Time

Person Speaking

Dialogue

01:00:17:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Ahhhh, I just opened the door… and then that’s when I saw these five guys holding the girls, um and ja, with the weapon facing me. 

My first reflex was to kind-of step back.

And then they grabbed me by the shirt and just took me out.

I saw the big axe.

I knew they didn’t come for us.  Ahh, I knew it was for the rhino.

And then they asked me, ‘where are the rhino horn’?

And I just told them we are a rhino orphanage, we just have babies, ahh, we don’t have horns.

AAhhh, I was kind of shocked so I didn’t really react. And then he started he hurt me with a panga.  My back, he just started to hit me on the back. 

And then you know, I just took our petty cash box and just give it to them.

Ahhh, it’s still there,,,, they didn’t want to touch the money or anything. So they asked me to just empty it ja….”

01:01:37:00

Bonné de Bod

 “What was going through your mind at that stage?”

01:01:49:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Yeah, just you know… knowing why they were here.

It was for the rhino.

And thinking about all the babies, you know.  They’ve got such a tiny horn. 

And yeah, I think about all of them. All this time I spent with them… feeding them. 

Getting them through the trauma, and just thinking now they are alone there. 

Facing it again.

You know it’s just….”

010:02:35:00

Karl Ammann
Investigative Journalist

 “I put the question marks to rhino horn shavings… so it might be the same rhino horn, but it could be potentially another horn.

You need to know where the stuff comes from, where it goes.  The whole supply chain might start in Kruger, but where the hell does it end up?”

01:02:57:00

Archive news reports

“The Kruger National Park is home to the largest population of rhinos on the planet, and they are being poached here.”

“A high stakes war against trafficking, of something worth more than gold, cocaine, even diamonds… the coveted horn of the endangered rhino.”

“It’s called a miracle medicine.”

”Being sold on the black market in Asia, an epidemic of slaughter, and at this rate the rhino is doomed.”

“And on the ground, the situation resembles war.”

01:03:26:00

Rangers arresting poachers

Ranger1: “Put your hands up…. crossfire!”

Ranger2: “You there… “

Ranger1: Hey!  Put your hands up!

Ranger3: “…put your hands up!”

Ranger4: “Another one at the back. Put your hands up!”

01:03:38:00

 Dr Johan Marais
Saving the Survivors

“What worries me, can you see that?  It’s probably due to bullet damage.  The bone fragments are just lying there.”

01:03:57:00

Organised Crime Investigating Officer

 “Is there only one suspect that’s been arrested?”

01:04:00:00

Police Officer

“Yes, only one suspect.  A Chinese national.  He was traveling to Hong Kong.”

01:04:10:00

Bonné de Bod

“It looks like fresh horn.”

01:04:12:00

Organised Crime Investigating Officer

“Gosh they still smell.”

01:04:24:00

Rhino horn dealer

“So the rhino, it will go like blood.  Like blood you see?  Beautiful huh?” 

01:04:30:00

Susan Scott

 “So how many would you make from one horn?”

01:04:32:00

Rhino horn dealer

“6 kilo, 6kg horn can make a lot.”

01:04:36:00

Bonné de Bod

“How much is it per gram?”

01:04:37:00

Rhino horn dealer

“1 gram, 2 million dong.  About 94 US dollar for 1 gram.”

01:04:43:00

Susan Scott & Bonné de Bod

 “Ninety four?!”

01:04:44:00

Rhino horn dealer

“It’s rhino!”

01:45:51:00

Susan Scott

 ”Okay, I'm good to go....

01:04:54:00

Bonné de Bod

“So then I’ll just do two…”

01:04:55:00

Susan Scott

“…is this your mode of transport for today de Bod?!"  

01:04:57:00

Bonné de Bod

”This is hilarious!"

01:04:58:13

NARRATION Bonné

This used to be our day job. 

01:05:01:00

Susan Scott

 “Okay, one more, quickly!  Okay, I’m closer on you… and go!”

01:05:06:00

Bonné de Bod

“The heat here is almost unbearable.”

01:05:07:04

NARRATION Bonné

It’s not everyday one gets a chance to live their dream… but here both of us were…

01:05:12:14

Susan Scott

“Let's go"

01:05:13:01

NARRATION Bonné

… living an outdoor life... what we had dreamed of doing since we were kids.  

Susan trained as a cinematographer in the states, but opportunities were limited for female cines back in the 90s… returning home to South Africa, she edited for some of the best wildlife filmmakers until she was brave enough to start filming again.

My path was very different!  

Approached by a modeling scout during my college years, I became a model after graduation... it was a surreal experience that lasted several years, but my heart never left wildlife.

01:05:52:00

Bonné de Bod

“The more we debate this…”

01:05:53:09

NARRATION Bonné

And I chose a field reporting job with South Africa’s national broadcaster over an agency in London...

01:05:59:00

Bonné de Bod

“In the heart of South Africa!”

01:06:00:01

NARRATION Bonné

It was the best thing I ever did! 

Both of us were successful...

01:06:05:00

Bonné de Bod

 “discussion on illegal wildlife…”

01:06:06:02

NARRATION Bonné

…and it was a comfortable life.

01:06:08:00

Bonné de Bod

“Rhinos are very sociable animals…”

01:06:09:19

NARRATION Bonné

Fast forward four years later... and here we are... fearing for our lives.

01:06:16:00

Bonné de Bod

“I just hope it holds, so maybe if you can stick it at the top as well.”

01:06:17:00

Susan Scott

“I know, I know… I’m going to stick here as well.

01:06:19:00

Bonné de Bod

“There’s no turning around now.”

01:06:20:07

NARRATION Bonné

So why did we quit our jobs, cash in our investments, even move in with our mothers...? 
What caused us to give up everything?

01:06:32:00

Susan Scott

“Okay, Bonné… when you’re ready.”

01:06:37:14

NARRATION Bonné

This.  This caused our life change.  

01:06:44:00

Susan Scott

 Sorry, give me a second…”

01:06:47:18

NARRATION Bonné

And, we had to get to the bottom of why.

01:07:13:00

K9 Ranger
Sergeant Special Ops, Kruger National Park.

“There is a fight happening.  A fight in this national park. I can’t promise that we will win.  But we are trying our best.  Our best to win the fight.”

01:07:36:00

Kruger Ranger
Commander, Special Ops, Kruger National Park

“I, I think we are called to be warriors sometimes.  We are here to uphold the law and honour the constitution. But at the same time, a warrior has to take that step forward and be prepared to take a life to protect a life. 

Hunting poachers, people that are illegally hunting our wildlife, that will cause harm to other people... meaning that if my life is in danger or if my men’s life are in danger because another man wants to shoot at us... yeah I’m gonna shoot him.  For sure.”

At the end of the day, someone has to stand between the rhino and the poacher... and in conservation today it is us, the rangers.  We gotta stand between the rhino and the poacher.  Otherwise all the rhino will be killed.  It’s quite simple hey.”

01:08:43:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“As a boy I had a fascination with dinosaurs.  There’s I think the link... they are the modern day dinosaur. 

You can sense that about them.  They’re a really old animal and something that people have seen for thousands of years.   I think that’s what makes them special.  There’s this air of importance around them. 

A lot of these reserves, particularly iMfolozi, exist for rhino.  And they’ve acted as the umbrella specie for so many other species that have benefitted from their conservation.  You look at this reserve which was proclaimed 120-years ago to protect rhino... now we sit here with rhino, wild dog, cheetah, elephant, huge tracts of land for vultures, so many have benefitted just from rhino.  So they only get more and more important as time goes on.” 

01:09:40:09

NARRATION Bonné

iMfolozi ranger is in charge of the hardest hit section in the park... and the park is the second hardest hit area in the world... after Kruger. 

It’s full moon and there were multiple incursions last night.

01:09:54:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“Guys think it’s very easy to catch a guy in the bush... these guys are fit, they’re driven by adrenaline, which is the main thing... it’s very difficult hey.  He’s always at the advantage... he’s choosing where to go, you have to follow.”

01:10:07:14

NARRATION Bonné

This section is three times the size of Paris... most of it inaccessible wilderness.

With less than 20 rangers under his command for this massive area... he is stretched thin for tonight and has requested re-inforcements.

01:10:24:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“They tried to shoot a rhino but we saw them. Shots were fired”

01:10:29:00

Other ranger

“they didn’t succeed?”

01:10:30:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“Yes, and they could be back tonight, they tried for a horn last night but we stopped them. ”

01:10:33:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“You can put the most extravagant fence here and people will always find a way in... you can see the hand marks here...”

