Zimbabwe – Rhinoplastered

July 16

Hello everyone!

Over the last century, but particularly the last forty years, wild animal populations have been devastated by poaching and a complete disregard for animal protection or welfare. This has led to suggestions that some of Africa’s most notable animals may be extinct in the wild within the next decade. The most at threat is the rhino, which some believe will be wiped out in two years.

These rhinos are sleeping peacefully

TWO YEARS.

There's a strong chance this little rhino won't
make it to adulthood

The reason is obvious but difficult to rationally explain. Rhino horn is worth more than gold. A two centimetre stump is believed to be on the market for $200,000. The fact that people are willing to pay this – and a lot more – for rhino horn is due to the belief in Far Eastern markets that it can do magical things, particularly for men. Scientists can find no evidence to support this but historically-held beliefs are difficult to change.

Mother and baby rhino

The result of this is that people with rifles will come to national parks across Africa and kill rhinos before scalping them for the horn. If they keep doing this, there will be no more rhino horn for them to ‘use’ by the time the next Olympics is upon us.

The bullet hole which killed this
rhino is visible at the top of the skull

A horn can actually be removed without it needing to be fatal to a rhino. Many national parks ‘dehorn’ their rhinos in order to remove the reason for their death. The horn is attached to skin, rather than bone, meaning it would be like removing part of a nail on a human. The horn also contains keratin, meaning it will grow back.

#cute

We were learning all about this in Rhodes Matopos National Park, Zimbabwe’s oldest park and one which has been designated as a UNESCO Heritage Site. They have 50 rangers on permanent, 24-hour patrol with permission from the Zimbabwean government to shoot any suspected poacher on sight.

Matopos National Park was a 30 minute drive from our
campsite in Bulawayo

Their rhinos are well-protected but not hidden away. Quite the opposite, in fact. We were tiptoeing through the bush to have a close encounter with some white rhinos. If we’d seen black rhinos, we’d have stayed in the car or I would not be here to tell you about it today.

Ian, the ranger, leading us towards the rhinos

The first rhinos we came across were a mother and baby. Crouching low and moving slowly, we crept up towards them. The mother noted our presence but wasn’t too keen to play, so we left them alone. Even so, we were about ten metres away – on foot – from a white rhino. I could feel heart rate rise!

Mother and baby curiously staring at the strange humans
standing nearby

A rhino's ears can rotate

If it was rising after that first encounter, it shot up to stratospheric levels the next time we exited our 4x4. Again, a mother and baby had been spotted amongst the thick, dry bush. We found them stood like statues.

A female rhino can weight up to 1,600 kg

It’s an intense experience, being stood essentially face-to-face with an animal which could kill you within five seconds. Luckily, this pair seemed unperturbed by our presence. After a short while, they settled down for a siesta.

Mama rhino having a nap, with her baby on the left

Go to sleep, go to sleep...

This allowed us to get close. Very close. In the picture at the top, I’m sat three metres away from the mama rhino. Three metres.

We were able to get some amazing photos from this position

A rhino's eyesight is poor, so it relies on other senses

Rhinos aren’t thought of as being beautiful or photogenic like elephants or lions. Seeing this mother and baby sleeping peacefully on the floor, my heart melted.

Mama rhino having a siesta

Someone who probably saw his fair share of rhinos during his time in Africa was Cecil Rhodes. This park was partly named after him, and is also where he is buried.

Part of World's View

He can't really see too much from here...

Rhodes is seen as a controversial figure these days, with his statues being vandalised and institutions coming under pressure to drop his name from various awards or scholarships. It was thus fascinating to learn that he’s viewed as a bit of a hero in these parts.

Important man in these parts, Rhodes

Undoubtedly, he played a major role in Britain colonising much of southern Africa, at one point owning six countries (Malawi being one of them). His wealth, much of which came from founding the De Beers diamond company, would transform him into possibly the richest man in the world today, helped no doubt by taking things which weren’t really his to take.

Rhodes achieved a lot in southern Africa,
but for whose benefit?

A lot of this fortune is used for good causes; this park and its rhino protection scheme is funded by the Cecil Rhodes Trust. It was here, more specifically at the magnificent World’s View, that he would sit and think about life. He asked to be buried there, which had to be passed by an Act of Parliament and agreed to by Ndebele tribe, for whom this was an sacred, spiritual setting. The fact that he was allowed to shows the esteem he was held in. I can see why he wanted to be here, too: a stunning view.

World's View

Scaling a steep boulder gives you a
stunning view of the park

The area has changed significantly since Rhodes died in 1902, probably for the worse due to human engagement. The rhino population halved between 2000 and 2013 mainly due to poaching. Getting close to the rhinos today has alerted me to the danger of their extinction in the wild. The park rangers here were suggesting that it would be pragmatic to open the market – RSA has 60 tonnes of rhino horn, enough for 20 years of supply. However, I’m sure that many rhinos would still be murdered for the ‘thrill of the kill’, and demand may grow if it was made legal.

I don’t have an answer but can give my opinion. These creatures wouldn’t hurt a fly unless threatened, yet they’re being exterminated so people can have a placebo pill. It’s scandalous. Action has to be taken quickly; the alternative is for my niece and nephew never having the chance to experience what I did today.

Save the rhino. We’ve got two years.

Love you all

Matt