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.
The first horn of the project is accomplished in association with the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) and consists of field response. The response team will go on site if there is an animal still alive after a poaching event, be it an adult rhino or a calf. They provide help and support to the park and the owner, make sure the rhino is looked after and that the investigations and forensics take place correctly. In the past, they have also intervened in emergency dehorning actions to reduce the risks of recurring poaching events on a reserve.
The second horn of the project is the rhino orphanage. It was started only a couple of years ago, primarily to focus on orphans of the poaching situation. It is a completely dedicated, non-tourist and non-commercial facility. The aim of the orphanage is to maximize the survival of traumatised calves by giving them the best possible care in a quiet and safe environment, in which they can also interact with other rhinos. Ultimately, the goal is to release them back into the wild as self-sustaining and reproducing rhinos.
The final and newest part of the project involves work with the Hoenspruit Veterinary Faculty. The Rhino Response Strategy team is helping the faculty in their process of getting the required equipment to deal with the current rhino poaching events. The objective is to facilitate the development of a unit for rhino surgery at Hoenspruit, something that does not currently exist and would greatly help the recovery of poached rhinos.
All of these different projects are crucial in helping to deal with post-poaching issues on both the human and rhino sides. The people involved are passionate and fully dedicated. To learn more about the Rhino Response Strategy visit http://rhino-response-strategy.blogspot.com.