Brutality Unleashed

SOME sources say the attack on Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage may have ‘been an inside job’.

- Vanessa Papas

THULA THULA in Zulu culture means ‘peace and tranquillity’, and that’s exactly what every dedicated member of Fundimvelo Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage in KwaZulu Natal strived to create on their premises. After all, the orphaned rhino calves coming through their door – all victims of South Africa’s poaching epidemic – were traumatised enough. Just helpless, defenseless babies, they’d seen the unimaginable. They’d witnessed their moms butchered for their horns. Their lives may have been spared from the poacher’s bloody axe, but their futures were now uncertain. Thula Thula gave them hope for the future. The home provided a safe haven where these babies could feel loved and secure.

Impi and Gugu were among the many calves who had found refuge at Thula Thula. Every night, staff members would keep a watchful eye over the pair and their other orphaned friends. Everyone knew how precious these lives were. On Monday, February 20, a gang of seven or eight poachers breached the existing security at the Orphanage, penetrating the security patrols and fences. Once inside the grounds of the Orphanage, they launched a savage attack not only on the staff members but the rhino calves. Sadly Impi and Gugu lost their lives as a result.