National Geographic The Rhino War

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00:00:47 OK, there's the mother.
00:00:49 Now look at this
00:00:50 might pull the skin to the side there.
00:00:52 Yeah.
00:00:53 This is a loft of.
00:00:59 Right, shall we look
00:01:03 Today in Africa,
00:01:06 Both man and beast are dying...
00:01:11 and the enemies are greed,
00:01:20 The battle is being waged
00:01:21 over the black rhino, sought by
00:01:24 poachers for its valuable horn
00:01:27 In the past 15 years, over 95%
00:01:31 of the animals
00:01:36 Each day, Ranger Dolf Sasseen
00:01:38 patrols the Zambezi Valley,
00:01:40 But for this mother and calf,
00:01:44 A lot of people would say,
00:01:45 "What does the rhino do to
00:01:47 As a bushman you could
00:01:49 "The rhino has been created by God
00:01:52 as part of creation,
00:01:55 To look at it,
00:01:56 it's a beautiful animal
00:01:58 and we can live side by side.
00:02:05 You do not want to show to
00:02:10 How an elephant or a rhino
00:02:14 That's not what life
00:02:16 Life is not a storybook
00:03:31 For 45 million years,
00:03:33 primitive mammals wandered
00:03:36 and forests of the world
00:03:40 The rhino has few
00:03:42 but that role has
00:03:52 More than 30 species of
00:03:56 Today, there are only five,
00:04:03 In Asia, the Javan, Sumatran,
00:04:06 are down to critical levels.
00:04:12 In Africa, the white rhino is
00:04:16 Closely confined in a few well
00:04:17 guarded South African reserves
00:04:24 But the black rhino is hurting
00:04:41 If, as we say, in
00:04:45 there were 65,000 rhino
00:04:47 We are down to 4,500 now.
00:04:50 That's an indictment upon
00:04:51 somebody or a group of
00:04:54 It's come down throughout
00:04:57 Africa, this disease,
00:04:59 plundering our wildlife of
00:05:02 Through the years,
00:05:03 the black rhino had
00:05:05 depleted through much of
00:05:08 It is the recent wave of
00:05:10 devastated the animal.
00:05:13 Starting in the early 70s,
00:05:15 poachers swept through
00:05:18 all but wiping out
00:05:21 Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia,
00:05:25 Now, they have begun
00:05:31 In 1977, the situation took an
00:05:33 even more severe turn for
00:05:35 in Kenya's Meru National Park.
00:05:39 In one three month period,
00:05:41 the toll on the rhinos reached 53
00:05:44 and rangers began to
00:05:46 and killed by armed
00:05:50 Peter Jenkins was the park's
00:05:53 When I went to the Meru park
00:05:56 of black rhino between
00:06:00 and then in the late 70s we
00:06:02 were hit by a different type
00:06:04 this was the shifta poacher
00:06:07 And when I left Meru '81,
00:06:09 the population was down to
00:06:12 Today, it's three.
00:06:26 The beginning of the
00:06:28 be traced back to the
00:06:32 Modern guns were introduced
00:06:35 And killing became easy,
00:06:39 Some Europeans developed a
00:06:43 others hunted for the
00:06:47 When a rhino charges a man
00:06:49 But when a man charges a rhino,
00:06:53 So here you see the
00:06:58 We are now in a with rhinos.
00:07:00 Osa dislikes rhinos more than
00:07:04 For years they have been
00:07:06 chasing her and here was
00:07:08 to give them a taste of their
00:07:27 Mr. Rhino is public enemy
00:07:30 He's afraid of nothing.
00:07:32 If your first shot doesn't
00:07:42 It is not hunting, however,
00:07:43 that poses the great threat
00:07:46 Instead, it is the demand for
00:07:50 Ironically, the very feature
00:07:52 of the animal that evolved for
00:07:54 may bring about its extinction
00:07:58 Though hard and strong like bone,
00:08:00 the horn is made of keratin,
00:08:02 like the
00:08:05 It grows throughout the rhinos
00:08:07 life at a rate of about three
00:08:09 On a full grown adult,
00:08:16 For thousands of years,
00:08:18 rhino horn powder has been a
00:08:20 treasured commodity in
00:08:27 Ancient oriental tradition
00:08:28 views it as an
00:08:31 and an indispensable cure all.
