An in your face atrocity!

Imagine you are in the most pristine wildlife environment you have ever seen; a trip of a lifetime enjoying being in the wild watching some of Earths’ greatest creatures in their natural habitat.  Then you came across this..., a female rhino who at first you were joyous to see.  You learn from your guide you are watching an endangered species approach; what a privilege.  But as this big beautiful creature moved slowly toward you on the road you see that she is in great peril.  This rhino has had her horn hacked off by poachers.  

The rhinoceros you are watching has suffered the greatest of tragedies.  Her horn has been slashed off while she was still alive.  She has, it appears, also had her eyes gorged out.  Why?  So the poachers didn't feel guilty having her watch them whack at her face with machetes or whatever cruel tools they used to secure her horn?  The wound, it was estimated, was a couple of days old; already infested with maggots.  That means this poor girl had wandered blind - assuming both eyes were gorged out - and in great pain, not knowing why she was suffering; why these people did this to her. 

We know why though; even if it makes no sense to most of us; these poachers did this because of the great sums of money they have been offered for this poor girls' horn.  I blame the poachers less than I blame the people who are paying these poachers to do such a despicable act; those who sell the horn to some faraway place for great financial gain to satisfy a far-fetched idea that ground up rhino horn will give them great prowess in bed or cure some illness.... 

I have had the pleasure of seeing this amazingly beautiful and regal species in their natural environment on many occasions.  It's a pleasure you can't imagine until you too see it for yourself.  It will still your heart and bring tears to your eyes; but not the kind of tears I have cried for this beauty wondering around Kruger National Park in pain and perhaps blind; blind to sight and blind to the reason she was treated to such a cruel end.  And this was her end.  The powers that be, the same ones that can't seem to stop this from happening in their park, located her after she wandered for another two days in excruciating pain and bewilderment.  They discovered she also had a bullet in her head.  There was no chance of survival - they had to put her down.

I share this sad story with you to ask you to do something to help end this madness. Rhinos will be extinct in a matter of a few years if this doesn't stop.  Three hundred and forty one rhinos have been killed already this year in South Africa alone and it is only March.  By some counts there are fewer than 15,000 rhinos left in the world.  Some South African game farms are moving their rhinos to Botswana in hopes Botswana might be able to protect them a bit better than South Africa, but their survival even there is not guaranteed.

Do something to help!  Even if it is just sharing this blog and getting the message out so more people are aware of the plight of the rhino.  Maybe along the way you will reach a few who have some extra funds and can donate monies to the cause.  Kruger National park needs help; manpower, more helicopters, tracking dogs, more government intervention.

Find a charity that does good work in this field and donate. The world needs to hear this story and help.  Please!  This rhino cannot have suffered such great pain and emptiness in vein.  Again, at the very least share this blog to help get the word out.

May this precious girl rest in peace knowing her death; her pain; her suffering was not in vein.

Do Something!