An Invaluable Experience I Will Never Forget
– Vanina Harel
These two months in the African bush have been an extremely rewarding experience. It is one thing to read about the rhino poaching crisis in the news or in scientific papers; it is another to experience it for yourself. Before going onto the internship, I had read up about how critical the situation was. I knew all the facts, all the numbers. I was aware that more than two rhinos were killed every day but I felt very passive towards it. It might have been a way to protect myself from the cruel reality of the situation, I could not say. However, when I arrived on the reserve in South Africa and heard that two rhinos had been shot, only 15min away from us, the reality suddenly hit me. I could not ignore it anymore. The rhinos I have been filming for a whole month are in danger. After spending nearly every day with them, I feel a strong connection with every single one of them. To hear that they have been poached, now that we have left, would be devastating. This was the most interesting and amazing part of this experience; that I am now not only intellectually involved in this cause, but also emotionally, and in an even stronger way.
During our time in South Africa and Botswana, we met people who risk their lives to save the rhinos. Rangers who spend 25 days in a row in the bush, covered in ticks, in the freezing nights and hot days, tracking poachers to ensure the security of those big mammals. These anti-poachers are some of the most dedicated and passionate people in this cause. Then come the volunteers working at the orphanage. They stay day and night with the baby rhinos. They look after them, feed them, love them, and try to provide them with as much affection and care as possible to allow their recovery from the trauma of losing their mothers. It is for all those wholly dedicated people that we have to keep fighting. I feel the responsibility to encourage them and help them so that their hard work is worthwhile and eventually successful.
This experience has also been interesting at a personal level. Through living in the bush for two months and working with people from all over the world, I have learned a lot about myself. I have dealt with difficult situations and pressure, working in a team of people I did not know before. Our responsibilities were huge and we had to set a strong ground for future interns in the coming years. Being the director of photography and the sole video editor, I personally had to deal with a substantial workload and still feel the pressure to release a high-quality documentary about our experience. I think that our work has had an impact already, which will be even greater if we carry on with our efforts.
Finally, this internship has been a chance for me to fully understand one of the many wildlife crises of today’s world. It confirmed my desire to work as a wildlife filmmaker and conservationist internationally. I will continue to be involved as much as I can in the fight against rhino poaching and I will try to get involved in as many other conservation projects as possible. This was an invaluable experience I will never forget.