Can Generation Y Redeem the Sins of the Fathers for the Benefit of Generation Z?
The human onslaught and threat to wildlife, especially in Africa, is not a new phenomenon. Ever since Europe colonized Africa, the continent’s wildlife has been eradicated with brute gunpowder and man’s intent on satisfying his lust for blood sport. Many European and British colonial vanquishers relished in the delight of trekking for months in Africa with an arsenal of horses, men, ox-wagons, guns, gunpowder and indigenous slaves to embark on a journey of destruction of Africa’s wildlife.Continue reading “Can Generation Y Redeem the Sins of the Fathers for the Benefit of Generation Z?”
Retrospect is a lovely thing. I am now sitting at my desk, back in city civilization and reflecting on the past 2 months that we – a group of 5 young interns – spent in the bush doing rhino conservation. What a journey it has been.
I feel deeply blessed to have had the opportunity to spend this time learning about the rhino plight and contributing positively to the cause. We had the privilege of meeting, interviewing, working with, and learning from some remarkable people who inspired an intense commitment in all of us to wildlife conservation – not only for the rhinos, but on a much larger scale.
‘We need to remain positive and
remember that every iota of energy that
is put into this battle is helping’
The internship taught me that fighting a cause like this is damn hard. If we aren’t going to do it, however, who is? There is so much greed, corruption and destruction in the human race and it is an extremely challenging war to fight because of the complexity of the criminal networks involved. There are moments when saving the rhinos seems completely hopeless, but we need to remain positive and remember that every iota of energy that is put into this battle is helping. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that, but during our time in the bush we met so many people that are fighting this war on the frontline and are exposed to things daily that most of us would only experience in our worst nightmares. They are still fighting. And if they are, then we must too. The importance of positivity, perseverance and dedication is definitely something this internship taught me, and taught me well. I feel touched and inspired by the people who thanklessly protect our rhinos and I feel even more dedicated to this cause now because of that than I did going into the internship.
‘If you are reading this now, then you
have the power to make a difference’
I feel that many of us want to help in some way, but are unsure how to do so. Not all of us can be out in the field working in an anti-poaching unit. Not all of us have funds to donate. Some of us may not feel we have the time to dedicate to yet another cause. But, if you are reading this now, then it means that you have the internet, which also means that you have immense power to share news and inform/educate people. Sometimes making a difference is as easy as hitting the ‘share’ button on your browser or liking a post so that it reaches more people. Every time you are on facebook, twitter, pinterest, or any other social media platform, remember that making a difference is literally at your fingertips. Sometimes we can only help in small ways, but if a lot of us make small contributions, the results can be far-reaching and substantial. Personally, I will continue to be an ambassador for StopRhinoPaching.com and I will use my connections (both locally and internationally) as well as my skills (both old and new) to increase global awareness, raise funds and educate individuals worldwide about the importance of wildlife conservation. These are things that any of us can do. So let’s do them!
‘It was an experience that I would
repeat in a heartbeat’
On the whole the internship was an invaluable experience and one that I will cherish forever. I genuinely feel that I grew as a person, learned more than I could have possibly anticipated, met extraordinary people, developed sound business skills and, of course, deepened my love and respect for rhinos as a species. Despite the many emotional and physical challenges, it was an experience that I would repeat in a heartbeat. I feel lucky every day that I got to be a part of such an important and significant experience. I feel inspired to make a difference and bring some light back into a sometimes dark world. I hope all of you reading this can be that light too. Be the difference with us.
