On Friday morning my old mate, Mike Holmes rushed off to Kariega Game Reserve, just outside Kenton-on-Sea, accompanied by Ocean Messengers founder, Rainer Schimpf.
The site that greeted their eyes was horrific and heart rending. I am sure that the thoughts of African barbarism, peddled by former colonialists in Africa, of babies being held aloft by the ankle over a raging fire only to be smashed against rocks once their brains had cooked flashed through many an observers mind as they witnessed a White Rhino lurching around blind with pain after having both horns brutally hacked off with a panga.
Woe betide the wag who says; “But, they did dart the animal before hacking the horns off!” They only darted the animal to save their own sorry farging skins, boet.
The White Rhino was later euthanased by a veterinarian who was called to the scene.
Rainer Schimpf of Ocean Messengers writes:
I write to you as the representative of Ocean Messengers NGO, environmental and nature conservation is our main aim.
At around Noon, on 11 February 2011, I was requested to drive with Mike Holmes through to the Kariega Game Reserve near to Kenton-on-Sea.
The news was disturbing – we were racing to get images of a Rhino being poached of its horns. One almost gets used to this, realizing that almost one animal a day was poached in South Africa during 2010.
But, this assignment was different and set to shake up everyone’s views of just how callous poachers can be. The shock of this assignment will reverberate worldwide and the shock will last for a very long time.
The difference here; “This Rhino was alive!”
It was most likely darted and poached during the early morning hours of Friday, 11th February 2011. The wounded Rhino was discovered by one of the Kariega Reserve Game Rangers early on Friday Morning.
It apparently awoke out of the poachers supposedly deadly drug mix to bear mute and horrific witness to an ongoing “murder” saga.
The absolute unscrupulousness act by these poachers in hacking off a rhino’s horns with the helpless ‘sleeping’ Rhino still breathing and bleeding, possibly flicking its legs and shaking it’s head in a pathetic attempt to escape the pain and the dull thud and chop of axe and panga mercilessly cutting through flesh and bone down to the skull of the still breathing animal.
Then with the bloodied horns finally off the callous savage poachers flee the scene.
Later the Rhino awakes and stumbles into it’s last day on earth – blood pouring out of fresh wounds, holes gaping in it’s snout, hacked upper lips flapping in the breeze, salty blood taste in it’s mouth, dizzy and screaming with pain.
Is the Rhino possibly asking itself why?
Why has mankind let him down in such a manner? Who broke the trust? Why the horn? Why did they not kill him first? Who is going to pay for this atrocity?
Grassing and feeding for more than 3 years on Kariega, the Rhino has never associated humans with pain and fear. How sad that this Rhino had to die an agonising death knowing that trust and humans don’t go together.
The pictures speak for themselves, can you imagine the trauma and pain this animal and hundreds of others have gone through to satisfy the insatiable need for an apparent aphrodisiac?
The historical note in our history books with regards to the last standing rhino could well state: Extinct (due to human ignorance and greed).
This Kariega Rhino broke through the pain and drugs to lurch out of the bush, stand mute and tell us how cruel and unscrupulous we humans are.
Ocean Messengers is appealing to all people who have a conscience and a heart to help stop this crises.
Join the fight for nature and contact Ocean Messengers at : ocean.messengers@gmail.com
Footage of the live Rhino will air soon. We will keep you posted and pay tribute to the extraordinary pain and suffering this Rhino went through, so it will help STOP poaching once and forever!Rainer Schimpf
Ocean Messengers NGO
The images below were taken by Rainer Schimpf Friday 11 February 2011 between 2:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Alan Straton
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Some e-mailed comments on the Kariega Rhino:
thanks for the links, it is horrendous that these people can get away with such barbarism, I don’t know how, but we need to stop this carnage.
alan f.
Good message Rainer, well done.
Its frightening what is happening to Rhino; one gets so angry. Your message though also evoked pity.
Regards,Dr Tony Ribbink
Wow. Incredible, infuriating, frustrating. Please keep up your good work.
