Saving Our Rhinos
Before I can show any of the images from this life-changing experience, I have to warn you: they are upsetting. We have to deface our special rhinos, for the sake of saving the from our very own kind. I can also assure you that this beautiful rhino felt zero pain and endured virtually no trauma. In fact, he doesn't even know his horn is gone. The procedure was overseen by a massive team of vets and conservationists, as well as a South African Parks representative. The horn is stored in a secret vault, which location is known to barely a handful. The horn will also grow back in 2 years. There is zero pain involved for the rhino. You can think of the horn exactly in the same terms you would a finger nail (it's even made of the same material).
My involvement in this process was specifically to enhance awareness for the struggle we face with poachers. I hope these images can inspire you to share awareness for the struggle we face.
Without further delay, here are the images, starting with one of the best and saddest images I have ever captured.
Okay, why is this one of my best images ever? Well, if you haven't noticed already, sad as it is, that horn is perfectly in focus. Given the magnitude of the situation (don't even know if I'll ever experience this again) and the scale of the operation, I cannot believe I nailed this shot. I had about 10 people running around in front of my camera. There was a split window of opportunity for me to capture this image. I also feel that this is a very impactful photo - it is upsetting. It is my hope that it can be a vessel of awareness. Can we please stop having to dehorn these beautiful creatures so that they can live?
This is the best image I managed to capture, as we had to retreat far away from the, still very dangerous, rhino. He was up and outta there in seconds.
