Save the Rhino

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The message we seem to be getting in the UK is that Rhino poaching is something that had been stamped out as we don't seem to hear much about it since the crisis in 1980s. But rhino horns remain a valuable commodity in the Asian market, and white rhino are being slaughtered for their horns to such an extent that 2012 has been the worst year for rhino deaths for a decade. Last year 448 rhinos were poached in South Africa, with a further 281 rhinos killed in in the country by mid July this year. A recent study warns that if poaching levels continue at this rate, 515 South African rhinos could be lost to poaching by the end of 2012.

The rhino horns are thought to possess immune boosting properties and are seen as a symbol of prosperity in Vietnam and China. However, the horn is comprised of only keratin - the protein that makes our nails and hair- with some calcium deposits, none of which hold any medicinal properties.

Being up close to these beautiful creatures at Madikwe national park was an absolute privilege. They're a curious mix of great big hulking prehistoric throwbacks, all sinews and nostrils, and gentle light footed creatures who silently trot from bush to bush. Their skin is so thick and tough, and appears to move in giant panels, which give them their stegosaurus gait. Their toenails are huge, and give them a kind of bizarrely comical look.

They weren't bothered at all by our presence, but the same can't be said for the king of the jungle: the lion. We arrived at a stand off between a coalition of lions (a group of male lions, in this case brothers) and a female white rhino and her calf. Neither wanted to move on from their spot, and gave each other very hard stares indeed. Fed up with the potential threat to her calf, the female rhino quickly trotted towards the lions, horn down, to encourage them to scarper, which they duly did. This magnificent creature can ward off an apex predator, but is vulnerable to the barrel of the poachers' gun.

If we continue to let this happen then there will be none of these stately creatures left in the wild. Check out http://www.savetherhino.org for more information, to make a donation to anti-poaching programmes, or get involved with World Rhino Day on September 22nd.

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