Horst
Rainer
What can be done about this? It’s one thing to post about it via email, Facebook and other social media but people need to be able to do something about it.
What are your plans?
C
Some e-mailed comments on the Kariega Rhino:
thanks for the links, it is horrendous that these people can get away with such barbarism, I don’t know how, but we need to stop this carnage.
alan f.
Good message Rainer, well done.
Its frightening what is happening to Rhino; one gets so angry. Your message though also evoked pity.
Regards,Dr Tony Ribbink
Wow. Incredible, infuriating, frustrating. Please keep up your good work.
Horst
Rainer
What can be done about this? It’s one thing to post about it via email, Facebook and other social media but people need to be able to do something about it.
What are your plans?
C
Each rhino in SA should have an educated armed gaurd that moves where he moves and at the same time study the animal, giving reports on its daily life.
survivalkid@gmail.com
Mr Rob McQueen AMEN TO THAT!!!!!!!!! But sadly that would NEVER happen!!!!! How does it work??? a few days then everything forgotten allready……. when the people on the grounds hands are tied to such an extent that cant even be mentioned….. are we fighting a war against poachers? Or are we forced to watch slaughter right under our own noses…..
I dedicate every incident that people seem to forget,those incidents thats actually been prevented by being on the ground….those we dont know about…to every man that puts his life on the line to protect the rhino,those men who sacrifises their luxury of sleep,family time,party time,socialising time…to do the best they possibly can to prevent such atrocities…… those men who nobody wants to listen too,or even being aksed for info,or even asked if they are ok.Those rhino are like children given the time spent with them…..but guess those people never ever gets any credit for their dedication……
To all the anti poaching teams on the ground, Stay strong……The Rhinos do listen……..and care….
Lets forget about the buisness people for once,and the pretenders. Lets start thinking of all the Anti Poaching Units that actually truelly care about the Rhino, Everybody cries,but are those crying actually out at night doing their bit?Or are they sitting nice and comfy in their warm houses drinking their whiskey and spending family time?
Its time you do something for your Anti Poaching teams on the ground,because i know.If they get killed in action,Then its too late to show your appreciation to their loyalty and dedication.
This is Dedicated to all the Anti Poaching men on the ground who risks their lives to protect YOUR Rhino.
My husband got killed in action protecting Rhino,My 14 year old daughter gives half of her pocket money to Rhino Conservation.Do you see the impact?
One more e-mailed comment:
Just want to say thank you to you – Petra & Rainer both for all you do to heighten our environmental awareness .The rhino pics are too sad for words and leave a deep scar spiritually & physically.
These poachers need to be caught and an example made of what happens to such cruel human beings!
Gill
More e-mailed comments:
Hi
I was a game ranger for 22 years and in my time saw some horrific scenes of cruelty and agonising death but by all thats Holy the pictures and story of the rhino at Kariega are up there with the worst of them.
I have passed this story on to all my international and local friends with a plea to join us in the fight against this scourge. I know that they, in turn, will pass it on to their friends. Hopefully the fight will gather momentum and we will prevail but without a governmental decree of a “shoot on sight” policy the poachers will believe that the chance of riches far outweigh the consequences of being caught.
I am based in Cape Town and do not have monetary means but I will help where I can.
Keep up the great work.
Sincerely
Richmond Wilmot
Poachers should be literally Skinned alive and their ‘private parts’ extremely slowly cut off with a blunt instrument, and then taken into the Desert and left where no man can get to help them….but it is recorded for all poachers to see….The Cruel Bastards….
As a Anti-Poaching operative with over 30 years experiance and who has been shot by poachers on more than one occassion I would like to thank all the people above for their comments. We do most the time feel abandoned and alone in this war and it is very heart warming to know we are not. The unit. I do wish though that the powers that be would for once ask us, the people on the front, what we think and would like to happen and not to decide for us. To Kerrygreen96 I want to tell her that her husbands sacrifice will always be rememberd by front line AP units as is all who have given up their lives in protecting Africa’s wildlife.