It has been around two weeks since the internship ended and as I have eased my way back into reality I have come to some realizations of how deeply this whole internship impacted me. I come to feel more connected to nature in a way. I feel more comfortable around animals and other such creatures. As silly as this may sound coming from a suburban city-like area, nature is not always the primary influence in your life. When friends ask me how my summer was, I say that it was awesome and fantastic. I learned more than I could have imagined and a whole new dimension of our world was opened up to me. The other night I found myself sitting in bed browsing through ProTrack’s Facebook page (an anti-poaching company), and viewed a new video they created. I started tearing up because it brought the reality of what is going on in Africa cam flooding back. Even though I may not be there, there are still people working for ProTrack who are committed to stopping the rhino poaching. I could not have more respect for these people. The anger and disappointment that I feel towards this poaching epidemic is difficult for me to describe in words. But as long as there are people on the ground in Africa fighting for our wild-life I will continue to do my part to raise money for them as well as bring awareness to the situation. The individuals I have met in Africa are not only from South Africa; people have gathered from all over the world for one common purpose: to stop rhino poaching. Although from different countries, we all feel as if the rhinos belong to the world, and that borders should not define a sense of belonging.
I have a love for participating in events where people from all over the world come together. There is no other word to describe this except magical – when people from all different backgrounds and points of view can come together for a common purpose. Seeing these sorts of events make me feel inspired to take action and actually do something. None of us want to live in a world where we are massacring our animal populations, because whether we like it or not, our lack of respect for the environment is leading to the suffocation of ourselves. I now consider myself an ambassador of wildlife for life and will continue where I can to bring an end to stop rhino poaching.
Elise Daffue founded StopRhinoPoaching.com in 2010 primarily as an informative web-based platform about rhino poaching, the syndicates and the characteristics of the demand. However, they started getting involved in fundraising not much later as more and more people got involved and wanted to help. StopRhinoPoaching was elected best NGO of the year in 2012 because of the huge success of their projects.Continue reading “Prevention Measures – StopRhinoPoaching.com”
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.Continue reading “An Invaluable Experience I Will Never Forget”
The rhino YPO Interns have successfully completed a 2 month stay in South Africa and Botswana. Loads of challenges have brought us new insights into the conservation and preservation of our planet in general. Unique ways of seeing how one can help and what nations internationally can pursue are all components that I can take away into shaping me into a better person. Before I declared to officially join the rhino conservation internship, I knew very little about rhinos and the current plight against them. Now after enduring 8 weeks in the bush and experiencing multiple components to anti-poaching, I have a better insight into protecting wildlife every day. The war against rhinos and other wildlife cannot be defeated by one single country. My group and I have decided to take the information gathered from interviews, personal experiences, and group exercises and compose an educational presentation aimed at the main demanders of rhino horn trade; the Vietnamese and Chinese. Our group may seem to many like just a needle in a haystack trying to educate an entire culture and way of life for many people. However, what if entire nations put pressure on main demanders to cut mass demand on rhino horn?Continue reading “A Needle in a Haystack”
A few nights ago, as we drove back to camp after a long day of rhino tracking, we spotted a wild dog killing an impala. The impala lay slumped at the side of the road, injured but alive. Our car had startled the wild dog as we drove by, and he trotted back a few paces as we stopped, abandoning his meal, before turning to watch us. When we pulled a few feet further away from the impala, however, we were not close enough to worry him anymore, and he quickly returned to his prey. He grabbed the impala by the neck, pulling her until she was standing, and then dragged her by the neck across the road. She stumbled after him awkwardly. As he reached the other side of the road, we heard a loud crack, and the impala fell forward onto her face, finally out of her misery. The dog was smaller than this particular impala, and struggled to pull her up from the side of the road into the grass. Once he succeeded, he looked around, presumably for his pack, and even stood up on his hind legs to get a better view, before trotting off, maybe to find them.Continue reading “Predators and Prey”
Elephants are known to be extraordinarily intelligent creatures. It has now been scientifically proven that elephants are smarter than we give them credit for with brains relatively similar to that of a human.Continue reading “PTSD in Rhinos?”
What Happens After a Poaching Event? – The Rhino Response Strategy
– Vanina Harel
When a rhino is poached, it is not only the targeted individual that is affected. The calves that might have witnessed the poaching of their mother are found deeply stressed. In addition, rangers and reserve managers who have to deal with such events, share the trauma. The Rhino Response Strategy, of which Karen Trendler is the coordinator, is a project that helps at three different levels.Continue reading “What Happens After a Poaching Event? – The Rhino Response Strategy”
