Rhinos - What future

Rhino stories

Hard to imagine little more than a hundred years ago, it’s estimated about half a million white and black rhinos rhinos roamed African grass and woodlands, found in good numbers as far north as places like Chad, the DRC and South Sudan.

For all the challenges and great losses, it’s important to recognise there are still thousands of good people invested in the success of rhinos in both the private and government sectors. In the latter half of 2023, African Parks, an extraordinary organisation in themselves, stepped in to purchase a private captive rhino breeding operation in South Africa. More than 2,000 Southern white rhinos are in their care, with far reaching plans to rewild them in the years ahead. The story here, where people can also donate if they feel strongly about rhinos and this project.

https://www.africanparks.org/campaign/rewilding-2000-rhino

Through various mass hunting, poaching wipeout events, even wars over the last couple of hundred years, rhino numbers have plummeted, partially recovered at times, but rarely stabilised. Increasingly desperate measures have been employed to protect them, but that horn, worth around 30,000  thousand or more US dollars a kilo in Asia at the moment, still drives huge demand, mainly as a status symbol in business in China and Vietnam.
De-horning rhino has been a standard, if imperfect means of deterrent to poachers, like this operation I filmed in Zimbabwe, headed by the amazing Dr Chris Foggin, working the chainsaw here. It’s the fastest and most efficient way to remove the horn, but still no guarantee the animal won’t be hit. The evidence over many years now is convincing enough that it does have an impact on poaching, but sometimes an animal will be killed for the stump that’s left, such is the value of even a few hundred grams.

On a game drive, seeing rhino in one of their last strongholds is electric, especially black rhino. Even if you aren’t a student of their plight in recent decades, there is something so unique about their movement, their power. You can feel these animals as much as see them. Rob’s image showing the magnificent horns on this black rhino in Kenya is as definitive as any African photograph you will ever see. This single shot, so powerful, is the Africa we cannot afford to lose. There have to be safe places for these creatures in both East Africa and Southern Africa.

Part of the problem is that where there are critical numbers of people with very little, poaching syndicates, whose bosses are usually a long way from the front lines of this struggle, will offer what might be a year’s wages to someone willing to risk their life to bring back a rhino horn. It’s small change to the syndicate heads and a huge risk for the poacher where predators or an anti poaching patrol might take him out. There have been significant education campaigns in China (like the Wild Aid rhino horn and ivory ads below with former NBA player Yao Ming) and Vietnam that have had some impact, but the demand grows again and more animals get taken out. Myths and misinformation are hard to shake.

Enough people, not just in Africa but around the world, need to care about the future. Not merely for rhinos, but for all animals. Protecting the wilderness spaces, the biodiversity, is the key. Engaging local communities in the incentives to have rhinos around, so the benefits of them being alive far outweigh the short term gain of killing them and selling a single horn. Speaking of our founder’s surname. A recent photo of Brad laying low in Botswana, in one of the only areas you can see rhinos in the wild still in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta. Rob took the photo.

As rhino photographs go, Sam Wallace’s beautiful cinematic image below says everything about this sensitive and very precious species.

You can still see rhinos in the wild in South Africa, Kenya, Namibia, some areas of Botswana and Zimbabwe. There are other small populations scattered to the wind here and there. The African Parks Network mentioned above, is aiming to have them in many more countries in the next ten years, under as close a watch as possible. Talk to us about the possibilities if you’re keen to encounter rhinos on your Epic Private Journeys safari. A superb EPJ safari to South Africa with the best chance of seeing rhinos,  below.

#travel stories

Photography:Sam Wallace, Rob Barbour, Brad Horn, Simon Reeve