Cruel to be kind to rhinos
The Citizen|August 07, 2024
As satisfying as it is seeing a rhino wander off, horn removal is unpleasant to watch.
Charl Bosch
Cruel to be kind to rhinos

You'd have to have a heart of stone not to be emotionally moved watching a rhino being dehorned.

When I got up close and personal with one of these sedated animals undergoing the process, I felt as if I wanted to reach out and assure it with a comforting hug.

Feeling its almost armour-plated skin reminded me of a tough World War II Sherman tank.

Like the Sherman, the rhino was armed with a formidable horn... but seeing that cut off was akin to watching a Sherman have its powerful 75mm main gun removed... leaving it almost defenceless.

As I watched the dehorning process in the dusty bushveld of the Pilanesberg national park, I was filled with anger, heartache and a desire to stop the process.

Unsurprisingly, tears were shed as the distinct smell of ivory after each dehorning became second nature and literally harder to get out of one's nose.

As horrible as the process is and beyond the proverbial bitter pill to swallow, it simply needs to be done to conserve the rhino population, while also giving the horn to those driven by money.

"We would rather see a healthy, dehorned rhino than a dead one," administering vet Gerhard Scheepers said, admitting that some 160 rhinos had been killed since the first poaching case in the Pilanesberg was reported 14 years ago.

The sight of seeing a dehorning, as much as it disgusts and angers, remains a sad and vital reality to prevent ultimate extinction.

Bu hikaye The Citizen dergisinin August 07, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye The Citizen dergisinin August 07, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

THE CITIZEN DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Why buying vacant land in an estate is a good investment
The Citizen

Why buying vacant land in an estate is a good investment

Investing in a coastal estate is beneficial for everyone from first-time buyers to families and retirees, but the big debate is often between buying a home or buying land and building oneself.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 30, 2024
A rising star in clean living
The Citizen

A rising star in clean living

Soweto-based entrepreneur and author of the book #I am a housekeeper, Mbali Nhlapo, widely known as the founder of Sisters @ Work and a viral TikTok sensation, has become a household name in South African homes.

time-read
3 dak  |
November 30, 2024
Notre Dame gets love
The Citizen

Notre Dame gets love

Americans open their hearts and wallets

time-read
3 dak  |
November 30, 2024
Heart-stopping vistas of Cape Town
The Citizen

Heart-stopping vistas of Cape Town

Table Mountain is the lodestar

time-read
3 dak  |
November 30, 2024
K-culture doing OK in Sunshine Land
The Citizen

K-culture doing OK in Sunshine Land

Fans flock to sites associated with boy band

time-read
3 dak  |
November 30, 2024
Hello? Calling my owner?
The Citizen

Hello? Calling my owner?

Lost, but nearly always found-even your pet

time-read
2 dak  |
November 30, 2024
Proteas tighten grip
The Citizen

Proteas tighten grip

DOMINANT: STUBBS, BAVUMA TONS BAT SRI LANKA RIGHT OUT OF THE GAME

time-read
2 dak  |
November 30, 2024
Sirino looks ready to go
The Citizen

Sirino looks ready to go

Gaston Sirino (above) could return for Kaizer Chiefs in their Betway Premiership clash with Royal AM today at the Peter Mokaba Stadium in Polokwane.

time-read
1 min  |
November 30, 2024
The Citizen

Inexperience becoming a tired excuse

There will always be reasons that teams are defeated, but there is one particular excuse that has become too easy for our national cricket teams to lean on when they lose.

time-read
2 dak  |
November 30, 2024
Cricket-mad Vaibhav's dream becomes reality
The Citizen

Cricket-mad Vaibhav's dream becomes reality

Dreams have come early for cricket-mad Vaibhav Suryavanshi, the shy schoolboy aged 13 who is the youngest player in Indian Premier League history.

time-read
1 min  |
November 30, 2024