I do agree with you Lorna… “jerks” on paper… something else in the mind…
Yup!
I’m glad you address this terrible issue and how you feel about it. It’s important to care about the welfare of animals. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Inga… it is now become critical here and educating the world is paramount to their savior…
It is so sad for me too, dear Rob, beautiful photographs. Thanks and Love, nia
Thanks Nia.. it is terrible, the out right slaughter for a horn..
How awful! I had no idea they had to cut off their horns to protect them. I can’t bear this sort of thing.
Yes Vanessa and then even that is not working …
Sometimes I hate the human race.
Yes Julie… some of them… I love the ones, now escorting some of the rhino where tip offs are received… these are the guys that are making some of the arrests.. and those that fight back end up like their quarry…dead.
A horrible but necessary post Bulldog. It’s always beyond reason how these beautiful creatures can be poached in this way.
So true Ruth… an absolute tragic affair that can quickly bring a specie to the edge of extinction…
It is so sad that in this day and age they are still killing these magnificent beasts 😦
It seems beyond comprehension… doesn’t it…
A post combining sadness and passion. Continue delivering your strong message.
Thank you Frank…
Turns my stomach. I say let’s cut off the “you know what” of the poachers or better yet the idiots who think it’ll help there “you know what”. 😉
Yes Ingrid… I so agree with you… out with the knife…
This is heartbreaking, Bulldog! I can’t understand that somebody can do harm to animals, only for money. That’s heartless! It’s time that the poachers shall be punished equally.
I agree… we are not being hard enough on the predators of our animals placed in our hands to protect… this scum of the earth need the harshest of punishments… death is too good for them…
It doesn’t seem to matter how much we advance in science and just generally as humans we are still as barbaric as ever when it comes to the way we treat other animals. We are just animals at the end of the day and we should be ashamed of ourselves. One day something bigger and more forceful will come along and stomp on us!
How right you are… yet we brag about the accomplishments and technical advances we’ve made… but the barbarism still remains within us… what a shame…
Absolutely disgusting, Bulldog. Poachers are the scum of the earth!
How right you are… I pray for a pox on them daily…
Well said and written bulldog and things like this makes me furious as well! They should chew on a lot of other things as well and I would love to cut off a few of those things as well with a blunt knife! How people can still believe nonsense like that in this day and age is totally beyond my comprehension and don’t even start talking about Mozambique and their lack of compassion for what is going on! And then there are South Africans that are buying land over there putting up guest houses and making just more money for them but they can’t even look after their own employers and give them decent salaries! You and I will definitely have a great day in talking about all the atrocities and fuming about it as well as talking about all my rescues. 🙂 I hate what these inhuman beings are doing to our wildlife and nature just for their stupid beliefs and money! You can give me a bazooka anytime to kill those hateful things that are doing this to these beautiful animals!
Thank you Sonel.. you have said it all… it still amazes me that there are those in the world that don’t seem to know this is happening here… amazing when you think of the almost instant connections we have with the internet… thank you for the comment my amazing friend…
Same here bulldog. It is totally amazing when you also think about the fact that most of the Chinese are such great believers in herbs and acupuncture and also the fact that they are so far advanced re technology – they should know and realise this my friend, so why keep on believing this fairy tale about the Rhino horn? It really amazes me that some people can be so stupid!
You are welcome my friend and no, you are the amazing one. 😀 *hugs*
It’s a tragedy of the highest proportions, bulldog. Death to the poachers.
Thanks AD… feel just like you… I think the next time I hear of a court case locally I’ll go and sit in the seats with such a placard…
My stomach is turning with the injustice and ignorance that comes with this practice. Hideous disregard for life.
Thanks .. you are so right… it has my back up after reading about them now poaching those that have almost no horn…
This information saddens any human with a heart. I hope there comes a day when evil is triumphed by the light, for the sake of all, animals and humans alike. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and for the images, my friend.
Thanks Gina… yes I’m sure there are a few answers required when that day arrives…
Thank you for this post! I think the same and it s horrible what happens to all this lovely Rhinos out there just for the money!
Thank you.. there is more of this needed throughout the world I think… awareness is so important…
WOW! I hadn’t known that rhino poaching was still a problem. What a terrible way to treat these beautiful beasts. No wonder they charge at people…I’d charge too if I saw my species being slaughtered willy-nilly. You mentioned that the horns are made up of keratin which has become the new wave of hair treatment in the US. I surely hope that we are not contributing to the slaughter of rhinos and their tusks. Removing a rhino’s tusk either because of poaching or for their own safety is akin to public brandishing. This is terrible!