01:10:38:15

NARRATION Bonné

Poachers have already scaled the park fence at a known entry point.

01:10:43:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“under, over, through…they will get in”

01:10:46:09

NARRATION Bonné

This unit is being deployed into where the poachers entered. 

01:10:51:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“It will get ugly in here, so remember that.  The police will be outside.  Did corporal tell you? 

01:10:58:00

Other ranger

“What? Right now?

01:11:01:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“Yes, so if you want to go outside you have to radio me.  Otherwise we will have a problem.”

01:11:06:14

NARRATION Bonné

It’s eerie knowing they are already inside... waiting for the moon.

01:11:13:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

 “So coming up to the full moon, there is an increase in poaching attempts... and then going away from the full moon it slowly decreases as the illumination of the moon decreases.”

01:11:20:00

Bonné de Bod

“And, and just, you know for, for people living in the city, when you in the bush and it’s full moon just how light is it, I mean, how easy is it?

01:11:30:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“It’s as light as day Bonné. Uhm… There’s no, there’s very little ambient light out here so a full moon can provide you enough light to walk around the bush wherever you please at night.

It sounds crazy but in situations where you may hear poachers approaching you, you would actually look for cover.  Not cover in the sense of getting behind a bush, but look for shade that is made by the moon. And you would get into that shade, that’s how light it is.

The poachers use that light to their advantage because they… they can’t come in when there is no moon and use lights because this is a big black hole at night.  Any light that we see whether it be from a torch or a cellphone it stands out like you can’t believe. 

We hate seeing that moon.  It sounds strange but you know it’s going to come up but you sit there wishing like just today maybe it won’t come up.”

01:12:44:00

Carmela Lattanzi
Private Rhino Owner

“We obviously look at these vehicles...”

01:12:46:00

Bonné de Bod

 “You see it’s right next to the road!”

01:12:48:00

Carmela Lattanzi
Private Rhino Owner

“It’s right next to the road... so it’s such easy access, it’s a tar, it’s a main road.  So it’s so easy for someone to stop, jump off, quickly come in... and there’s always an inside informant.  There’s always somebody that will give them guidelines where the rhinos are that day… and they’ll know.

01:13:03:00

Other person

“People may say it’s a beautiful moon, but for us we call it “poachers moon”.

01:13:07:00

Carmela Lattanzi
Private Rhino Owner

You see now this is suspicious.  This pole has been bent like this. Dean just go back please…” 

Um, that is very suspicious. And the last time when they came in, they bent the fence in exactly the same way.”

01:13:20:13

NARRATION Bonné

And when they came in... they killed Carmela’s breeding bull for his massive horn.

She only has females now.  

01:13:29:00

Game auctioneer

“... sold for 400-thousand. All through and all done… and just have a look at that... beautiful genetics if you’re looking at a future sire... for your herd of rhino… 150-thousand...”

01:13:43:00

Carmela Lattanzi
Private Rhino Owner

 “Did you name him?”

01:13:44:00

Previous owner

“No”

01:13:47:00

Carmela Lattanzi
Private Rhino Owner

“His name’s Francesco.  Francesco is Italian for Frank. Oh my baby! I’m shaking I’m so excited!”

01:14:00:19

NARRATION Bonné

Carmela’s new purchase will travel to her farm under armed guard.

Security is big business in crime-ridden* South Africa... so it’s no surprise that the industry has branched into the protection of rhinos... rhino owners have to make a choice... hire security in or go it alone.

01:14:21:00

Farmer

 “More are dying then are breeding.”

01:14:22:12

NARRATION Bonné

When Carmela’s farm was hit for the third time, she urged other owners in her area to work together.

01:14:29:00

Farmer

“Weigh up how many rhino exist in this country and how fast we losing them and how fast they’re going to be extinct.”

01:14:33:22

NARRATION Bonné

Extremely wary that anyone should know they own rhinos... it was a big step for them to form a community security group. 

01:14:41:00

Farmer

“We can do that and then we can say there are so many farms, and this is the amount of rhinos…

01:14:45:00

Farmer

“Why do they want that information, why?”

“In the first place?”

01:14:49:00

NARRATION Bonné

We were asked not to show faces or reveal information discussed here. 

01:14:54:00

Farmer

 “I don’t want to know how many rhinos people around the table have and I’m, not going to tell them how many rhino I’ve got… I think it’s too sensitive.”

01:14:59:19

NARRATION Bonné

Rhino horn is one of the most sought after substances on earth and they know the price of protecting it.

01:15:10:00

Yana Mockford

Private Rhino Owner

“I want to stand on the roof and shout to everyone that I have rhinos! 

I own two of the most beautiful animals in the world!

And I’m so proud to say it… but it’s not something you should announce because it is so dangerous.”

01:15:23:00

Bonné de Bod

“Yes.”

01:15:23:00

Yana Mockford

Private Rhino Owner

“Each rhino has a permanent guard… the whole time.”

01:15:27:00

Bonné de Bod

“24-hours, 7 days a week?”

01:15:31:00

Yana Mockford

Private Rhino Owner

“Yes.  It costs me more than feeding my children.  It’s an astronomical amount of money. 

Every day I say goodbye to them because I don’t know if I will see them tomorrow.  At night we sleep with our windows open to listen…

01:15:44:00

Bonné de Bod

“gunshots?”

01:15:45:00

Yana Mockford

Private Rhino Owner

“We wait for gunshots.”

01:15:49:00

Derick Fick

Private Rhino Owner

“Must we put up the new fence?  I don’t even want to tell you… and it’s not about the money… but it was so sad for me to put so much money into pieces of metal.

To protect your own things.
I would say the biggest negative in owning rhinos today is the fact that our peace has been stolen.  And then the fact of safety… the risk to me and my family’s safety… If I had to do it all over again… I wouldn’t buy rhinos.”

01:16:11:00

Sylvia Fick

Private Rhino Owner

“One time my husband and son went to go and lie in wait, because the poachers built ladders over the fence. And suddenly I get a message that says, “they’re in, come help us!” It’s a fear that comes over you, you’re scared, it’s your family. And you take that chance, because it’s your animals and it’s your property. And you have to do it, it’s yours.”

01:16:45:08

NARRATION Bonné

For those on the frontlines, fear is the overwhelming feeling. 

For the rest of us, it’s easy not to engage when our lives are so full.

But every eight hours here on earth... a rhino is killed.

So by the time you go to sleep tonight and wake tomorrow morning, a rhino will be dead... for no reason other than for the horn it carries on its face. 

You’ll go to work and sometime after your lunch-break... another one...

And when you head home for supper... poachers are on the tracks of a third rhino.

Every single day, three rhinos are lost to our planet...

Since 2011, nearly seven thousand... in South Africa alone.

01:17:44:13

NARRATION Bonné

South Africa is unique in that wild animals are bought at auction from national parks and become private property. 

A rhino cow averages thirty-one thousand dollars... but the set of horns... well... they are worth much more on the black market in Asia... a hundred-and-sixty to two-hundred-and-forty thousand dollars... because buying and selling rhino horns is illegal throughout the world... except once again... here in South Africa horns can be traded inside the country.

01:18:19:00

Yana Mockford

Private Rhino Owner

“When you say a ‘rhino farmer’ then they see small cages where you keep your rhinos and literally every hour you’ll go look at how much your horn has grown to cut a little bit off.”

01:18:30:04

NARRATION Bonné

Meet John Hume, the world's largest private rhino owner.

01:18:35:00

John Hume
Rhino Breeder

 “You know of course that a rhino is worth more dead than alive, that’s the fact we face.”

01:18:41:18

NARRATION Bonné

John is a millionaire many times over from real estate and if rhino horn trade was ever to be made legal internationally, he would be a billionaire many times over.

01:18:54:00

John Hume
Rhino Breeder

“For every one soldier I’ve got guarding my rhinos, now I could put six, if I could sell my sustainable production off my farm.”

01:19:20:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Impy, Gugu! Come on guys, the gate is open!”

“Can I know, who did that?”

Impy, Thando…!

“I can’t believe these guys! Huh?! Who’s the naughty one? Pretty sure I know the answer anyway.

01:19:57:00

Susan Scott

“Here comes Impy.”

01:19:59:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Hello boy!  Look, some horse cubes.  Good boy!”

“It’s an honour to be able to donate my life for these little animals and little lives, who are endangered. 

It is maybe very arrogant for me to do the parallel, but I see it like doctors. It was my chance to do the same.

Yeah, it maybe shock people if I say as important as!

