Twins represent Johannesburg at World Youth Rhino Summit

Twins Kirsten and Ashleigh Elmes (16) represent Johannesburg at the World Youth Rhino Summit on 21 to 23 September at the Centenary Centre, iMfolozi Game Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal.

The Grade 11 pupils from St Stithians Girls College grew up experiencing the bush, because their father Gary Elmes, who works for TourVest, used to travel with them.

The girls attended the summit which consisted of six groups of delegates from all over the world – the United States of America, Swaziland, Botswana, Vietnam, China, Chile and Namibia. Each group had to come up with a resolution to a topic of their choice.

The Elmes debated the topic: What we believe would help protect our protected areas.

The group finally settled on two resolutions.

The first was to create more concentrated security– such as rangers per square kilometre – and to take down fences, which would allow the rhinos to be less congregated and therefore more difficult to pouch.

Numerous guest speakers attended the summit, among others Dr Ian Player, world renowned conservationist.

The speakers provided the delegates with facts and varying perspectives to take back to their home country.

Delegates got a chance to witness a mock version of the scenario that would occur when poachers are caught by rangers.

Ashleigh and Kirsten remarked, “It was really amazing to see the different colours of smoke filling the air and how they execute the capture of poachers.”

Ashleigh suggested, “We can get the community involved, the people in the areas surrounding wild life reserves, to understand and be educated on rhino poaching, which could curb the trafficking and poaching of rhinos.”

“Governments need to secure and widen the buffer zones between the game reserve and the rural settlements, thus increasing the visibility of tresspassers entering and exiting the reserves,” says Kirsten.

The groups visited the rhino boma in which orphaned rhinos are kept safe after their parents have been killed by either poachers or trucks. Ashleigh said, “It was really cool to be up close to the rhinos but also really sad because they have been rescued for negative reasons.”

In the future, the girls hope to spread the knowledge they gained from the summit to people all throughout their community and the greater public.

Details: www.youthrhinosummit.com ; www.stithian.com or 011 577 6000.