00:08:34 The use of rhino horn
00:08:36 has been greatly exaggerated,
00:08:38 and is found only in
00:08:43 As early as the sixteenth
00:08:44 century, rhino horn powder
00:08:47 encyclopedia of Chinese
00:08:53 The best horn is from a
00:08:58 Black is better than white.
00:09:00 The tip has the most virtue.
00:09:03 Pregnant women should not take
00:09:10 Modern medicine considers the
00:09:13 and almost all far eastern
00:09:14 countries have officially
00:09:16 banned the importation of
00:09:19 Still, the local market
00:09:23 In the back street of Taipei,
00:09:25 Bangkok, and other Asian cities,
00:09:28 African rhino horn retails
00:09:43 For the past decade the export
00:09:45 of rhino horn has been banned
00:09:47 in most African countries,
00:09:51 to the dismay of
00:09:53 Back in the 1970s
00:09:55 when there was very little
00:09:58 the outlets were very diffuse
00:10:03 or boats and perhaps over land
00:10:07 But nowadays, I think that the
00:10:09 routes have become rather
00:10:10 and most countries seem to
00:10:14 as the major exit point
00:10:17 So I believe a
00:10:20 must be going out from
00:10:22 But we also know from
00:10:23 countries like Zimbabwe
00:10:28 that a certain amount of rhino
00:10:29 horn has gone out in
00:10:32 It's almost certainly an
00:10:36 illegal network, if you like,
00:10:40 government officials,
00:10:44 and corrupt politicians,
00:10:47 triangular Mafia-like alliance
00:10:48 which has made it so powerful.
00:10:50 It's not only affected rhinos,
00:10:53 it's also affected elephants
00:10:55 and ivory-the two are very
00:11:05 Throughout history,
00:11:08 many kinds of illegal trade.
00:11:14 Rhino horn, leopard skins, gold,
00:11:18 his specialty.
00:11:21 This pile of ivory,
00:11:25 was hidden in falsely
00:11:28 It was seized by
00:11:31 while awaiting shipment
00:11:35 The route is an old one,
00:11:38 Arab dhows have sailed these waters,
00:11:41 sometimes with valuable
00:12:02 In this way, the horn of
00:12:05 rhino have made
00:13:01 In recent years, the horn has
00:13:03 often ended its journey in
00:13:06 It is here that one more
00:13:09 black rhino story has
00:13:15 The oil boom of the early 70s
00:13:18 created lucrative work for
00:13:21 laborers in Saudi Arabia
00:13:24 For the first time, the workers
00:13:26 had ready cash to
00:13:28 including the ultimate
00:13:31 the rhino horned dagger,
00:13:37 The discovery of the new
00:13:39 was made by Kenyan-based
00:13:41 geographer Esmond
00:13:43 I first came to North Yemem
00:13:48 I was doing a general
00:13:53 and discovered at that time
00:13:58 rhino horn in the world was
00:14:01 for the making of
00:14:04 The rhino horn handle,
00:14:06 once reserved for the
00:14:08 is treasured far above
00:14:10 alternatives like cow or
00:14:14 A fine antique may sell for
00:14:24 When polished, the horn takes
00:14:27 greatly admired for
00:14:32 Esmond Bradley Martin began an
00:14:34 international camping to stop
00:14:37 encouraging the use of
00:14:40 After some 10 years,
00:14:41 his work is showing signs of
00:14:43 International trade has slowed
00:14:48 and since 1985,
00:14:50 has been enforcing a
00:14:54 But it's not early enough.