Hello, I would like to help in the Rhino crisis, I live in the UK. Is there anything I can do?? I’m sick of feeling helpless when I see these reports. This vile act must be stopped.
Regards
Julie
I was a game ranger for 22 years and in my time saw some horrific scenes of cruelty and agonising death but by all thats Holy the pictures and story of the rhino at Kariega are up there with the worst of them.
I have passed this story on to all my international and local friends with a plea to join us in the fight against this scourge. I know that they, in turn, will pass it on to their friends. Hopefully the fight will gather momentum and we will prevail but without a governmental decree of a “shoot on sight” policy the poachers will believe that the chance of riches far outweigh the consequences of being caught.
I am based in Cape Town and do not have monetary means but I will help where I can.
Keep up the great work.
Sincerely
Richmond Wilmot
I saw the picture of the rhino on Facebook. I cannot believe it, I am actually nauseous and crying about this…
What can we do to help??
I am studying Environmental Management in a Zoology Stream, I’m currently in my 2nd year.
If there is ANYTHING I can do please let me know!!
Kind regards
Nadia Botha
More emailed comments:
It is with shock and horror and many tears that I am writing to you. If anything, anything can be done to prevent such atrocities (as this is war!) please do. When I opened this my daughter was standing next to me and the shock was overwhelming.
The best of luck and God speed in your fight against the poachers – these vicious predators!!
Kind regards
Shakeelah Jacobs
Please add my voice to those who find these rhino murders untenable.
Thank you
Rebecca Haynes
To who it may concern,
I write to you with total shock and disgust and pity for the RACE THEY CAN “MAN”!!!
And I hang my head in shame!!!!!!!!!!!
What have we become?
We are supposed to be the Intelligent Race”?
The ones that should show pity and care for our fellow human beings and to all the creatures that GOD has created!
Instead WE ARE THE KILLERS, THE ABUSERS, THE ATTACKERS, and THE VIOLENT ONES, FILLED WITH HATERED FOR ONE ANOTHER AND NO PITY OR CARE FOR ANYONE OR ANY OTHER LIVE THING ON THIS EARTH.
It is almost with little faith that I address this email to anybody/somebody as the effort put in by the most amazing and diligent people will always be a far less amount than the “Un Godly Souls” out there.
I just pray that God may have Mercy on their souls when they stand before Him and that some where in our Country Justice will reign (however small that may be).
What can I assist with?
Thanking you in advance and have a great day.
Kind Regards
Judith Loots
High Rainer
Its easy to get caught up in the emotional side of this battle, we all fall for this.
I was in a conversation the other day & the point that was brought up was quite controversial; Open up Rhinos for hunting!
I was like what ??? Are you MAD !!
Just like in Lion Hunting, where we now have a problem with too many breeders & too many cats. *
Therefore by giving a Rhino a commercial value it will blow the black market out the water with the influx of animals that will be bred, both for conservation & hunting.
* I stand to correction on the gestation period of a Rhino, but it is far longer than a feline. And Public & Private reserves have breeding Rhino for 30 years so I don’t think the above suggestion is going to work. Its a very difficult animal to breed!
The Bands of foot soldiers doing the actual act on the ground are just the worker bees for the big businessman in Ivory Towers!
Its really a complex issue as it runs much deeper than just the killing of the animals, but also into thievery of Trophy Horns collected over many years.
Unfortunately the Shamwari & Addo stockpiles were stolen & I believe that this has happened in many more reserves around the country.
That game farmer should have just kept quite & poisoned the horns he had no end and flood them into the market!
I am behind your efforts to eradicate extermination attempt by man on such a wonderous creature of the earth!
Please keep me informed on the happenings of the effort here in the EC.
Best Regards
Richard
SWINES!!!!!.When caught they need not to be handed over to the authorties,but stripped naked,and put with lions so that they can feel the fear and pain just like that poor, poor Rhino did.Locking them up is too good for them.PLEASE,PLEASE find them.
B.