October 2

Sean Donnelly (the ASEA Public Affairs Director who I now serve as a secretary/assistant) invited Dave and myself to go on a “Rhino Capture” with him, his wife and several other missionary couples.  He’s part of a conservation group here in South Africa who are trying to prevent rhinos from being poached.  Hundreds of them are killed every year (over 400 to date this year)—even in the National Parks and protected reserves—because their horns are so valuable.  In China, Vietnam and other Asian countries, the ground up horns are considered to be an aphrodesiac and to cure cancer and other illnesses.  Per kilo, it is worth more than gold or pure heroin on the black market—between $300,000 and $500,000 a horn.  Many people are very poor here and are willing to risk their lives for that kind of money.  It’s so sad—they usually use an axe to extract the horn and just leave the animal to die.

We were part of an effort to protect them—in an interesting way.  We drove about 6 hours into a private reserve called Klasseri that connects with the thousands of acres of  Kruger Park.  

We spent Saturday on Safari in Kruger and saw many beautiful animals—lots of elephants, kudu, impala, giraffe, cape buffalo, jackel, hippo, etc.  On Sunday we had a Sacrament Meeting together with the approval of the Area Presidency (Dave gave a wonderful talk) and then we were on the road at 5:45 AM on Monday morning.  

This is a black backed jackel

Zebras are like a human fingerprint--no two stripe patterns are alike.

These two hippos were doing a mating dance--it was actually a graceful maneuvering of their mouths for a long period of time in the water.

Out on the reserve, we met up with the vet, his assistant and the head ranger.  While we waited for the helicopter, they explained what we would be doing and gave assignments to everyone. 

The vet and his assistant carefully prepared the tranquilizer darts and other medications.

This is the air rifle used to shoot the tranquilizer dart into the rump of the rhino.  Apparently there is one place that is soft enough for the needle to get through the tough skin.

We were all involved—someone had a cloth to cover the rhino’s eyes, someone had some wads of socks to put in the ears, someone had to monitor the number of breaths per minute, someone was assigned to put a special cream in the eyes, etc.  Because I had just had a birthday, I got to ride in the helicopter when the vet shot the tranquilizer into the rump of the rhino.   First, the helicopter went up and located and identified the rhino they wanted, then he came back to the group and picked up the vet and me.  I had borrowed a movie camera so I could film the whole thing—I felt terrible pressure to do that well!   What a glorious experience it was for me—just amazing to fly over the vast expanse of Africa and see the animals and endless bush below me.  

There were no doors on the helicopter--the sides were just wide open--what a thrill ride!

We flew down low and the vet shot the dart right into the rump of the rhino—one of a group of four—a young female.  It was so touching to me to watch how the other three stayed with her—even as she began to be drugged and to fall.  When the helicopter came down to land, they finally, reluctantly left her and ran away. 
If you look closely, you can see the dart with a bright pink feather in the one in the center.

The helicopter hearded her a little bit to keep her from going into thick bush--we needed her out in the open where we could work on her.

 As soon as she was darted, the vet radioed the group and they raced across the savannah toward where we were hovering over her—it probably took them about 10 minutes to get there—and then everyone sprung into action.  Dave and some of the other men pushed her from her side into a lying upright position and held her there so she could breathe better. 

I jumped out of the helicopter and immediately began filming the safari vehicles racing toward us to get to work.

As the medication began to take effect, she fell down and the vets quickly began stabilizing her.

 She went onto her side and the men had to push her upright so that she could breathe better.  It took a lot of strength to hold her in that position.

  The vet put an IV into a vein in her ear so they could give her medications.  DNA samples were taken, they drilled a hole in each horn and placed trackable microchips in each one (then filled in the holes with glue and a wood plug—you couldn’t even tell where the hole had been).  Then they notched her ears in such a way that from the air they could recognize exactly which rhino she is and can keep track of her.  She was number 160 to have this procedure done in that particular reserve—though many others have been done elsewhere.  She began to shake and quiver a little and I just wanted so badly to comfort her—we all named her Sister Lulu.  Her vital signs were being monitored constantly and records were being kept on everything. 

 They monitored her vital signs continually.

Here they are clamping off the edges of the newly notched ear.  They have a unique way of numbering them with the notches and can identify each one.  Below you can see the notch clearly.  That is Dave in the foreground taking the surgical clamps off.

 Finally, when all was finished, we went back to the safari vehicles and watched while the vet administered the antidote and removed the needle.  Within 3-4 minutes she was recovering and trying to stand up.  In 5-10 minutes she was walking around trying to figure out what had happened to her and where her family had gone.  A field ranger was going to stay near her all day to just be sure she was fine, and we reluctantly left her.  

She's beginning to come around!

Struggling to get on her feet!

 She's upright--if a little wobbly!

She takes off to find her family--

Turns to us and nods as if to say "good-bye and thank you"--

And then takes off into the bush!

The tracking devices have been a big deterrent to the poachers to this date in the areas where they have been implemented-- and our efforts might just protect her from losing her life.  We sure hope so!  We feel very attached to one sweet African rhino--our dear little "Sister Lulu."