00:15:00 Where there is profit,
00:15:03 The middleman, by transporting
00:15:06 the dealer, keeps business
00:15:10 I will buy for about
00:15:19 for about $1400 per kilogram,
00:15:28 about $700.
00:15:33 The diplomats who smuggle
00:15:36 rhino horn come mostly from
00:15:39 Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan,
00:15:45 I saw rhino in Nairobi.
00:16:02 Despite the rhino's size
00:16:05 it is sadly easy to track,
00:16:10 Its thick hide offers
00:16:12 bullets and its behavior
00:16:15 patterns are too predictable
00:16:16 to elude the
00:16:25 In its simple daily routine,
00:16:27 the black rhino uses
00:16:30 lip to tear off the leaves of
00:16:31 the prickly acacia bushes
00:16:33 and other scrubby plants.
00:16:42 A solitary creature,
00:16:45 of from one to
00:16:48 The rhino's territory may
00:16:49 overlap with another of
00:16:52 but it is persistent
00:16:55 The animals spray urine or
00:16:57 track their dung across the
00:16:59 area, and so, spread their scent
00:17:07 Contrary to appearances,
00:17:09 the rhinoceros is a
00:17:12 and only rarely takes
00:17:13 exception to the
00:17:25 Although it can hear and
00:17:28 its eyesight is poor.
00:17:30 Help comes in the form of the oxpecker
00:17:33 which serves as a
00:17:36 In Swahili the oxpecker is known
00:17:42 the rhino's policeman.
00:17:46 When alerted by its tiny bodyguard,
00:17:48 the rhino may panic and run.
00:17:51 But since it is both curious
00:17:54 it may be enticed from the
00:17:58 by the human voice mimicking
00:18:33 The first man to devote
00:18:36 rhino behavior was
00:18:39 While living in Tanzania's
00:18:40 Ngorongoro crater during the
00:18:42 1960's, he developed a genuine
00:18:44 affection for his lumbering,
00:18:56 Goddard was deeply committed
00:18:59 regardless of the hazards.
00:19:01 Even a tranquilized rhino
00:19:04 Weighing up to one and a half
00:19:07 a serious threat.
00:19:25 Dentine joined in
00:19:31 Watch it!
00:19:36 Alright, P3 dentine almost
00:19:41 For seven years, Goddard
00:19:42 carried out exhaustive field
00:19:46 feature of the rhino's
00:19:51 Sixteen years after Goddard's
00:19:56 the number of rhino
00:19:58 had plummeted from 108 to
00:20:03 Many were the victims of
00:20:09 In the vast expanse of
00:20:12 protection of the rhino
00:20:16 Bob Oguya, warden of Kenya's
00:20:21 has one plane and 30 men
00:20:28 The problem we are facing is
00:20:30 that these fellows with
00:20:33 and our people with singly
00:20:36 action 303s it is watch them
00:20:39 and in most cases we lost them,
00:20:42 firearm and with our types of
00:20:46 firearms they end up escaping
00:21:09 The rangers are at
00:21:12 the armed poachers.
00:21:13 Their camel patrols stay out
00:21:16 in touch only by radio with
00:22:01 Despite the men's vulnerability
00:22:06 they are dedicated and loyal-even
00:22:15 In December we lost our
00:22:19 poacher's bullets.
00:22:21 We saw him die.
00:22:23 Without adequate weapons
00:22:27 Too many of our men have fallen
00:22:31 because we could not
00:22:36 If we had automatics instead
00:22:39 of 303s we wouldn't be losing
00:23:14 With the rhino population at
00:23:16 such critical levels
00:23:19 every animal is important.
00:23:22 In Kenya's Masia Mara Reserve,
00:23:24 rangers mounted round the clock
00:23:25 protection for this mother
00:23:28 shooting several lions who
00:23:31 Worried, the rangers moved the
00:23:55 The calf was better protected,
00:23:58 but his mother kept trying to
00:24:02 leaving her baby open to
00:24:05 The lions seized their chance.
