Summary Execution by Richard Mark Dobson
Rhino poaching is on the increase in South Africa. As world demand for the horn increases in China and the Middle East (used in traditional medicine and to make dagger handles) the number of Rhino poached in South Africa in 2008 was close to 100. The dead animals include the critically endangered Black Rhino.
The rising death toll comes amid allegations that Mozambican authorities are not doing enough to crack down on known suspects and, in some cases, might be abetting poachers. Cross border incursions by poachers into South Africa’s Kruger National Park from neighbouring Mozambique, have been made easier with the formation of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (a total area of 35 000 square kilometres) which links the Kruger with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique.
A recent report revealed that poachers killed at least 43 rhinos between January 2004 and July 2008 in the Kruger Park and around its border. More than 40 rhinos were shot there between January and the end of November last year.
In many cases Mozambicans, allegedly employed by Asian syndicates operating out of South Africa, are the prime suspects. The syndicates are said to provide their local recruits with high-calibre weapons. Crossbows are also used because they are silent.
As part of my recent GEO assignment on South Africa’s borderline, I was given permission to go foot patrol with an anti-poaching task force, whose job it is to search out snares and when possible apprehend and arrest poachers. It’s a difficult and dangerous mission.
Unfortunately after 2 days of walking in the bush with nothing more than my Nikon to protect me (oh and 4 armed rangers with R1 rifles), I had drawn a blank photographically. No pictures of snares, or dead Rhino or dead poachers for that matter, and I was left with the conundrum of how best to illustrate the plight of the Rhino in the Kruger.
This picture of a juvenile White Rhino presented itself a day later. Darted from a chopper and with a blindfold to protect its dilated eyes from the harsh African sun, this female was been relocated to another reserve. I thought the towel created a quirky element to the picture, and raised a WTF is happening here kind of a question. Summary Execution? This demands attention.
My reasoning being, once I your attention, then I guess I can go on and tell you about the plight of the Rhino in Africa.
Want to see more of my borderline pics…go to http://rmde.jimdo.com/french-geo-sa-borderline/
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