How many of you have ever seen a Rhino?

After reading the thread posted yesterday about the disgusting treatment of a mother Rhino and what has possibly happened to its offspring I, at first, couldn't reply then rethinking the whole issue last night I decided I had to respond. Which I did first thing this morning!
Now I am quite shocked at how little response the original thread has had considering the population of South Africa and being aware that there are more than a couple of South Africans that are members of this site.
I wonder how many members of this site have ever had the opportunity to see Rhino in the wild in Africa, amazing creatures, Majestic and Proud and once the last one has been killed by poachers it is going to be too late to say "I wish I had"
I am probably not making a very good case here but the whole issue has upset me so and got me so angry that I can't really think straight right now!
This is my first thread, so sorry if I have made a mess of it!

[edit on 30/6/10 by wiser3]

I spent a week in Kruger National park in March - saw Four of the Big 5, but did not see a single rhino

The big five are among the most dangerous animals.

1. The Lion (Panthera leo)
2. The African elephant (Loxodonta africana)
3. The African Buffalo or Cape Buffalo (Syncerus caffer)
4. The Leopard (Panthera pardus)
5. The Black Rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis)

Link

Here are some pics I took:
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/465f44674450.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8a10c3124e93.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/1228dc3282cf.jpg[/atsimg]

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/138b874a1a6e.jpg[/atsimg]

When I spent Holiday 10 years ago at Tanjung Lesung and Taman Safari

That is quite sad actually. When I was doing my National Service, I was lucky enough to be stationed in Etosha for a while and one of my most memorable moments was out on patrol and coming across a Rhino mother and calf, they knew that we were there long before we saw them but didn't even run away and as we got close to them (we were on a dirt track and they were in the veld) they just trotted alongside our armoured vehicle for probably 500 metres or more, it was incredible. I actually took photos, but that was also a lifetme ago, if I can find them I will scan and post!
Had to add that I love your pics, haven't been to Kruger in years and the pics bring back great memories!

[edit on 30/6/10 by wiser3]

reply to post by deltaalphanovember

Nice pics. looks like a fun time!

Thank you for sharing them with us.

I saw the healine on 24 news and I just could not go into it! I can't handle stuff like that. I made the mistake of reading about the guy who tortured a small dog, so when I saw the Rhino headline I just could not! People who do this should be shot!

reply to post by madleo


I agree .. it is one thing to hunt an animal for food (which I can live with), and quite another thing to hunt for trophies. In the afore-mentioned two cases, the legally hunted animal is generally less likely to suffer.

These poachers though ... *shaking head* .. there is a special place in Hell reserved for them.

I havent seen one in the wild, but Ive seen on in a park that mimics the natural habitat of Rhinos, well all of Africa to be exact. That was an amazing experience

They are absolutely majestic creatures.

I saw two about 15 years ago when I was near the Angola border, but a lot has changed since then, 15 years passes so fast I am having a hard time believing it was so long ago.

Things change in Africa almost on a weekly basis.

Just read today that 124 Rhinos have been killed since January! The poachers killed 119 black rhinos and 5 white rhinos! There's no control!

reply to post by madleo


That is just insane! The way things are going there won't even be any Rhino left in a few years time. And all for the sake of some horny old men who have erection problems, disgusting! There are (I have heard haha!) many other methods of "keeping it up", herbal, chemical and even excercise, which are for sure more effective than the powdered horn of Rhino which probably has no proven effect and all it does is deprive future generations from being able to see these armoured giants roaming free the way it was meant to be!

I want to bring this thread back up on ATS due to the reports on Sky this morning regarding the disgusting slaughter by poachers of Rhino in South Africa.

Over two hundred Rhino have been poached in the first three months of this year.

The video coverage showed a Rhino which had been captured and it's horn PLUS PART OF IT"S FACE HAD BEEN HACKED OFF WITH A CHAINSAW AND THE ANIMAL LEFT ALIVE AND SUFFERING TO DIE A SLOW AND PAINFUL DEATH!

When will we we stand up and so NO MORE!


I hope that the poisoning of the horns will become mainstream and ALL of these disgusting people who are using powdered Rhino Horn to try and cure their "dis-ease" DIE a Slow and painful death before there are no Rhino left to save!

reply to post by wiser3
What is wrong with people? How can one living being treat any other living being like this?

I am pro-hunting, and pro-gun. I am a conservationist. You don't take what you don't use. These animals - be it deer in Wisconsin, fish from the sea, or animals from the veld. You respect and be a caretaker of the animals and the environment.

How can people buy crap like shark fins, or rhino horns without thinking how they had been gotten?

reply to post by Happy1


Sorry about this Happy but after all the jokes being made about the plight that the Rhino are in and how lightly so many seem to think this situation should be taken I feel that this image is required, just to make people see what is really happening! Hopefully one day when their grandchildren ask them what a Rhino looked like this won't be the only picture of a Rhino that they have on hand to show them!

To all the jokers out there Look, Laugh and Learn!

I've seen Rhinos at Busch Gardens in Tampa FL. Like looking at walking dinosaurs, or at least that's how it seemed to me. I can imagine larger dinos looking very similar at least. They even have an attraction called Rhino Rally, where you ride in a tracked car through part of the safari area.

You'd like it....as it is more of a natural preserve, than a zoo. They really try to simulate it, and you could swear you were in Africa, not FL.

reply to post by Gazrok


Thanks again Gazrok! Your post gives one some hope that somehow, through breeding programmes etc, more of the planets endangered species will survive the onslaught that they are being subjected to due to ignorance on the part of some people and denial on the part of others! Then hopefully one day some of the species that are now in decline will successfully be re-introduced to their natural habitats where man will once again be able to marvel at them and their kind!

ps. I agree on the dinosaur thing!