But, these little guys deserve as well to live on earth and have a chance.”

01:20:38:09

NARRATION Bonné

Axel’s mentor is well-known wildlife rehabilitator, Karen Trendler. 

Karen has re-wilded thousands of animals in thirty years, but it’s not her successes that’s made her so famous... it’s that she is the standard by which wildlife rescue and return to the wild is judged.

So strict are her standards that it took two years before she allowed us in... to her guarded sanctuary high in the mountains.

01:20:44:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Can you believe it’s the same rhino?”

01:20:44:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Who wouldn’t eat.”

01:20:46:20

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Yes…"

01:21:10:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Hi how are you?”

01:21:13:20

NARRATION Bonné

Orphaned rhino calves and even this new arrival... a hippo (!)... are cared for in various sections of the orphanage. 

01:21:21:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“So it’s so exciting coz they’re choosing not to come back for feeds… they’re actually quite happy away from us in the bush.”

01:21:27:21

NARRATION Bonné

Four rhino calves of the same sub-species are in a larger camp, to get them used to living in the wild again. 

These four are grass eaters... so they are white rhinos, named not for their colour but for their large wide lips... easy to see while they eat.

And two younger black rhinos are still in the baby facility! 

Their hooked lips are a way to tell them apart from their wider lipped cousins...

Caring for a rhino orphan is a huge responsibility... it will take a whole team nearly two years to wean a rhino calf off of milk, keep them healthy... and... prepare them for the wild.

01:22:18:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“There about twenty things you can look at at a rhino, without having to do any invasive procedures that can give you a fairly good idea of health status and what’s gone on. 

Quite interesting, if you look at the hooves, rhino get stress lines on the hooves.

01:22:30:00

Bonné de Bod

“Oh!  So you can actually see it, from the…”

01:22:32:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“It’s the same as you get stress lines on your nails… she’s probably got one quite low down from when her mother was first poached, that initial trauma and adjustment and then the rest of her hoof is really smooth. 

So you can actually track their medical history through it.

01:22:46:00

Bonné de Bod

“That’s amazing!”

01:22:49:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“In his case his horn is not an indication of health problems. Nandi chewed his horn!”

01:22:56:00

Bonné de Bod

“Chewed the horn!”

01:22:57:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Chewed the horn!”

And we put vinegar on it, we tried mustard, we tried marmite.

01:23:02:00

Bonné de Bod

Oh really?”

01:23:03:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Nothing deterred her!  Storm, I dunno if you’re that strong yet!”

01:23:07:00

Bonné de Bod

 “Karen, you come across as quite strong, professional, do you ever get emotional?”

01:23:12:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

 “Mmm.  Oh yes.  Ahhh, Impy, the one white rhino that we have was on his own in the wild for six days at his mother’s carcass. He was lying up against his mother’s carcass.  He was tiny.  He’d gone to eat mud and the night he came in I suddenly looked down, I had this rhino I was trying to feed, and all across his back was blood splatter and he smelt just like the carcass and it was that… I mean I’ve got gooseflesh just talking about it… it was that sudden thing of what this little calf has been through, his mother was shot and this is the blood from her, he smells because he’s been in her carcass, I mean it was just… it brought it home so badly.  And when I finally went to shower, I just stood in the shower and sobbed. Just. But again, you can’t.. you’ve got to manage your emotions so that you can keep going.”

01:24:08:11

NARRATION Bonné

Probably due to his trauma six-months earlier... Impy is afraid of the dark. 

While the bigger white rhino calves are still out in the larger part of their enclosure, he waits for dinner under the warmth of the infrared lamps. 

01:24:45:00

Susan Scott

“Oooh, it smells amazing!”

01:24:53:00

Volunteer

“Thats a good boy! “If you take your time he stamps his foot!”

01:24:56:00

Bonné de Bod

 “Has he already finished the first one?!”

01:24:58:00

Volunteer

“Yes.”

01:24:59:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Good boy.”

01:24:07:00

Bonné de Bod

“Hey, Impy are you very hungry?”

01:25:14:00

Volunteer

“Come Impy.  Impy, Impy come boy…”

01:25:18:00

Bonné de Bod

“He’s not happy that the milk’s done.”

01:25:21:00

Volunteer

“He’s never happy!”

01:25:24:00

Bonné de Bod

“You saw them when they came here, the trauma, and you see them now… and they big and they strong!  And they’re absolutely amazing, they’re beautiful!

01:25:34:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Incredible to see them like this.  And then you’re already starting to feel anxious about the next stage.  Uhm, we want them to go back to the wild, the ultimate aim for us is for them to breed to go back to the wild to breed because then that’s a conservation function, but they not safe here, completely safe here, and they're not going to be safe back there.  So realistically we’re a target.  And it’s a matter of time before something happens.”

01:25:59:00

Bonné de Bod

“It’s very scary.”

01:26:00:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“It’s incredibly scary”

01:26:03:00

Bonné de Bod

“Okay, well, they’re finished now! Now they’ve moved back. They've had their milk!”

01:26:07:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“That's what we want.That's actually…yes, that’s actually what we want. Coming back just incase there’s something left!”

01:26:14:13

NARRATION Bonné

The upsurge in killing rhinos since 2009 has meant that several orphanages have sprung up around the country. 

With rhino horn so valuable on the black market, security at these facilities is important, not only for the little rhinos but also for the rehabbers. 

Out here one can feel the poachers watching... knowing they will come for the horn... vulnerable in the total darkness of the wilderness... a little... like Impy.  

01:27:01:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“It’s okay girl!” It’s coming girl.

 In 30-seconds it’s in your tummy.  Uh uh Nandi, Nandi. It’s crazy.  You always need to push him or knock him. Just breathe through your nose.  It will calm you down. It’s coming girl. I just dunno where the key is for the lock. 

Nandi is a little princess. So if something doesn’t go the way she wants she will let you know. Did you eat the key Nandi?  Obviously it was just under my nose! I’m so sorry”

You can, I know, you can knock me for that. It’s my fault, I didn’t open my eyes.  No, no, don’t be nasty with me. Ooh lah lah!  It’s fine girl, you are not, you are not going to die, it’s absolutely fine.
When you work with them, I think you can feel emotion and a real connection and exchange with them through the eyes. When they’re happy, scared, everything, Yeah, it’s like an open door into their soul...”

01:28:38:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“I’ve got such a nice groom, but he lives there in poacher’s valley. I know he would have loved this. He’s so proud of her. But I can’t expose his face on this film. I mean, they know who we are…they know precisely who Ansie and I are, and, just now there is a guy who is awake, and then. ”

01:28:59:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“The state will then request a warrant of arrest to be issued with immediate effect.”

01:29:02:04

NARRATION Bonné

Isabet is a prosecutor for the state. 

It’s her job to present the state’s evidence in court to convict poachers.

01:29:10:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“It is the state evidence that he was involved in the shooting and the dehorning of this specific rhino. Can you dispute that or not?”

01:29:18:04

NARRATION Bonné

She and her colleague, Ansie have become loathed by the poaching gangs working the Kruger area.  

01:29:24:00

Advocate Ansie Venter

State Prosecutor

So guys, what’s now the agreement? I have to get started, it is twenty to one.”

You realize, it’s someone or something who got hurt, was damaged, that experienced deep trauma. And it’s quite a frighting feeling to think that getting justice for that victim is in your hands.”
Your worship the case against number one and two has been remanded until today.”

01:29:49:15

NARRATION Bonné

The prosecutors are incredibly successful. 

The two women drive long distances between six courts surrounding the National Park.  Many times the courts are packed...

01:29:53:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“This one…this is also. I see this is also here…”

01:30:07:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“With other cases, there are maybe one or two supporters. Like with robbery, rape and murder. But with these cases, it looks like a bazaar with all the supporters. They are the Robin Hoods of their communities because it all revolves around money. He brings money in. It’s a big problem. “

01:30:24:11

NARRATION Bonné

An uncomfortable truth is that many South Africans were kept out of national parks during apartheid... and it has come home to roost. 

01:30:32:08

Archive upsound

"The policy of apartheid has been elevated by the government of South Africa.”

01:30:36:04

NARRATION Bonné

While white South Africans grew up going to the Kruger or iMfolozi as a pilgrimage back to nature... black South Africans, like K9 Ranger, lived outside the parks but never saw the animals inside. 

It’s been a quarter of a century since the end of apartheid and still... millions who live alongside national parks, watch wealthy tourists visit while they remain outside... disconnected from their heritage. *

Someone who faced challenges like this was Dr Jane Goodall.