00:24:09 After the incident,
00:24:10 the rangers turned
00:24:13 who raises wounded and
00:24:16 On one of the occasions that
00:24:20 and they caught him and
00:24:22 actually made a real mess
00:24:23 Fortunately, they were young
00:24:24 lions and they weren't
00:24:26 But they certainly chewed
00:24:29 very badly and he was dumped
00:24:31 on my doorstep more
00:24:35 I must say he's fantastically
00:24:38 In fact, his mother's a
00:24:43 so I expect this had made him
00:24:51 The first thing we had to do,
00:24:54 because he'd been through
00:24:57 so we got the sheep.
00:24:58 They've been good friends ever
00:25:01 so the sheep follows and
00:25:04 they play together and
00:25:07 and he'll just grow up here
00:25:09 and then we'll have to send
00:25:11 him somewhere to be a
00:25:23 Little Sam was lucky.
00:25:25 These rangers saved his life.
00:25:27 Other rhinos have been
00:25:30 poached by the very men paid
00:25:34 The shadow of corruption has
00:25:38 and Kenya has had her share
00:25:41 who have cashed in on
00:25:44 It became so bad during the
00:25:48 that a major international
00:25:53 president's wife, erupted and
00:25:57 The Kenyan government
00:26:01 that it closed trade
00:26:03 and that did have
00:26:06 on the revival of certain species.
00:26:09 But the two species which
00:26:11 were the main trophy species,
00:26:15 and by the early 1980s,
00:26:17 it became clear once again
00:26:19 that major elements within the
00:26:22 ex-Game Department people,
00:26:35 that is Perez Olindo,
00:26:37 who was the former director
00:26:40 and this has created a
00:26:43 throughout Kenya, and we feel
00:26:46 time to revive
00:26:48 what is our most important
00:26:51 plan to save the
00:26:58 The problem of human beings
00:27:03 We have found people who are
00:27:06 colluding with
00:27:09 They have been prosecuted,
00:27:12 And I'm afraid that I cannot,
00:27:15 compromise with or collude
00:27:17 with people who are out to do
00:27:22 harm conservation and wildlife
00:27:28 We cannot compromise with sin,
00:27:34 The sin is not always hard
00:27:37 Within the poverty stricken
00:27:41 there is a powerful incentive
00:27:44 A family may be lucky to earn
00:27:49 Each member of a
00:27:50 gang may earn $100 or $200 per
00:27:57 Although the big money is made
00:28:00 and corrupt officials,
00:28:02 the pay is bountiful
00:28:11 One Kenyan who has fought
00:28:13 against poaching in a
00:28:15 is Michael Werikhe.
00:28:17 Known throughout East Africa
00:28:21 he has walked more than 1400
00:28:25 on his crusade to
00:28:29 the black rhino.
00:28:31 People are very hospitable,
00:28:33 very concerned about my welfare
00:28:35 not only my welfare alone,
00:28:39 which is a very,
00:28:41 Africans are very scared of snakes,
00:28:44 and to have people showing
00:28:48 about an animal they fear so
00:29:03 Local people are just as
00:29:07 and about the environment
00:29:11 And I think it is very important that
00:29:13 wildlife awareness should be
00:29:18 for it's they who have the final say
00:29:22 and they are ready
00:29:26 provided that they are given
00:29:29 the right encouragement.
00:29:54 Even with the work of
00:29:57 Kenya's war to save the wild
00:29:58 rhino has essentially been lost
00:30:11 Now, its best hope for
00:30:12 salvation may be the
00:30:15 Although critics view them
00:30:19 they are far easier to manage
00:30:23 In some cases, it is private
00:30:25 citizens who have taken up
00:30:33 Solio Ranch, in the foothills
00:30:36 is owned by Courtland and
00:30:39 In 1970, using their own funds
00:30:42 they encircled 15,000 acres
00:30:45 specially designed fence,
00:30:48 creating a haven for Africa's
00:31:27 Over a ten year period,
00:31:28 they introduced 23 black rhino
00:31:34 Protected, the animals thrived
00:31:36 In less than 20 years,
00:31:38 the number of black rhino
00:31:42 Now Solio had a most unusual
00:31:47 The Parfets gave 15 of
00:31:49 the Kenyan government's first
00:31:52 at Nakuru National Park.
