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Funny Signs of the weekThe Aquila rhino massacre
I had dropped to my knees in tears at the sight of the bloodied mess. Aquila Private Game Reserve‘s owner, Searl Derman, picked me up off the ground, wrapped his arms around me and led me away from the gruesome crime scene. I have seen and dealt with many images of dead, dehorned rhinos but nothing prepared me for experiencing it firsthand. “˜What more could I have done?’ he said, “˜I feel like I’ve lost my child.’
It was the weekend and one of the Cape’s hottest tourist attractions was pumping with guests. Just 1.5 km from the lodge, two teams of poachers had entered the 7 500 hectare reserve in the early hours of Saturday 20 August 2011.They entered on foot using thermal night vision equipment to help them track down the rhinos. They effortlessly administered schedule seven drugs into three of the six resident rhinos. The rhinos had to be darted, if they shot them the anti poaching team and guests would hear the shots.
The reserve manager was alerted early on Saturday morning by the anti poaching team who had disturbed the poachers. They had found Aquila’s first rhino, nicknamed ABSA, still alive but with his front horn sawed off by a chain saw. The poachers had started on the second horn when they were disturbed and bolted for the fence line. The reserve manager and his team then went on a hunt for the other two rhino that were unaccounted for. Two helicopters and a small aircraft flew in from Cape Town and together they scoured the reserve to find them.
The second rhino they found was ABSA’s daughter, a young female who had been darted by the poachers and was barely alive but hadn’t been hurt yet. Thanks to the efforts of the sophisticated anti-poaching team, the poachers hadn’t got the chance to get to her. After receiving an antidote to the dart she was fine and unhurt but lingered close to her father for hours.
The third was a young male. He’d tripped and stumbled into a drainage line in his drugged haze. Using a chain saw and a machete the poachers had hacked into his flesh and cut off both his horns, leaving him to bleed to death. The poachers got away with more than 4 million rand in rhino horn. It was too late for him and the police and vets were called in to carry out an autopsy.
After having deterred two attempted poaching incidents within the last year, the Aquila anti-poaching team were equipped with the best equipment the organization could afford. Yet with R40 000+ night vision goggles, bullet proof vests, semi automatic weapons, quad bikes, vehicles and consistent monitoring throughout the night by the anti-poaching team, the poachers still managed to carry out their attack and nearly got all they came for.
ABSA was lying on his side – his head heavy, his eyes sad with a disconnected stare. His stump was covered in blood – his profile no longer representing one of a rhino. A pile of lucerne lay in front of him, untouched. A trickle of medicated water passed in front of him in the hopes that he’d drink it. The vets had no choice but to insert a syringe into his rump that would help ease his pain and inflammation. The vet’s concern at this stage was the lack of circulation to his legs and the stress that he’d endured. The procedure was tricky and dangerous but we all smiled and congratulated the vets and Searl once they’d successfully administered the medication. It was a small victory in the face of defeat.
The poachers are conducting a sophisticated operation – whoever it is behind this has access to schedule seven drugs: drugs that only vets would have. Drugs that are so regulated that there are legal requirements for prescription, storage, record keeping and destruction. These people are educated. They know exactly what they’re doing.
My concern is the lack of solutions, the lack of time and the lack of urgency by our authorities. My concern is the lack of transparency by the organizations who receive large sums of money in donations and yet rhino owners are still struggling to afford equipment and manpower. My fear is that Africa is possibly so entrenched in the pockets of our friends in the east that we are fighting a losing battle.
The small victory for Aquila is that their anti-poaching team were responsible for saving the lives of two of the attacked rhino. Their other victory was starting a viral campaign on social media platforms. Celebrities such as MC Hammer, Jo Anne Strauss, Albie Morkel and Brian Habana tweeted about #rhinopoaching, creating a world-wide awareness of the atrocity.
@AquilaSafaris: ….. third Rhino has been found…. dead…. cannot describe the devastation we are all feeling.. #aquilarhino #rhinopoaching
This is not the end – this is only the beginning of a controversial anti-poaching campaign. Let’s kick up a fuss and make some noise for Searl and his rhinos and every other rhino we’ve lost to poaching. Join the World Rhino Day campaign on the 22 September and help create the change we need to see.
For more images go to Getaway Magazine’s Facebook page.
Aquila is offering a R100 000 reward for information which could lead to the arrest of the rhino poachers.
Contact Mandi Jarman – 072-256-5531 or owner, Searl – 082-888-8661
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The Aquila rhino massacre - ABSA dies »Tags: anti poaching, Aquila Private Game Reserve, karoo, rhino conservation, rhino day, rhino poaching, rhinos
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25 Responses to “The Aquila rhino massacre”
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August 22, 2011 at 8:35 am
This is dreadful but the positives are so uplifting as well, thank you for focussing on the good and efforts that the Aquila team are going through to conserve our wildlife! What can we, as the public, do because I am so interested in supporting the conservation of our wildlife and want to help as much as I can
The images are shocking but they need to be seen by the public to create awareness of the devastation! We can no longer ignore the massacre of our wildlife and we are responsible to ensure their survival!
I am so devastated at what has happened especially as I have experienced those rhino first hand and they’re wonderful individuals to be so close to! I hope the big guy pulls through, thinking of him all the time!
August 22, 2011 at 8:56 am
Moving back to SA from dubai…. and due to all this i’m motivated to find a job in nature conservation. I want to help in protecting……
August 22, 2011 at 10:07 am
I am heart broken! The tears just wont stop! I pray for ABSA’s full recovery!
August 22, 2011 at 11:37 am
This is just too awful for words – tears are falling down because of this barbaric mind set – we need to stop this at the source – the East!
