Poachers Ahoy!

What comes to mind when you read the word 'poacher'?

I think of men with high powered rifles, and knives to hack off rhino horn, creeping and dodging through the bush in a game park, evading capture. Some, luckily, are shot, and those that are captured deserve to be stripped naked and sent to play with the lions for a while.

But, I digress (those words again!)

I seldom think of poaching taking place under our noses, literally! So, when Rob and I stood on our upstairs veranda a couple of days ago, looking at the sea and idly watching a little boat bobbing up and down in the mouth of the bay, the last thing we thought of was illegal fishing, or poaching!

Especially in broad daylight in full view of everybody!

No, we thought that the men on board, dressed in black wet-suits and wearing flippers, were doing some fishing and because the water is very cold, they were being sensible! We watched them through the binoculars but we just could not make out the name of the boat, Rob thought it was 'Miss' something. And then we went inside thinking that they were perhaps a little daft to be out on a cold day!

40 Years for Rhino Poaching!

This was the headline that gladdened many hearts in South Africa this week.

A Thai national was sentenced to 40 years, the harshest sentence ever handed out for a wildlife crime here. I personally feel that the sentence is still too lenient considering the number of murders that he was responsible for.

He then had the gall to 'apologise' to the people of South Africa for causing such an emotional outcry. The judge (bless his heart), said that it was murder, that not only had he murdered the rhinos for their horns, but had left young calves orphaned and destroyed family groups. He went on to say that he wanted his grandchildren to see the real thing, not a photograph of a noble animal killed for greed.

A white rhino, alive, but for how much longer?

When I wrote the 'Run Rhino Run' post in October last year, it was estimated that 400 odd rhinos would die by the end of the year. Well, that figure was a little on the low side; the 'grand total' of murdered rhinos in 2011 was............(drum roll.....) 448.

To date, 2012 has seen the slaughter of 455 and it's still November! Kruger Park alone have 'lost' 272. That is 20 more than last year. And I hasten to add, many of those again at the hands of the very people who are PAID to protect them. To date 207 people have been arrested for illegal trading in rhino horn.

How many more will die needlessly by the end of the year? I shudder to think.

Rob was at Inverdoorn Game Reserve last weekend. They proudly admit that they poison the horns of their rhinos, have a look at their website  www.inverdoorn.com

Thanks to Inverdoorn's website.

The EWT is heavily involved in raising both funds and awareness and are hoping that their 'RHINENOSE DAY' car 'noses' will bring in much needed money.

Thanks to EWT.

Personally I prefer the bumper sticker that a friend has on her car;

SAVE THE RHINO, HUNT THE POACHER

Yes, I agree.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Yes, well it won't be such a happy one for the elephants, as I heard on the news that over 3,000 were killed in 2011 for their ivory. (23 tons to be more or less precise, the most since 1989 when ivory trading was banned.) My heart sinks again, if it's not rhinos that are slaughtered needlessly, it's elephants. And when they are extinct, along with the rhinos? What then? Well I suppose the poachers will move on to their next victim, for horn, tusk, hoof, hair, whatever, until another species bites the dust. Literally. And all for nothing.

Rob and I sat up last night to see the new year in, hoping that there would be no fireworks, but although there were a few and Alfie went in to panting- shivery-heap mode, I guess it could have been worse. He refused to go and have his last minute ‘emptying’ before bed and slept quite happily for the remainder of the night. He must have a bladder the size of a camel’s as he wasn’t too desperate to go out this morning either!
So, what will 2012 bring? Hopefully some good news for us all, visits to and from my family, the usual wish to lose weight, (oh for some willpower, why am I not addicted to carrots?) I also wish that the aches and pains that are so noticeable in the morning fade away to nothing and stay away! For Rob and Alfie and me, caravan adventures, enough money to live comfortably and that the laughs and fun we have here in our village continue.


On the road again!!


And what more, really, could a person want?

Happy 2012 from us all!! Thanks to John Hilton for the photo.


Happy New Year to you all!

Rugby and Roadkill.

Earlier this year I listened to a very interesting talk on the radio about the plight of the Riverine Rabbit. I then decided to join the very worthwhile 'Endangered Wildlife Trust' or EWT, hoping that my small contribution would help in some way. I receive their newsletter via email and each time I read it I see words like 'extinct', 'global warming' and 'endangered species' and I shudder. But, this month (apart from the doom and gloom), I read with interest that EWT is proud to announce a partnership with the Gauteng based Golden Lions Rugby Union, which is putting its force behind carnivore conservation (what else??) by running a competition in which a signed Golden Lions jersey is up for grabs! They are the very well deserving 2011 winners of the Currie Cup. (I am and always shall be a Province supporter, but I must admit that we did not play to the best of our ability this year!)

Run Rhino Run!

I thought that I had better show you what a White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium sinum) looks like before the poachers have slaughtered every last one of them for their horns. Rob took these photographs a few years ago and there is a very good (?) chance that they are no longer alive. Look carefully, you may see the tears in the corners of their eyes.

Look, show your grandchildren, they may never see a rhino.