SPARE a special moment for 10 wonderful people, people who spend their working lives caring and nurturing rhino calves, mostly orphans of the rhino poaching war.
Spare a moment to listen to their grief and anger at the slaughter of animals they have grown to love and understand.
It was mid afternoon and inside three of the bomas at Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Game Capture Unit were six animal attendants, many feeding rhino calves with milk.
The squeals from these calves indicated their excitement. But watching from a distance it was clear that these guys had their own loving communication, as they scratched and baby-talked their way through this intimate engagement.
Sentimentality aside, photographing them was not easy largely because the attendants didn’t want to spend too much time showing their affection and corralling them into poses.
Nevertheless, the four calves clearly adored their handlers.
Some lay down next to them, others nudged and stayed close.
‘We cannot get too close. One day in the future they must get back into the wild. So you must be quick with your photos,’ said Absalom Mthembu, senior animal attendant.
Afterwards they all spoke about their upset with the rhino poaching. It was heartfelt and passionate. This was unsurprising.
Many of them have served these animals for a long time in these bomas, Absalom has being doing this job for some 22 years, Mike Mkhwanazi 27 years and Phillemon Ndwandwe 21 years.
‘You remember the one I was holding for your photo?
Well, he was found just limping behind us as a very young calf, just following. He had a broken shoulder.
‘We looked for the mother, but you know she was probably shot and killed,’ said Phillemon.
Individual opinions
‘We see the photographs and hear the news and I am ashamed to know that our people are doing this. It makes me sick.
‘I want to pick up a gun and join our anti-poaching staff and hunt them down,’ said Mike Mkhwanazi.
For Isaac Mdaka he was more philosophical, ‘The world is not good. People will do anything for money. Maybe I can understand it if someone is starving but can you say this about these poachers?
‘What I do know is that it is rich people that are ordering this horn, so it is just greed.’
Ndwandwe said, ‘I am a simple man, but what I think is wrong is that there is no strength anymore.
‘If people want to kill this beautiful animal, then they should know that they can pay for their lives if they are caught. That is my thinking’.
One of the most insightful statements came from Absalom.
‘Too many people have never seen a rhino.
‘People have lost touch with the ‘ethlatini’ (open spaces) and they have lost their feelings for wild animals.
‘Otherwise they would never do this. Never, it is so evil and heartless.’
Jeff Cooke, head of Ezemvelo’s Game Capture Unit, was not surprised by their comments.
‘Let it be known that these are seriously dedicated and caring people.
‘In fact, so many Ezemvelo employees are like this, but few appreciate how much this passion filters down the ranks of our staff.’
Depending on the age of the rhino or calf, Cook said they watch and nurture them throughout the day and night.
‘If it’s a calf they are fed every four hours.
‘I have never ever had to worry about the care and attention spent on them.
‘If they are sick or something is wrong I can promise you I will know about it immediately,’ he said.
