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. 