“400” the  slaughter continues

“400” the slaughter continues – The epidemic of senseless Rhino slaughter has been in the media for the last 18 months. Everywhere we turn the social media sites and news feeds are highlighted by news and blogs of more an more poaching incidents.

To see well respected wildlife vets , game rangers and even SANPARKS members being arrested for these illogical massacre is even more soul destroying.NEVER have I ever felt so sick and nauseated as I was  this morning called by a friend tell me that he just had seen a post on facebook about the dehorning of 3 rhinos at one my favorite reserves in the Eastern Cape , Kariega.

Last year I captured this image of one of these rhino and titled it ‘400’…the number of rhino that had been poached at that time in South Africa , an image I will cherish for the rest of my days.

" 400 " the Rhino slaughter continues

This news struck home very hard as over the last several months I have spent a number of hours with this small ‘crash’ of rhinos and photographed them extensively. Not only that but i was privileged to sit silent as they grazed and moved silently through the savannah but to be in their presence was phenomenal.

I am completely perplexed as to why these rhinos have been senselessly attacked , darted and dehorned by unscrupulous thieving bastards all for the sake of a mythical ‘make you stronger and longer” poison. Only a few weeks ago I managed to capture a series of images that are  worth more to me now thank any I have captured to date.

" 400 " the  slaughter continues

I leave with a short film I have made to reflect the true beauty of this awesome game reserve hidden in the Eastern Cape but excluded the horned rhinos, now it’s sad and just a memory. Thanks to Brendan Jennings , ranger and close friend for sharing the majority of the still images in the production and to Mali Korsten for allowing me to use her music as the accompaniment . I hope you will all fight towards the total destruction of this greed motivated slaughter of one of our most awesome animals.

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