She left her conservation work at her beloved Gombe National Park to focus on connecting humanity to wildlife with great success.

01:31:18:00

Bonné de Bod

“We have communities surrounding our national parks, like the Kruger National Park. And I almost want to say they are allowing poaching to take place. So how do we change that, how do we tackle that?”

01:31:31:00

Dr Jane Goodall, DBE
Primatologist & UN Messenger of Peace

“Because they have to be provided with an alternative. You have to proof to them that keeping the animals alive has more value for them than killing them. And then , involving them. Helping them to understand who these animals are, letting them learn about them.

01:31:51:00

Wildlife educator

“This is how you spot the difference between a black rhino and a white rhino.”

01:31:53:18

NARRATION Bonné

Many programmes address this inequality, but communities are poor...

01:31:58:06

Children in bus

"A zebra!”

01:31:59:02

NARRATION Bonné

...and service delivery of basic municipal needs are not met.

01:32:14:03

NARRATION Bonné

This slaughter of rhinos here in South Africa is known as the “Rhino Poaching Crisis.  Crisis.  A time of intense difficulty.  But it is more than a crisis. 

01:32:27:00

Investigating officer: Police

 “They came from the road then walked this path right. Here you can see, the grass is flat where they waited here and there.”

01:32:34:00

Bonné de Bod

“Yes.”

01:32:34:00

Investigating officer: Police

 “Then they watched the rhinos, I suspect there were at least two people. Here are two different tracks.”

01:32:41:12

NARRATION Bonné

The police view this as a crime. 

The poaching of a rhinoceros involves many crimes: illegal hunting, trespassing, illegal possession of firearms, theft, destruction of property, even attempted murder or murder when rangers are shot.

01:32:58:00

Upsound

“State then calls case number... you swear the evidence you’re about to give will be the truth and only the truth… we heard a gunshot and the bullet passed above our heads.”

01:33:07:09

NARRATION Bonné

But that’s at the site of the crime. More laws are broken when the horn is on the move. 

When guns, drugs and even humans are smuggled across national borders to another country to be illegally traded as a product... it is known as trafficking. 

Wildlife trafficking is lucrative.  Billions and billions of dollars lucrative.  

01:33:33:00

Customs police 1

“Jeez, they really covered it in carbon hey?!

01:33:34:00

Customs police 2

“Hell, carbon everywhere.”

01:33:37:00

Customs police 3

“It went through the scanners., that’s when it was noticed that it’s carrying rhino horns.”

01:33:43:00

Bonné de Bod

“What is the value of the horns?”

01:33:45:00

Customs police 2

“12.2 million”

01:33:47:09

NARRATION Bonné

This guy is not taking rhino horn to Hong Kong by mistake, or for a friend... he is, what’s known as a courier.

01:33:56:00

Upsoud: Police officer

“This one was also going through Hong Kong. Like that other case.

01:33:59:00

Bonné de Bod

“Yes, also Hong Kong.”

01:34:01:00

Upsoud: Police officer

“Then to Shanghai, the same destination.”

01:34:33:04

NARRATION Bonné

Rhino horn trafficking is run by highly organized criminal syndicates operating in countries all over Africa and Asia. 

Interpol, the FBI and South Africa’s State Security Agency call this ‘trans-national organized crime’:

01:34:22:00

Dr Lyle Pienaar
State Security, South African Government

“If it’s not the horn, it’s an Eastern European women, it’s a kilogram of cocaine, this is how international crime syndicates are working. What can make you the most money, the less effort, the less risk.”

01:34:34:04

NARRATION Bonné

In order to succeed... the organized criminal syndicates need these men, and plenty of them. 

There is no shortage... the areas surrounding Kruger and iMfolozi are desperately poor.

“Boss-men” organize jobless men into poaching gangs of three: a shooter, an axe man and a runner.    

01:34:56:00

K9 Ranger
Sergeant Special Ops, Kruger National Park.

 “It is incredibly difficult to do my job, when there are poachers in my community.  It is very difficult... a relative can come to me and initiate a conversation that relates to my job. And you would not even realize that such a conversation would cost you your job. These relatives are not happy about what I do. Basically they gather in your name and say, ‘we cannot poach because of K9 Ranger.’”

01:35:30:00

Kruger Ranger
Commander, Special Ops, Kruger National Park

“People aren’t hunting rhino because it’s a nice thing to do, they’re getting paid huge sums of money. So you’ve taken rural people that were literally living of the veld, had a way of life that was traditional, respectful, have been recruited and criminalised by syndicates and actually their whole values and ethics have changed. They’re not actually doing it now to survive, they’re doing it for greed.”

01:35:54:19

NARRATION Bonné

Here at Skukuza court inside the Kruger National Park, those that have been arrested for poaching... several from K9 Ranger’s community... are pleading for bail.

01:36:06:00

Upsound in court

“During the arrest of the accused, there was a contact between the accused and the rangers. And during this contact,  the accused’s lower jaw was... actually literally removed from his face.”

01:36:17:16

NARRATION Bonné

It’s a dangerous profession.

01:36:20:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“Your worship the court will note that accused number two is not present. He was on bail, unfortunately, he was shot and killed in Kruger after he was released on bail. He is no longer attending this matter.”

01:36:30:15

NARRATION Bonné

For those who work in these rhino poaching zones before they become crime scenes, there’s a stronger word for what it’s all become. 

01:36:40:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“It’s definitely a low-intensity war.  And the intensity is ever-increasing. 

 The longer this goes on for... the guys who are involved in the poaching become more experienced.  They learn our habits more, so they adapt to that... so it is a war from that perspective... how we are always watching each other. It’s forever evolving.”

01:37:04:00

Lawrence Munro
Former Head Ranger
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park

For us here in KZN, and particularly in Zululand…”

01:37:05:13

NARRATION Bonné

When we started filming four years ago, it was a very different war. 

On our very first trip to iMfolozi, we spent time with Lawrence Munro, the ranger in charge of rhino operations for the area. 

The reason we can reveal him, is that he no longer works in South Africa.  He is now stationed in a neighbouring country with his young family.

01:37:27:00

Bonné de Bod

“Pretty shocking to see.”

01:37:28:05

NARRATION Bonné

Here in iMfolozi, rangers remove skulls from a crime scene as part of evidence.  They get tagged and entered into a skull register.

Rhino poachers, like all criminals, leave signatures and these skulls have been linked to other crime scenes in the province...

01:37:46:00

Lawrence Munro
Former Head Ranger
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park

 “If you have a look at these skulls, they do tell a story.  You can see these shots are all centering around the brain.  And that speaks of a certain degree of marksmanship.  You must remember a rhino has got two big horns that stand here, so to get this shot you gotta be pretty good, coz you can’t shoot through the horns... you’ve got to position yourself in such a way that you can get this accurate shot.

And there is a reason for that.  People want to immobilize the rhino as quickly as possible, they don’t want to fire multiple shots... ah, it’s usually accurate shooting, one shot, make the rhino go down so  they can get the horns off and get out.”

01:38:16:10

NARRATION Bonné

At the beginning of our journey... rhinos were being shot in the brain...

01:38:20:11

Frik Rossouw
Environmental Crime Investigator, Kruger National Park

"This is a typical brain shot. The animal didn’t run. It just dropped here.”

01:38:25:05

NARRATION Bonné

...but nowadays, poaching gangs shoot into the body of a rhino. 

To demonstrate how massive a change this is for the animal, this is a video the Humane Society released of a wealthy trophy hunter shooting a rhino... not in the brain:

01:38:40:00

Hunter 1

“Ready? Whenever you ready.”

01:38:45:00

Hunter 1

“Wait, it’s not going anywhere.”

01:38:47:01

NARRATION Bonné

As hard as it it to watch... it is important to understand that killing a rhino is not as simple as one shot.

01:38:03:00

Hunter 1

“Wait, wait wait.”

01:39:07:00

Hunter 2

“Geez…”

01:39:25:17

NARRATION Bonné

Hunting rifles are loud.
This sound carries over several miles... the same distance from the Statue of Liberty all the way into downtown Manhattan to the Empire State Building. 

The difference... is that that sound... would be heard.

The Kruger is the size of Israel. 

And... it’s a true wilderness area. 

Off the public access roads, you can only get around on foot - which is not only slow, but rangers have to watch out for wild animals; all-terrain vehicles - are quick but noisy, so can’t be used to locate rifle shots... same goes for the park’s helicopters. 

Gunshots could not always be located... until now...

