Reality Hits – Tragic Rhino Poaching Threatens our Wonderful Wildlife… October 10, 2012 by Amanda Stergianos I was in Madikwe six weeks ago with my three daughters. We had a wonderful time with good family friends and excellent hosts who taught (and fed) us all an infinite amount. Our children learnt so much as the photos tell, and I am so grateful to be living in South Africa to give them access to the wonderful wildlife on our doorstep. However, when we were there, reality really hit home that we can not take this beauty for granted any more, our time is running out. On the third day several rhino were slaughtered, some in Botswana and this one, featured in my photos below, just a few kilometres from our camp in Madikwe. Credit: Amanda The poachers walked into a lion and shot a beautiful alpha male in defence as well. It was heartbreaking, even the children were stunned into a subdued silence for the rest of the day. When I became aware of the #killthetrade campaign, I was compelled to get SAPeople involved to support this essential drive to unite South Africans to ‘kill the trade’ that kills rhinos, elephants and tigers. This is the perfect opportunity for us not to standby helplessly, but to all get involved to create awareness and fight the serious poaching that threatens our wildlife. Please join the drive of #killthetrade campaign which is to encourage people like me an you to take pictures and spread them using social media and email. The more exposure we can give the #killthetrade campaign the better as over 400 Rhino have been killed this year already. Please help spread the word by clicking on the button below to take action. Credit: Amanda Credit: Amanda Credit: Amanda
vredie Viljoen says October 13, 2012 at 9:11 am One of these days there will be no Rhinos left for us or our grand children or grand grand children to see. Wish the death sentence good be re-installed so that the basterds good be afraid to do what they are busy doing.
Jill Orton says October 14, 2012 at 5:17 am The trouble with the world today is that there are too many people living on it. Most ofl these people are being brought up with the idea that they are entitled to anything, whether they take it or it is given to them. Greed is the foremost human emotion and greed is what drives these people to kill and maim these animals as they have something which is wanted, not needed, by many in the Far East mostly. Therefore, as long as people are prepared to pay big money for rhino horn and elephant tusks, this heartless killing will go on.
heinie says October 14, 2012 at 9:46 am when will this evilness/greediness ends in our beloverd South Africa?
leon Benade says October 14, 2012 at 11:51 am It is gross. The people of South Africa who is involved with the killing of annimals should be treated the same way they treat animals. Slau……r them too. I hate people who do that. Sorry I have no respect as they are not to be called people.
Daniel Pediwe Sape says October 15, 2012 at 5:34 am This is the work of those who have and wants to have more. Access to these games is also a concern and efforts to have ordinary people appreciate and take ownership of wild life is as important as yesterday. I have been blessed to visit a number of nature reserves and it is shocking to hear these horrible stories. Frequent movements within these games will reduce tragic stories as portrait. Visiting some areas around Bulawayo in Zim was exciting to see how people care about their surroundings – few minutes of stopping we were confronted by an ordinary citizen wanting to know what we want. This can be duplicated…….
nyathi lekgwathi says October 15, 2012 at 6:59 am Disturbing pictures, something serious need to be done to stop these senseless killings of our nature.
Zona says October 15, 2012 at 12:03 pm Totaly, disgusting as the Rhino’s are part of our country, part of the beauty of South Africa. When is all this killing in South Africa going to stop. First, man against man, now man against animals, what next people. Will we as a nation accept & do nothing that part of us is being distroyed by others everyday of our lives until there is nothing to distroy or are we going to come together as one nation, one people & put a stop to all this killing of our animals
Loraine says October 15, 2012 at 8:38 pm Shoot them and do the same to them but now thinking do the same to them but while they r still alive they r visious killers and taking away the great animals that our grand kids still want to c
Michael Woolley says October 17, 2012 at 10:18 am It is so wrong what people do to South Africa wild life , it must stop now