Rhino Poaching: How to save a life
Date Released: Thu, 22 March 2012 00:00 +0200
Wildlife veterinarian Dr William Fowlds is attending to the two Kariega Game Reserve rhinos, Thandi and Themba. They are fighting for their lives after having been savagely attacked by poachers on 02 March. The Oppidan Press & the Dean of Students Office is co-hosting a talk by Dr Fowlds about rhino poaching on 28 March at 7pm in the General Lecture Theatre at Rhodes University. The talk is open to students and the general public.
Presently, Fowlds’ main concern is Themba’s leg which is in critical condition. “There are lots of uncertainties,” said Fowlds.
Normally, when a vet darts a rhino, the rhino is down for twenty minutes. According to Fowlds, Themba spent between three to ten hours on the ground. The weight of his body restricted the blood supply to his leg and he couldn’t get up. Rhino skin is incredibly thick, therefore it takes longer to recover. “One cannot tell what is going on beneath the skin on Themba’s leg,” Fowlds explained. He highlighted that it is vital for the rest of Themba’s body to recover to some degree. “He needs as much recovery between anaesthetics as he can possibly get,” emphasised Fowlds. “From both the trauma and drug side, we don’t know how much his organs can handle,” he said. This means that Themba needs to be sustained from a nutritional point of view in order to yield as much support as possible.
On the other hand Thandi, the female rhino implicated in the rhino poaching incident, is doing very well. “She’s a tough cookie, that’s for sure,” said Kariega assistant manager Jason Loest. Thandi’s behaviour is returning to normal. She has begun socially integrating with other rhinos. Although future complications are a possibility, Thandi’s mobility has left Fowlds optimistic about her recovery.
Fowlds has an unbelievably compassionate relationship with the rhinos. “I cannot get used to it,” he said with reference to the violent attack inflicted on Thandi and Themba. “The brutality was beyond description,” he said and added that “this is defacing, not dehorning”.
The poachers went far beyond the horn and savagely hacked into their growth plates as well as the underlying skull. Fowlds highlighted that the poachers were only concerned with their own safety. “They did not care where the panga landed,” he said. “Their brutality is driven by their greed.”
Fowlds aims to humanise the issue so that we can physically understand the rhinos’ suffering. He likens the pain the rhino experiences to that which a human would experience if their leg was chopped off without anaesthetic. Kariega Game Reserve has proceeded to dehorn all rhinos on the reserve. “I’d far rather have a rhino without a horn than a dead rhino,” said Kariega Reserve Manager, Mike Fuller. “Farming rhino horn should maybe also be legalised so as to avoid the poaching,” he suggested.
Rhino poaching is an increasingly contentious issue within the global media. The rhino death toll has reached critical levels with over 130 rhinos dead this year. Statistics regarding rhino deaths by poaching are no longer being released to the public. Therefore South Africa is facing global criticism due to its handling of the situation.
There has been much media coverage since the Kariega poaching incident took place. Various avenues for fundraising have also been opened. “We need the world to understand how much the rhinos suffer. We need them to understand the truth,” he said. Fowlds encourages the Grahamstown community to get behind the rhino cause and start creating awareness. “Charity starts at home. Things are starting to move globally, but it is important not to leave the locals behind,” added Fowlds.