01:40:10:00

Man in Sanparks uniform upsound

“Here are the three shots that were fired... detects the shots... sends an alarm to the operations room...gives us a text message... GPS... we respond to that.”

01:40:25:00

Shouting from rangers and crying sounds from poachers

“Don’t move, police.
There’s another one at the back, go round, go round…”

01:40:31:16

NARRATION Bonné

Other methods...that we can’t mention... have increased arrests dramatically and hundreds of hunting rifles have been confiscated.

However... one step forward has resulted in two steps backwards.

01:40:46:00

Ranger in uniform arresting poachers upsound

Ah, this one had the axe hey, the one with the camouflage pants. And the green one, with a R5.

01:40:52:13

NARRATION Bonné

South Africa has a notorious crime rate, one of the worst in the world and armed robberies on South Africa’s farms are high as farmers have hunting rifles and farms are easy targets.

Poachers have adapted to keep ahead... stolen rifles now have crude, homemade silencers... even car shock absorbers are used to dampen the sound.

01:41:19:00

Ranger
Stephen Whitfield

 “Your Worship, nowadays it’s actually with exception that we do not find any silencer.  The majority of firearms that we recover are fitted with silencers.”

01:41:26:21

NARRATION Bonné

This change has had a devastating ripple effect:

01:41:30:00

Ranger
Stephen Whitfield

“You cannot see the front sight of a rifle because the silencer is too big.  Which means you cannot aim accurately... and it’s for that reason we have been having a lot of rhinos wounded.”

01:41:46:23

NARRATION Bonné

A lot of rhinos wounded means another tool is needed to finish the job.

The axe has become synonymous with rhino poaching. It has always been the preferred weapon of horn removal. 

But paired with the primitive silencer... these two small metal shapes are now responsible for incredible suffering of rhinos.

01:42:11:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“What’s interesting is why they use the axe... and don’t just shoot again is because you must remember their clock starts as soon as that shot goes off, they know that’s what’s given them away.

That’s why often they just fire the one shot and work as fast as they can.”

01:42:26:00

Lawrence Munro
Former Head Ranger
Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park

“If you look at these skulls over here, the way the horns are removed... and you look at this skull the way the horn is removed, you can see there’s a very stark contrast into the methodology that the poachers are using. 

They might’ve sacrificed a few grams of rhino horn to do this.  But what they got in return was extra speed.  That takes longer to do.  It’s hard work chopping through a rhino’s face... with an axe.”

01:42:48:21

NARRATION Bonné

On some crime scenes no shot has has been fired... and just the axe... has been used.

01:42:57:00

Kruger Ranger
Commander, Special Ops, Kruger National Park

“The poachers run after them cutting their hamstrings or their achilles heels and then the lower back or just above the pelvis.  They will hack to death an animal to get it.  Or dehorn it even while it is still alive.”

01:43:12:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“One of the worst scenes I’ve seen, was last month... a cow and a calf…and we had to piece it together because, there were field rangers who actually heard a rhino squealing, heard the horns actually being chopped off. But the next day going to the scene, it was gut-wrenching to piece together. We then came upon a place where there was a lot of blood... a pool of blood... and you could see fragments of horn... fragments of skull... and nasal cavity there... which... so you know that that rhino was still alive, it’s horns were removed there, but the rhino wasn’t there... the rhino had then gotten up after the event and dragged herself for 300 meters and died there.”

01:43:53:00

Bonné de Bod

“Ah, oh my goodness…”

01:43:53:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

So you can imagine the pain and the trauma that that animal went through and that, that cruelty is the main thing that we fight against... I mean... ja.”

01:44:03:00

Kruger Ranger
Commander, Special Ops, Kruger National Park

“That a human can do that to another animal is absolutely disgraceful. 

I’ve had to destroy quite a few rhinos where they literally sitting on their backsides, their back has been cut open on the spine... they’ve been hamstrung and they sitting there whining and screaming and they cannot move.  You know the only humane thing is to actually shoot them and euthanize them on the spot.”

01:44:39:04

NARRATION Bonné

Another poachers moon. 

This time... a rhino has survived the brutal poaching of both her horns.

Suffering massive blood loss, she was to be euthanized. 

But it took three days to find her, and when the vets arrived to do the job... she was trying to eat and drink... a clear sign... she wanted to live. 

It’s been decided to give her a chance at life and to call her... Hope.

01:46:16:00

Dr Johan Marais
Vet - Saving The Survivors

“Let’s take this off. So you can se that it’s an unbelievably horrific wound. Nothing can prepare you for seeing this.
So we’re going to do a nerve block now.

01:46:40:00

Bonné de Bod

“So it’s like a local anesthetic?”

01:46:41:00

Dr Johan Marais
Vet - Saving The Survivors

“Absolutely! Just a local anesthetic. It took us a while to figure it out. Because no-one in the world has ever done it. I must say, it works very well.”

01:46:55:09

NARRATION Bonné

Dr Johan Marais is a veterinary professor who specializes in surgery.  He founded ‘Saving the Survivors’ to treat bullet wounds and facial damage caused by poaching. 

01:47:09:00

Bonné de Bod

“They only just missed her eye”

01:47:12:00

Dr Johan Marais
Vet - Saving The Survivors

 “They just missed it.”

01:47:24:09

NARRATION Bonné

Hope’s wound has to be flushed out because it is maggot infested.  Dead bone and decaying tissue is also removed... to prevent infection. 

She has to be fitted with a wound covering that will protect her vulnerable sinuses... and encourage skin growth. 

In order to keep the shield on, the vets have to drill... into what’s left of her skull. 

01:48:37:00

Dr Johan Marais
Vet - Saving The Survivors

“Unbelievable.What we as the human species do to our own animals.  Unbelievable.  And it just doesn’t stop.”

01:49:04:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“The first charge against you is that of contravening section 46/1 of the National Environmental Management Act.”

01:49:10:12

NARRATION Bonné

Another survivor... badly mutilated in the Kruger... was having her story heard in court. 

Arrested inside the park, the accused even climbed into the park’s helicopter to direct the ranger team to the poached rhino.

01:49:28:00

Ranger testifying

“I don’t know at what height we were flying at but we circled to get lower and then we could clearly see that the rhino was still alive. It picked it’s head up and it’s ears were moving. Ja, I’ve got a very, unfortunately, a very thick skin to this sort of thing now. Look I could count them, because I’ve got a crime scene report for every one of the rhinos, but probably over the 200 rhino I’ve seen I’ve never seen one as deeply cut, or as much of the face cut away as this.”

01:50:05:01

NARRATION Bonné

Although the video of her brutal poaching caused outrage around the world, we’re choosing not to show the traumatic footage of the ranger walking up to her.

Despite taking the rangers to the rhino, the accused pleaded not guilty and the trial dragged on for four years. 

We filmed in many courts around the country... from bail hearings of poachers and syndicate leaders... to trials where evidence from the state was so concrete that it was bewildering to understand why the cases were delayed all the time.

01:50:41:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“And that matter has been postponed I don’t know how many times, we have to get to that.”

01:50:44:00

Judge in court

“We will get to that. That I promise you.”

01:50:46:00

Judge in court

“It can’t go on for three to five years. I mean, that’s just ridiculous, really.”

01:50:48:24

NARRATION Bonné

The clue was in the defence strategies of those on trial.

01:50:53:00

Advocate Ansie Venter

State Prosecutor

“No. I’m not going to postpone…”

01:50:54:24

NARRATION Bonné

So fair is South Africa’s constitution to an alleged accused... stemming from our unjust past... that defence teams would delay on legal technicalities.

01:51:05:00

Advocate Ansie Venter

State Prosecutor

“Their first goal is: I want bail, and when I’m out on bail, I will manipulate the system for as long as I can.”
Your worship, accused number two was released on bail and he has absconded, the state has decided to proceed.”

01:51:18:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“Bail was denied then on bail on new facts he got bail and clearly…”

01:51:23:00

Judge in court

“I granted it…”

01:51:24:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“Yes, apparently your worship…”

01:51:25:11

NARRATION Bonné

Very well paid defence teams would delay over audio playbacks... and attack the rangers testifying as having planted evidence

01:51:34:00

Ranger testifying

“There was a set of rhino horns”

01:51:36:00

Defence lawyer

“Give us a straight answer, If you don’t remember, just say so.”

01:51:39:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

“Your worship this question was answered. It was exactly asked in that way again and answered.”

01:51:43:19

NARRATION Bonné

Or the lawyers would just show up hours late...

01:51:47:00

Judge in court

“Who is your lawyer? So we can guard against not wasting time..”