August 22, 2011 at 12:00 pm
It is by high time that our government took a stand against the Chinese Government and stopped importing good from their country, that would start a snowball effect and the rest of the country stopped using Chinese goods. Come on people let’s take a stand agains OUR RHINOS BEING POACHED FOR THEIR GREED
August 22, 2011 at 2:01 pm
I agree with that sentiment!
August 22, 2011 at 12:27 pm
This is heartbreaking, may the poachers rot in hell. How can people treat animals like this, they also have feelings.
August 22, 2011 at 12:59 pm
It is time we fought for a change of legislations so that poachers can be tried for sabotage as a crime against the state as these giants are our nautral resources and should be protected not only by the few Reserves but by the State. We need a change of legisklation and a total lack of tolerance and shoot to kill in the reseves if they find them.
August 22, 2011 at 1:27 pm
I hope you guys find the people responsible and that they get the full law book at them.
I hope that ABSA makes a full recovery!!
Good luck guys!
August 22, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Oh dear God… WHEN will the bloody demand for rhino horn STOP!!! I vote for the death penalty for paochers, they are stealing lives and our children’s inheritance.
August 22, 2011 at 4:15 pm
I am deeply saddened by the latest events. Our government needs to intervene & inform the east that if they “Want our minerals, Lay off our wild life” – an ultimatum.
August 22, 2011 at 4:58 pm
shocking news! visited aquila 2 weeks ago and saw all the rhinos healthy and well… very sad!
August 23, 2011 at 5:41 am
It is so sad to read about ABSA and the rhinos. Cannot believe there are people out there who are so cruel and heartless and just for money, it’s disgusting!
Job well done to the anti-poaching team, I hope the government does something that will help you guys more.
August 23, 2011 at 11:53 am
Let’s hope everyone gets together and makes 22nd September a good day for all our big friendly rhino’s out there!
August 23, 2011 at 2:40 pm
It breaks my heart that all animals are suffering under certain people greed for money and power !!! I true detest all animal poachers and killers !!! By making people aware its a great start !!!
August 23, 2011 at 2:44 pm
How can I help?
I am completely horrified at the unutterable cruelty.
I can barely recall when I last felt so sad.
All strength to all at Aquila.
And ABSA, ….fight boy, fight.
Your story must be told around the world.
August 23, 2011 at 3:01 pm
I agree…its now time for this goverment of ours to make real decisions about this issue. They are ignoring this issue because of their relationship with China. Stop wasting our money on yourselves and save your and our childrens heritage
August 23, 2011 at 8:08 pm
We the people have to do someting, we have to react. The government won’t help, as they they don’t see animals and flora as a heritage. There is no way we can allow this slaughter to go on. The above pictures broke my heart.
I pray that Searl and his Absa will be reutined again. And I if these rats can kill a beautful animal like this, they need to be killed (no questions asked). I heard you on the radio today and yesterday , Searl, and listening to you, made me cry, I agree, poison the horns, kill the the bastards who are kiling our innocent animals.
Sally Weir
August 23, 2011 at 10:25 pm
Christy, you are such a soldier. You do such good work, I think you should become an honorary anti-poaching ranger and go and join teams across the country. I would gladly get involved. I swear I’d kill anyone that stepped anywhere near one of our beautiful rhinos without even a blink. I am that prepared to do it, I’m sure you are too.
August 24, 2011 at 4:26 am
Terrible…
August 24, 2011 at 8:22 am
Thinking of Absa… praying for his recovery!
I wish they could shoot these poachers on site – they don’t deserve to live
August 25, 2011 at 9:15 am
Its the murder of Nature…
August 25, 2011 at 10:26 am
First of all, My condoleances… I´ll really hope thet these poor animals did not fighted for nothing. Let´s do something !!!
This is my feelings !
I´m get so furious that this poaching still get´s on and on, especially on rhinos, such a wonderful animal,calm and vulnerable…. I´ve read it many times now in many blogs,comments etc. Show China that we are tired on the way they treat animals, and how they undermine the illegal traffic with skins from tigers,leopards,ivory from elephants and horns from Rhinos and many many other animals, Ban Chinese goods, Let the world know who ´s the final customer. See also how they intervein in African business,( sernegeti road for example ) And how could I get information where to start to get in contact with about this tragedy hight up in the hierakie, to start working to let more people read about sad stories , sad stories as this in Aquila Game Reserve for example. Newspapers , TV in my own country. politicians. Human recources. I´m so tired and get so sad to read this all the time… It´s time to put down our feets and do something. Picture the people who is in the final chain… consumers, poachers. Do something !!! my e-mailadress is peter@worldtravels.nu 46-19-100400 i´m from Sweden. I´ve sold journeys to Africa almost 30 years and visited many many game reserves,parks in East Africa and Southern Africa. But this was the drip !!! Trust me !! Where do we start ? Contact me, I will try to get this horrible story in our swedish daily newspapers.
August 25, 2011 at 11:16 am
This is so sad and shocking! I can imagine God looking at creation and being hart broken! This is not why He created us. He created man to have dominion not cause disctruction! He created us to protect and have rulership over this world! We as a human race clearly don’t understand the heart of God because if we did this world would be so much different. ABSA I agree with so many saying we are sorry that you had to go through this because of greed and evil but I will be praying for the justice of God and that those people will pay the ultimate price for these acts of evil.
To the team that worked on these beautiful animal and also for the animal rights people, I salute you and pray for God’s wisdom to handle these situations.
August 25, 2011 at 1:40 pm
This is tragic. As one effort to help stop rhino poaching, the Wilderness Foundation desperately needs people to sign a petition that is geared to help rally support from international governments. Please help out by following this link: http://wildernessfoundation.co.za/savetherhinos/