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| (Elles van Gelder) |
Every day
in South Africa, a rhinoceros will bleed to death after its horn has been
hacked off by poachers. The horns are sold on the black market in Asia, mostly
in Vietnam, where they’re believed to have powerful medicinal properties. Dutch
veterinarian Martine van Zijl Langhout works together with local wardens to try
and protect this threatened species.
Van Zijll
Langhout stalks as quietly as possible through the tall grass at Mauricedale
Park in the east of South Africa near the famous Kruger Park. She pulls back
the trigger on her special tranquiliser rifle, takes aim and fires. The
rhinoceros in her sights wobbles groggily for a few minutes before sinking onto
its knees and rolling unconscious onto its side. Van Zijll Langhout and her
team, carrying a chainsaw, approach the animal cautiously.
Brutal
killings
There are
some 20,000 rhinos in South Africa, 80 percent of the world population. And
every day these animals are slaughtered savagely by poachers. First the rhino
is shot to bring it down, and then the horn is hacked off with axes and
machetes. The poachers cut as deeply into the animal’s head as possible. Every
extra centimetre of horn means more money in their pockets. In 2007, thirteen
rhinos in South Africa fell victim to poachers.
Last year that number had soared to 448, and the toll so far this year
is 312.
Reducing
risk
Loud
snoring can be heard. The vet blindfolds the rhinoceros and then the park
manager starts up the chainsaw and proceeds to slice into the beast’s
horn. Van Zijll Langhout monitors its
breathing: “This is one way to stop the poachers” she explains. “They want as
much horn as possible so rhinos with a small horn are a less attractive
target”.
Van Zijll
Langhout came to South Africa in 1997 when she was still a student and worked
at Kruger Park with lions, elephants and rhinos. She knew she’d found her dream
job, and five years ago she returned as a qualified vet. “It’s an unquenchable
passion, such an adventure, and every day is different,” she says, “It’s such a
privilege to work with African animals and an honour to be able to do something
for them”.
No better
option
The
preventive removal of the rhinoceros’ horn takes about ten minutes. Van Zijll
Langhout, an energetic woman in her thirties with wildly curly hair, compares
the process to clipping nails or having a haircut: “It’s completely painless;
we cut above the blood vessels”. Again she checks the animal’s breathing as its
snores echo through the bush. “It’s not nice that we have to do this, but I
don’t really see a better option”, she sighs, “and the horn does grow back,
otherwise we wouldn’t do it.” The fact that visitors to the park might be
disappointed and expect to see rhinos complete with proud curving horns doesn’t
bother her: “What matters is the animals’ survival”.
Organised
crime
The fight
against poaching is a difficult one. “These are professional criminals”,
explains Van Zijll Langhout. “This isn’t about poor locals living in huts.
Poachers have advanced weapons and sometimes even use helicopters.” The horns
are worth more than their weight in gold, so it’s a lucrative trade for
organised crime syndicates.
The horn
falls to the ground; the team will preserve it and register it. The rhino is
given an injection. Within minutes he’s back on his feet and walking off into
the bush. His newly weightless head is no guarantee of safety though. A rhino
was poached in the park the same week as the horns were sawn off. Even the
stump that remains after the procedure is worth big money.
Click to
watch Elles van Gelder's video about rhino poaching (Dutch language)
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Rhino and wardens in Mauricedale Park (Elles van Gelder -
www.rnw.nl)
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Anaethsetised rhinoceros (Elles van Gelder - www.rnw.nl)
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Sawing off
the horn (Elles van Gelder - www.rnw.nl)
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Proceedure completed (Elles van Gelder - www.rnw.nl)
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