01:51:48:21

NARRATION Bonné

And from the state side... overloaded court rolls, power outages, tea breaks...

01:51:54:00

Advocate Ansie Venter

State Prosecutor

“The old women who doesn’t know anything about computers, now coming to your rescue.” 

01:51:57:16

NARRATION Bonné

Equipment failure, translations all delayed cases... and many times the state let themselves... and us down...

01:52:06:00

Advocate Isabet Erwee
State Prosecutor

 “Your worship I was informed that ballistics are not ready with the report as yet because of a backlog..”

01:52:11:04

NARRATION Bonné

These bullets painstakingly collected at crime scenes did not get their day in court today...

01:52:18:00

Judge in court

 “The states application is refused, the matter is struck from the court roll.”

01:52:21:06

... allowing these alleged poachers to walk free.

01:52:27:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“The biggest slap in the face is to get onto tracks and they’ll say, we know these tracks. And then you trace it back and you realize, these guys were actually arrested. With an axe, with horns, with a firearm, overalls covered in blood.  And four/five years later you’re tracking them again.”

01:52:45:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

“Hi nice to meet you!”

01:52:46:00

Bonné de Bod

“Nice to meet you!”

01:52:47:13

NARRATION Bonné

Allison started a Facebook group called Outraged South African Citizens Against Rhino Poaching, or OSCAP.  

The group’s membership exploded and Allison has rallied them to build orphan ambulances, deliver equipment to rangers but they are best known for monitoring rhino syndicate court cases... and despite being retired... OSCAP has become Allison’s whole focus.

01:53:12:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

“Why are we not getting justice for our rhinos at the end of the day? You know it’s delay after delay. If there’s no haste in a court case they can ask for those charges to be withdrawn and then we’re going to sit with all these guys out free. I mean, if you look at the charge sheet and look at what they’ve been charged with, I mean, they’re horrendous, horrendous crimes.”

01:53:30:00

Advocate Joanie Spies
Senior State Prosecutor

“Accused number one, seven and ten are in custody and all the other are on bail.”

01:53:37:00

Protesters chanting outside courtroom

“No bail for poachers, no bail for poachers.”

01:53:40:00

Outrage against rhino poaching is clearly evident among the South African public... and Allison is making sure this public outcry is heard in court.

01:53:50:00

Bonné de Bod

 “Let me just understand this… so even though we all know that pretty much everyone is against rhino poaching, you actually have to submit a photo album of the protesters as evidence fro the courts record?”

01:55:01:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

“Yes because one of the conditions, well one of the things the magistrate needs to look at when he’s deciding whether to grant bail or not, is whether there is any public outrage if bail is granted. So we have to proof to the court that there is outrage.”

01:54:20:05

NARRATION Bonné

On trial for allegedly being part of these syndicates are private rhino owners and their wives, policemen, lawyers... and even wildlife vets. 

01:54:32:00

Bonné de Bod

“You spend a lot of time here in courtrooms like this, do you ever feel threatened?”

01:54:38:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

 “Uhm sometimes, uhm not really threatened, but sometimes they try and intimidate me. They take pictures of me, I’ve got obscene phone calls shortly after leaving court. Uhm.”

01:54:53:00

Bonné de Bod

“Aren’t you scared?”

01:54:55:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

“Arg, what can they do? You know I’m a public person and I’ve got quite a public profile. So uhm, if somethings happens to me, people know, that even if looks like an accident it’s not.”

01:55:08:00

Bonné de Bod

“It’s not, they must question it.”

01:55:09:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

 “They must question it, yes”

01:55:10:00

Bonné de Bod

“What does your husband say about this?”

01:55:12:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

 “You’re not gonna do that are you?”

01:55:15:00

Bonné de Bod

 “But then you go ahead and do it”

01:55:17:00

Allison Thomson
Outraged SA Citizens Against Rhino Poaching
(OSCAP)

 “Ja…”

01:55:18:14

NARRATION Bonné

Four years and three months after his arrest, the cruelty case poacher got his sentence:

01:55:25:00

Judge giving sentence

 “The victims here are not only the owners of the animal but citizens of South Africa and by implication the world. It is ordered that you therefore serve 16-years imprisonment”

01:55:36:03

NARRATION Bonné

Isabet and Ansie have successfully sent nearly 400 poachers to prison.

01:55:45:03

NARRATION Bonné

30 rhinos killed on a full moon weekend made international headlines, but a private rhino owner suffered the largest single loss of rhinos in one night...

and the world wanted to know what had happened to the orphaned baby rhino... standing next to his mother’s carcass.

01:56:04:00

Pieter Els
Private Rhino Owner

“Most of them were female rhinos and almost all of them were pregnant.”

01:56:10:00

Bonné de Bod

 “So you didn’t just lose 9 rhinos, you lost more than 9?”

01:56:14:00

Pieter Els
Private Rhino Owner

“Yes, the unborn babies are also lost.”

01:56:16:14

NARRATION Bonné

The carcass can be seen but the baby is nowhere to be found...

01:56:23:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“People always think that it’s really easy... a rhino is shot and then they know that there is a calf.  Sometimes they find the carcass too late, they don’t even realize that the mother actually has a calf.”

01:56:33:00

Dave Cooper
Vet - Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park

“I think we totally underestimate the number of babies that actually die as secondary things... in reserves such as ours and in Kruger National Park with high predator and scavenger numbers, often there’s absolutely no evidence that that calf has been predated upon... and I think it happens more often than we know.”

01:56:48:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

 “A mother and a rhino calf have an incredibly strong bong, it’s a one on one bond... there’s a mother with a single calf, that calf suckles for 18-months, and that bond grows stronger as the calf gets older.  That calf will stay with the mother for up to 2-4 years, so for a calf to lose the mother is very traumatic... for a calf to lose a mother under the conditions of poaching where it is present when the mother is shot... and then the horn is hacked off and in some cases that mother is still alive.  It’s very brutal and we dealing with intense trauma in these calves and in fact we’re beginning to see signs of PTSD.”

01:57:22:00

Dumisane Zwane
Wildlife Capture Manager -
Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park

“When we come across the carcass and the poor baby running around, I mean,  it’s just a double blow for us... because on both situations the fact that, it’s a complete waste and you get very angry at the fact that you have lost an animal and now you’ve got a baby that is fully dependent on you, and also there are chances that it might not even survive as well.”

01:57:49:05

NARRATION Bonné

This little one is lucky, his mother survived her poaching by a notorious darting gang.

In fact, she was evidence, so we couldn’t reveal this footage, until now.

The gang have been linked to over 100-poachings around the country.  Using veterinary drugs from a silent dart gun, their MO doesn’t alert the rangers... and while a chainsaw gives them speed, the rhinos they poach... bleed to death in a zombie-like state.  

01:58:24:00

Dr Johan Marais
Vet - Saving The Survivors

“As long as the mother is lying down, then the little one will think, ‘but my mom is relaxed’, and so then you can work and do whatever you need to do.”

01:58:36:20

NARRATION Bonné

Once the drilling starts however, things change...

A reminder perhaps, of the night before. 

The state owned rhinos are wild and must be kept that way. 

So as much as we wanted to interact with the little calf, we couldn’t... for his sake.

Ten years ago, this crying calf angry at the vet, would have been a light moment... but the collective stress these beings are suffering is palpable. 

Separation from an unresponsive mother is a deep anxiety that any of us can feel...

01:59:57:00

Dumisane Zwane
Wildlife Capture Manager -
Hluhluwe - iMfolozi Park

“Quite often the young rhinos, they don’t leave the mother’s body once it has been shot.”

02:00:03:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

 “You physically see how, how strong that bond is.  After all it’s been through, the only place it wants to be is as close as it can be to its mother.  And even though she’s long cold and rigor mortis has set in and she’s, she's of no, no use to the calf, that calf won’t leave.  It will stay right next to her.”

02:00:24:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“They get thirsty, they get hungry, they get cold.  As she’s decaying, there’s fluids that will run into the soil.  They land up drinking that to,to try and stay alive. 

If they lucky they get killed by lions or hyenas. If they lucky.”

02:00:42:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

 “Sometimes they’ll try and hack off a horn, you know, sort of that size.”

02:00:47:00

Bonné de Bod

“That small?”

02:00:47:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“Ja, that’s where it gets quite brutal hey, they try and get this horn off this little animal with an axe, without making any sound.  I mean, these gashes are deep hey, very very deep... you can fit your whole hand inside there sometimes.”

02:01:01:14

NARRATION Bonné

We saw this with calves in the Kruger... this little one is being rushed to a facility that cares for tiny orphans found in the National Park. 

