Singing the Unsung Heroes

     Now that I've talked about the elephants and the rhinos, I'd like to talk about the guys who are responsible for their safety.  Many people worry about the dangerousness of the large animals at Imire, but it is impossible to over-state how great the danger is FOR the large animals at Imire.
     In 2007, poachers entered the game park and came to the little cluster of houses that are next to the "bomas,"  the corrals where both the rhinos and the elies spend the nights.  They simply cannot roam free at night.  It is impossible to protect them adequately in the dark.   These poachers first attacked the people living in the houses, beating them and tying them up.  
     That done, they attacked the rhinos.  There were four adult rhinos and a baby only a few days old.  All four adults were killed and their horns sawed off and stolen.  Somehow they missed the baby who was cowering in a mound of hay in the corner of one of the bomas.  That traumatized little guy was Tatenda, who wound up growing up in the Travers home, until he was two YEARS of age.  If Tatenda's story interests you, you might check out the little movie made about him called "There's a Rhino in My House," a 4-part series on youTube. 
     So, protection of the rhinos is VERY critical.  Although most of the Imire rhinos are tranquillized and have their horns removed regularly (the horns grow back just like fingernails), poachers are interested even in the bit of horn that exists under the skin.  Rhino horn is more valuable than diamonds or gold, mainly because some modern quack doctor in Vietnam claims to be able to cure cancer with it.  It is said to be worth upwards of $60,000 an ounce.  All this despite the fact that rhino horn has EXACTLY the same composition as human fingernails.

     
During the daylight hours, each rhino has a guard armed with an AK47 watching over it.  Thank goodness, no one has had to use one since 2007, but I'm sure that's due to the fact that it is well-known that Imire protects its rhino population so vigorously.




There are at least 10 rhinos at Imire and therefore LOTS of rhino handlers.  But there are only four elephants, and so there are only 4 elephant handlers.  I've spent more time with the elephant handlers than the rhino handlers, so I've gotten to know these guys better.  Here they are:

From left to right, that's Polite, Mr. Brown, and Blessing, accompanyied by some itinerant wannabe elephant handler.  Petros had the day off.

So, THANKS GUYS, for the heroic job you do, and thanks to the Travers family for going to so very much time, effort, and money to insure that "our" animals are protected.