Protect and Save the life of Our Rhinos

Dear supporters,

I want to share with you a quick story of hope rising from complete tragedy…

Let me take you back to 2015, when the last rhino was killed on Karongwe during an attempted poach. Yes, I say attempted poach, because our anti-poaching team made it to her moments after gun shots were heard and left the poachers to flee – unfortunately moments too late.

After the incident, this female spent a full two days avoiding placing pressure on her front leg, at the site of the gunshot wound. In her panicked state she spent hours walking or running and infrequently stopped to feed or drink. GVI and Karongwe staff monitored her closely during this time, but after 48 hours the weight of her body overcame her and she succumbed to her injuries.

Another life had been lost and all we could do now was to focus on the one she left behind. At the time of the incident this almost ten-year-old female was still nursing a young calf, who had only just seen his first birthday. Rhino calves will stay with their mothers for up to three years, so this young males future was very uncertain.

As they are a highly social species, white rhino are typically found in pairs or small groups. GVI ensured to make extra efforts to observe this young male over the next few months to see whether he would join a crash of his own.

Much to our delight, this young male was taken in by an older male on the property. To this day the pair can still be seen together and according to our records are one of the only pairs that have been inseparable since the incident. In many cases, young calves are lost in poaching incidents due to stress, so although this is a tragic story, we can find peace in the fact that her offspring still thrives today.

Fortunately Karongwe has not suffered a rhino poaching incident for years. The efforts of our hard working anti-poaching team combined with regular dehorning can be attributed to this. Please continue to show your support for the work that this team does day in and day out putting their bodies on the line.

With gratitude,

The Karongwe Team

Dear Supporter, 

Under the threat of poaching, reserves will go to extreme measures to keep their rhinos safe. A few years ago Karongwe made the decision to dehorn all of their rhinos, in an effort to discourage poachers by making less of a reward available to anyone who risks trying to poach.

As a rhino’s horn grows constantly – just like our hair and fingernails – dehorning must be done every couple of years, and recently the reserve repeated dehorning on some of its rhinos which were due. GVI were asked to assist in the process so it was all hands on deck. The immobilised animals need to be kept in an upright position and can’t lean on one side for too long or they will injure their legs, which means the 1.5-tonne rhino must be supported and occasionally rolled from one side to the other - no easy task, even with a dozen people helping.

Although everyone was happy to help, it was also a sobering reality check. The image of a defenseless rhino having its horn removed with a chainsaw is not easy to forget and some can find the experience difficult to process at first. But all agree it isn’t the dehorning that’s upsetting, but the fact that this is the length we must go to if we want to protect these vulnerable animals.

Sadly, even after being dehorned a rhino can still fall victim to poachers. Because the base contains nerves and blood vessels it’s not possible to safely remove the entire horn and even the small amount that remains is worth an extraordinary amount on the black market. This is why, despite an entirely dehorned rhino population, Karongwe’s anti-poaching unit can never rest easy and know that the rhinos are safe, and must continuously monitor for poaching activity.

The GVI Trust is fully committed to helping these efforts, including recently funding vital repairs to anti-poaching vehicles so that the team don’t lose their ability to respond to threats quickly. Whether with funds raised from our amazing supporters, or by getting dirty and tired in hands-on tasks, we will do whatever we can to keep these incredible animals safe for another generation.

Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support.

The Karongwe Team