His spine has just been missed, twice... if the poachers had succeeded... he would’ve had his horn removed while he was paralyzed, but still very much alive.

Over 4-thousand rhinos have died in Kruger in the last 7-years. 
If we estimate that half were female and half of those were mothers with calves... this could mean a thousand orphaned calves... and that’s a very conservative estimate, as rhinos breed well. 

Kruger has rescued only 53 orphans during this time period.

Social media sites have posts from tourists coming across dehydrated babies... or thirsty calfs eaten by predators at waterholes... rumours floated that calves were being left to die or worse...

02:02:03:00

Bonné de Bod

“I’ve heard that you all shoot the calves, is that true?”

02:02:07:00

Dr Markus Hofmeyr
Head Vet - Kruger National Park

“Yes, that is a rumor. I don’t know where it originated, but I can assure you and the public that we save every calf that we can.”

02:02:15:00

Bonné de Bod

 “So if I understand you correctly, a calf will only be euthanized if there is no chance of survival? But my question is, will a calf be euthanized that has a chance of surviving, even if it is small, but it’s too difficult to rescue, due to the terrain?”

02:02:29:00

Dr Markus Hofmeyr
Head Vet - Kruger National Park

 “No. We’ve now adjusted our techniques to fly the rhinos out. And if it’s too big to fit into the helicopter we will fly it out by its legs. We’ve now refined that technique to a point where we’re no longer worried about doing it. So we can get a rhino out of anywhere in the park now. If the animal has a good chance of survival and we can do something about it, those are the animals we save.”

02:02:59:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“You will understand the state that this animal is in when you receive it.  They don’t see good and evil people, they just know that that species inflicted this on them it’s all very confusing and very traumatizing for them.”

02:03:37:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“A lot of these orphans die of depression.”

02:03:41:00

Bonné de Bod

“Depression?”

02:03:41:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“Ja, there stress and depression, things that can’t be measured. You can see it, it starves itself. But you know, the symptom there that you saw was depression.”

02:03:52:00

Bonné de Bod

“So, it just gives up.”

02:03:53:00

iMfolozi Ranger, Section Ranger, Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park

“Basically, ja. It’s just too much I think for some of them.”

02:04:01:13

NARRATION Bonné

Driving between two crime scenes in Kruger, we passed what was unmistakably a tiny rhino carcass alone. 

And the next crime scene was just as grim.

02:04:20:00

Frik Rossouw
Environmental Crime Investigator, Kruger National Park

“This cow was pregnant.  Here is a rib bone from a…”

02:04:24:00

Bonné de Bod

“...from a foetus?”

02:04:25:00

Frik Rossouw
Environmental Crime Investigator, Kruger National Park

“From a foetus, here’s another one.”

02:04:26:06

NARRATION Bonné

While 4-thousand deaths is the official poaching number for the Kruger over the past seven years, there is no official number for orphans lost or rhinos about to be born...

There can’t be because how can it ever be known? 

So saving every rhino orphan is vital. 

02:04:56:03

NARRATION Bonné

At the private owner’s farm in Kimberley, it was a relief to see the little calf had joined up with an older calf... also orphaned from the same slaughter... but it was a mystery as to why they had left their mother’s sides:

02:05:09:00

Pieter Els
Private Rhino Owner

“I wasn’t there but I heard that the police chopped her up and the calf then ran away.  But I wasn’t there then, I was flying the whole time, looking for other carcasses.”

02:05:22:00

Bonné de Bod

“So the police did the post-mortem on the mother and cut her open with her calf right there?

02:05:27:00

Pieter Els
Private Rhino Owner

 “That seems to be the story, yes.”

02:05:30:00

Bonné de Bod

 “That is shocking.”

02:05:32:00

Pieter Els
Private Rhino Owner

“It is very shocking.  I wasn’t there.”

02:05:34:00

Bonné de Bod

“I’ve seen very traumatized calves and I can assure you that it doesn’t matter how you look at it, it would’ve been incredibly traumatizing for the calf to witness that.”

02:05:45:00

Pieter Els
Private Rhino Owner

“I was also quite upset afterwards but yes, it happened and one can’t go back in time. 

02:05:54:19

NARRATION Bonné

It’s quite clear that all across the country there aren’t protocols for how to deal with the continuing influx of rhino orphans. 

Kruger and iMfolozi have not only militarized their ranger corps to be able to tackle this cross border organized crime, but their veterinary teams have to now deal with essentially a refugee crisis.

And orphans saved at any cost have an impact too... this rhino was  humanized when he was a calf. 

He has no interest in returning to the wild.  And it’s devastating to see his dependence on human company. 

It’s a bleak situation and we were losing hope with it all until a call came in for Karen.

02:06:48:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“The first garage as you come in..”

02:06:50:16

NARRATION Bonné

We’re meeting the veterinary team and the tranquilized calf at a halfway point... a busy gas station.

02:06:58:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Oh goodness me, tiny.

02:07:00:00

Bonné de Bod

“Wow, so small.”

02:07:03:00

Wildlife Vet

“You know what we can do it, I wasn’t going to leave this one to die hey.”

02:07:06:00

Bonné de Bod

“So tiny.”

02:07:07:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

 “It’s little.”

02:07:09:00

HRH Queen Mantfombi

“ Ooh, how old is he?!”

02:07:11:00

Bonné de Bod

“Two days old.”

02:07:13:00

HRH Queen Mantfombi

“Where is he?”

02:07:14:12

NARRATION Bonné

We’re in the heart of the Zulu nation...

02:07:17:00

Upsound: The queen’s daughter and son

“The rhino is the King’s symbol. Yes, the rhino is the king’s symbol.”

02:07:20:10

NARRATION Bonné

This little ‘bhejane’, zulu for rhinoceros, has caught royal attention. We’ve learned to expect the unexpected... but standing here amongst us… is the Queen of the Zulu nation.

02:07:26:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“The vet has given him…”

02:07:34:00

HRH Queen Mantfombi

“My God!”

02:07:35:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Energy”

02:07:36:00

Bonné de Bod

“But he’s doing well.”

02:07:38:00

HRH Queen Mantfombi

“Very good. I wish you all the best, to do the best.”

02:07:41:21

NARRATION Bonné

Not only married to the King of the Zulus, Queen Mantfombi is also a princess of Swaziland. 

02:07:48:00

HRH Queen Mantfombi

“National Geographic magazine will tell you, and now we are like this.”

02:07:55:23

NARRATION Bonné

Her Royal Highness would like to bless the calf clinging to life on the back-seat:

02:08:07:00

The queen’s daughter

“Makhosi is her name.

Given by Princess Mantfombi of Swaziland,  Queen to King Goodwill Zwelithini of the Zulu nation.

She felt this was an awesome synergy between all cultures of this world.  Hence she blesses the glory of Makhosi, (upsound: thank-you!) the rhino. Makhosi is her name.”

02:08:28:00

Upsound: Karen Trendler and Bonné de Bod

“Oh wow!”  “Makhosi, Makhosi!”

02:08:47:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Little Makhosi, hello!”

02:08:50:00

Bonné de Bod

“Look at the big ears!”

02:08:51:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“We’re bringing you electrolytes, we’ve got, we’re going to give you some. She’s got long legs!  She’s incredible! You going to make it!  Yes! You’ll feel better in a few days, I’m so sorry you’re going through this.”

02:09:09:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Thanks Axel.”

02:09:12:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“In trying to replace the mom and in doing appropriate surrogate mothering there’s that delicate balance.
That’s it!  You are the cleverest bunny!

For people it really looks cute and cuddly for us to be hand-feeding rhino with bottles… that suckling is critical to the rhino.”

02:09:28:00

Wildlife Vet

“Is that helping”

02:09:30:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“That’s it, that’s it.”

02:09:32:00

Bonné de Bod

“Enjoying it now”

02:09:35:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“If you don’t give that calf what the rhino mother does, you actually have a calf that doesn’t thrive and doesn’t survive.

Wow, clever girl!”

02:09:45:00

Bonné de Bod

“That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”

02:09:47:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“ A very good sign.”

02:09:50:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“It’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright, it’s alright.”

02:09:55:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Unfortunately when they’re this weak you can’t do tranquilizers or anything, I mean she’s already had a lot in the car.  You can’t do any more, it kills the appetite.  She’s gotta go through it.  It’s the hardest, hardest part.”

02:10:10:00

Bonné de Bod

“So that’s, that sound, is that?”

02:10:12:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“She’s calling for mom.”