Thank you for the comment… it has become a big problem now and growing daily…
Not to worry there are so many sources of Keratin that I’m sure you are not buying Rhino horn… LOL.. otherwise you could not afford it at $ 6 000 odd a kilo…
That’s terrible! Just terrible! To a large degree I blame the idiots who think that using rhino horn will improve their manhood (or whatever they use it for). We have a similar problem in Canada (on a smaller scale but just as ugly) with poaching of black bears for their claws and gall bladders, except that, so far, the black bear isn’t endangered and there are efforts in place to try to prevent this kind of poaching. Ridiculous to think that these animal parts will do anyone any good as “medicine.” Haven’t they evolved from Stone Age thinking? And for the people of Africa to kill their own beautiful animals, soon to the point of extinction, is beyond comprehension. The rhino doesn’t care about politics, and people shouldn’t either when it comes to preserving a species.
How right you are Anneli.. but greed within the poor gets them for a few dollars to do all sorts of things… so that the fat cats can make the big bucks… The African peoples are easily bribed for very little.. and the big white fat cats know this and take advantage of it… they get the R 60 000 per kilo and the poacher probably a few hundred… our courts are giving the heaviest of sentences to these type middle men when they are caught… but there are too many lawyers willing to defend them.. I say stick them against the wall and wound them before being imprisoned for life…
Sounds too good for them.
It is paradoxical to want to shoot someone just because they shoot an animal–yet I feel the temptation from a hemisphere away. And who is the genius that decided Rhino Horn was worth something? Why not remove them from cows–cows don’t care about anything… Well, I’ll go watch my head explode in the mirror now..
Thanks Chris… yep it is a good point, shoot someone for shooting a defenseless animal that has no chance against an automatic rifle… now if they were killing them with their bare hands I could accept it… the score would be more like 10000 to 1 in favour of the Rhino…
Interesting post, I didn’t realise it is so bad. I have read about poachers in Wilbur Smith books. The poachers should be falling into the traps, and shot. Leave the wild life alone, poachers have no conscience. It is good you made us aware of it.
Thank you … that was the idea behind the post and I might just have got carried away a bit… but I’m passionate about the Rhinos… damn I’m passionate about any animal..
and that is right so , same with the ebony etc. Animals are living beings and should be respected and loved.
Its truly disgusting what they are doing to the rhinos. It made me sad/mad to read….I didn’t know people had to cut off their horns to protect them…(I personally hope the rangers shoot all of the poachers)
Yes I do agree… in this case shoot and ask questions later… thanks for the look in
As a person who loves all animals, and even though things like this really upset me, I’m very glad for your post. People need to be aware of what is going on and has been going on for years. Somehow the poachers need to be held accountable, one way or another.
Thanks Maralee… I too love the animals more than words can say, and this is just getting me more and more upset as each day passes and more numbers are given of the poaching…with a gestation period of about 450 days the replacing of those taken out is just too long, 3 out of the 5 specie are now considered critically endangered with deaths over taking the births…
When I first read the horns are removed to save their lives I thought BULLSHIT. Poachers never entered my mind. This makes me angry too bulldog! It’s one thing to use an animal for survival (food, clothing, tools, etc.) but to kill an animal for its horn, or its fin, or its hide is just apprehensible!
I so agree with you… yet as it is proving now the removal is not helping , they are still slaughtering for the smallest of stumps…
Oh my gosh, that’s horrible!
I have heard that they’re starting to inject the horns with poison – it doesn’t hurt the rhino but if applied to the skin causes rashes & nastiness, if ingested, extreme unpleasantness, and stains the horn, even when powdered, an indelible recognizable colour. The only problem is it only lasts about 4 years (I think). It’s a terrible problem & I hurt everytime I hear about it. Like the tigers, bears & elephants – and more – all slaughtered for no fucking reason whatsoever. I really hate this. I’m really glad you posted.
Thank you my friend I agree with you whole heartily.. it should be a poison that kills users… the poachers of any animal should receive the harshest of treatment by the law… after all they are robbing not just from one person but from us all, no matter where it happens… I should be allowed to interact with a poacher… I would love to get inside his mind, (with a very blunt hand drill)
yep! Yep, yep & You BET!
My ancestors drew rhinos on cave walls in Europe when these animals roamed even as far as London in the Ice Age, they were possibly seen as an expression of the warrior-hunter. I identify with your anger and frustration. My heart is cold towards such poachers, I would have no problem of executing them on the spot.
Thank you for the comment Alex… yes to think that this specie in varying forms, was at one stage spread almost throughout the world, is now nearing extinction… with the Black Rhino down now to less than 2 000 animals and the White 18 500 they are getting less and less, also considering that approx. 75 % of the Rhino are in our country it is now time to declare full time war against any of the bastards… but with world markets I believe reaching R 60 000/ kg what can we do to educate the poor that are being manipulated by syndicates that are behind this??
Nothing can be done against the ignorant user market, the war against the poacher is where the future survival of rhinos depends. Technology, fire power and a black flag policy of executing poachers is the only way you will save your rhinos.