02:10:13:00

Bonné de Bod

“Ok”

02:10:14:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“She’s exhausted but she’s too scared just to give into sleep, and she keeps waking up calling for her mom.”

02:10:20:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“It’s alright, it’s okay, it’s alright, it’s alright, it’s okay, it’s alright

“It’s alright, we here, we here, we here.”

02:10:31:02

NARRATION Bonné

All our attention had been on fragile Makhosi getting through the night, but walking around the orphanage is a reminder that other little lives have been thriving in the months we had been away!  

The white rhinos no longer drink milk and as always... it’s easy to spot Impy... feeding in the middle! 

02:10:53:00

Bonné de Bod

“We can just hide behind the trees..”

02:10:54:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Yeah”

02:10:55:00

Bonné de Bod

“if we need to”

02:10:58:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Hello guys”!

02:11:00:00

Bonné de Bod

“There we go”

02:11:01:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Are you eating browse?”

02:11:03:00

NARRATION Bonné

The black rhinos have moved from the baby section into a large camp of their own.

02:11:09:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Are you playing a lion king scene?”

02:11:12:00

Bonné de Bod

“Storm has grown a lot hey…”

02:11:14:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Yeah” She’s coming… ooh la la Nandi! That’s not the way to eat it.”

02:11:21:00

Susan Scott

 “She’s naughty hey.”

02:11:22:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Sheesh!…I’m pretty sure if I bring any girlfriend here, Nandi will just try to kill it, or, … not kill it! Kill her! To make sure she got the same attention and the same love from me!”

02:11:36:00

Bonné de Bod

“So it’s better to just, you know, keep that at bay for now”

02:11:38:00

Axel Tarifa, Rhino Orphan Caregiver

“Yeah! I think it’s safer for any girl around to stay far from me for now until she has been released!”

02:11:46:03

NARRATION Bonné

Nandi didn’t seem to mind when it came to Storm though!

02:11:55:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“You’re such a clever girl.”

02:11:55:17

NARRATION Bonné

What a difference a few hours and a new friend makes...

02:12:00:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

 “He wanted to come over and she was so frantic, I thought we’ve got nothing to lose. And they literally, they touched noses and lay down together. I mean it’s a hippo and a rhino, but it’s company.
Can you believe the difference to last night?”

02:12:14:00

Bonné de Bod

“I can’t believe it.”

02:12:15:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Isn’t that incredible? She’s sucking strongly.”

02:12:21:00

Bonné de Bod

I mean last night, she didn’t want to know anything.”

02:12:23:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“Come, come forward. She’s actually sucking now without the legs collapsing. She’s holding her temperature. So it’s… we’ve gone forward in leaps and bounds, I can’t stop smiling this morning. It’s actually…

02:12:34:00

Bonné de Bod

“Five hours, four hours…”

02:12:36:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“It’s incredible. (Laughing) This could become….”

02:12:40:00

Bonné de Bod

“Tricky!”

02:12:41:00

Karen Trendler
Wildlife Rehabilitator

“They’re so funny together!”
“For me, the best feeling is when you take a little girl like this and you have this intense, close, close bond with her, and then she goes back to the wild and she doesn’t want to come to you. Then you know, you’ve done the right thing.”

02:12:59:00

NARRATION Bonné

This rescue, the saving of Makhosi’s life was pushing us to search for answers elsewhere. 

We had to make a journey, for her, for Hope.. and for thousands like them. 

02:13:13:06

NARRATION Bonné

Journalists... filmmakers like us... turn to research, or we interview specialists to better understand our subject... because we don’t start off knowing all the facts. 

And the deeper one gets, the more complicated the data becomes.  It can be overwhelming. 

But... many of the facts contradicted each other or... were loaded.  Had emotional meaning behind them to push a cause, an outcome that might be detrimental to the species. 

So we couldn’t trust the data. We had to go to Asia to find out for ourselves. 

02:13:45:00

NARRATION Bonné

Fossil records and cave paintings tell us that rhinos used to roam pretty much all over the planet... now they’re found in only two places.

Africa and Asia. 

And all that’s left... are scattered populations.

Rhinos numbered a million just a century ago, but now only three percent remain.  Three percent! 

And of that three percent, South Africa holds two thirds of all the world’s remaining rhinos. 

So we knew that any rhino horn we found in the cities down below... would be from home. 

02:14:20:12

NARRATION Bonné

In 2015 we applied to the Chinese and Vietnamese governments for filming permits but we’re still waiting for them!

And for good reason...

Both are on Reporters Sans Frontiers freedom of the press, black list.  Only Syria and North Korea out-rank them. 

02:14:36:00

Archive upsound

 “With my government minder looking on, I’m told I’m that not going to be allowed to film much in Hanoi.”

02:14:41:24

NARRATION Bonné

It was clear we had to go in undercover. 

Especially as environmental journalists were being jailed.

But if we were found... the consequences would be severe. 

So we slipped in to Laos as tourists...

Within hours of landing in South East Asia, we had proof of demand...

The hacked out base of horns was an obvious fake...

02:15:11:00

Market seller

“Rhino horn special...”

02:15:11:15

...but it showed... the product sold.

02:15:14:00

Market seller

“Fifty dollar okay? I discount... this one is small baby.”

02:15:18:00

Bonné de Bod

“Oh a smaller one.  Is it... is it real?

02:15:22:00

Market seller

“yes, real.”

02:15:23:00

Bonné de Bod

 “Real rhino horn?”

02:15:24:00

Market seller

Yes!”

02:15:25:00

Bonné de Bod

“Wow.”

02:15:26:00

Market seller

“Yes, I discount for you...”

02:15:31:00

Bonné de Bod

 “Ivory everywhere”
(whispering)

02:15:34:05

NARRATION Bonné

Ivory is sold openly in Laos.  

02:15:37:00

Bonné de Bod

“Does that mean it’s real?  Is this ivory?” 

02:15:41:00

Shop seller

“This is bone”

02:15:42:00

Bonné de Bod

“Bone?”

02:15:42:00

Shop seller

 “Yes.”

02:15:43:00

Bonné de Bod

 “From...?”

02:15:44:00

Shop seller

“From ahhh... buffalo that has died...”

02:15:46:15

NARRATION Bonné

It wasn’t Buffalo.  This sign is Chinese, clearly indicating it as elephant ivory. 

Ivory signs are everywhere, and the English word has been covered up. 

Ivory is a status symbol in China where it is banned, so millions of Chinese tourists flock here to buy the illegal product.

We found what we came for... when we saw the most illegal of all... rhino horn.

02:16:12:00

Antique dealer

“People buy it yeah, but in Laos not for medical but only keep in house for lucky!”

02:16:16:00

Bonné de Bod

 “Oh for good luck”

02:16:17:00

Antique dealer

“About 300 to 400 US dollars for one gram...”

02:16:23:00

NARRATION Bonné

This he said was from the nearly extinct Asian one-horned rhino that he called rhino cero.  

02:16:29:00

Antique dealer

 “‘Rhino cero’ very expensive”

02:16:32:00

Bonné de Bod

“You don’t have African horn?”

02:16:4:00

Antique dealer

“No, no, in Vietnam or in China”

02:16:38:00

Archive upsounds

“The centre of illegal trade in horns, is of all places... Vietnam.”

“Shop after shop selling rhino horn in Vietnam’s capital.”

02:16:49:00

Bonné de Bod

“And, and this...?”

02:16:50:00

Vn translator

“Artichoke tea.”

02:16:52:00

Bonné de Bod

“Okay.”

02:16:53:00

Vn translator

“My wife has a bag of this at home.”

02:16:54:06

NARRATION Bonné

Our translator is an activist so we cannot show his face. 

While we are undercover, he acts as our tour guide and when we have interviews... our government minder. 

We have put him in great danger.

02:17:08:00

Vn translator

“We are losing a lot of rare and valuable animals.  So we lost the rhino in 2011 and many people taste like all the tigers, pangolins, bears.  So I think Vietnamese people are not living harmoniously with their environment.”

02:17:27:00

TCM seller1

“That’s the bowl to grind rhino horn and drink it with rice wine.  Only use this plate for grinding rhino horn.  You won’t be able to grind other things on it.”

02:17:35:00

Bonné de Bod

“And it’s quite rough inside”

02:17:37:00

TCM seller1

“Rough, rough, for grinding.”

02:17:39:00

Vn translator

“Do you have the horn?”

02:17:41:00

TCM seller1

“No! Only the plate. Rhino horn is prohibited.”

02:17:48:00

Vn translator

“Is this a grinding bowl?”