00:31:56 Transporting the animals to
00:31:57 their new new home is a
00:32:00 The selected rhino are located
00:32:10 Okay, dart is in.
00:32:13 It's running south.
00:32:14 A vet walks to within 40 feet
00:32:18 before using his
00:32:28 A new, fast acting drug brings
00:32:30 the rhinoceros down in
00:32:33 taken to prevent it from
00:32:37 A second injection of
00:32:38 antibiotics prevents
00:32:40 in the dart gun wound.
00:34:44 Though unceremonious,
00:34:47 awakening is the next step
00:35:22 The animals are kept in
00:35:24 for about two weeks to
00:35:28 Soon, though, this young bull
00:35:30 will be in stalled among the
00:35:32 tourists and flamingos of
00:36:30 It has been a long and
00:36:33 but it is here that he can do
00:36:34 the most to help save
00:36:58 Although the rhino may be well
00:37:00 protected in
00:37:02 the situation creates
00:37:07 Wildlife biologist Rob Brett
00:37:10 on a remote private reserve.
00:37:13 He is closely observing the animals
00:37:18 Although rhino have been known
00:37:22 hated for such a long period,
00:37:25 about their breeding.
00:37:27 Such basic things as what
00:37:30 what makes them breed at
00:37:33 It's crucial that we find out
00:37:34 as much about this sort of
00:37:37 in order to conserve them
00:37:39 under the new conditions
00:37:42 Their favorite habitat is bush,
00:37:46 they spend most of
00:37:48 And, to observe the
00:37:50 sexual behavior takes first
00:37:54 and a great deal of interest.
00:37:59 It's really ploying
00:38:02 a mixture between very
00:38:06 and very high tech.
00:38:11 I am out at dawn every morning
00:38:13 looking for individual rhino
00:38:19 So well does Brett know this
00:38:22 subjects that he can identify
00:38:25 on the reserve from the lines
00:38:31 He takes urine samples left
00:38:34 to determine their hormonal
00:38:38 pregnant females and
00:38:44 While the black rhino is
00:38:45 extremely secretive about
00:38:48 the white rhino, like these
00:38:49 on Solio Ranch,
00:38:58 This dominant male has
00:39:01 And now begins his courtship,
00:39:06 He approaches the female and
00:39:12 His interest may not be
00:39:43 But his persistence eventually
00:39:47 sometimes lasting over an hour
00:40:13 Although rhinos are not
00:40:16 mates with the dominant male
00:40:19 Afterwards, the pair
00:40:25 If impregnated, the female
00:40:27 for approximately
00:40:30 only one calf at a time.
00:40:33 A newborn rhino,
00:40:37 will stay close to its mother
00:40:39 until she has a new calf
00:41:17 The rhinoceros, slow to
00:41:21 faces an uphill struggle.
00:41:24 In the wild, there are so few
00:41:26 left that some never find a
00:41:29 In Kenya and elsewhere,
00:41:33 grim and ever more complex.
00:41:36 It can be argued that the
00:41:39 but I think it would be
00:41:41 negligence on behalf of
00:41:44 to just turn their backs
00:41:46 "All is lost.
00:41:49 they're not worth saving."
00:41:51 We have had long years of
00:41:56 which is what Zimbabwe's
00:42:00 Zimbabwe's getting it
00:42:03 I wonder whether they're
00:42:06 actually gong to be able to
00:42:08 by just having armed patrols
00:42:14 I know in Kenya that they're
00:42:16 and there are
00:42:19 But we have, right from the
00:42:22 as a war and not a
00:42:24 purely and simply.
00:42:53 The situation bears a
00:42:56 to full fledged
00:42:59 It is a deadly serious mission
00:43:05 Glenn Tatham commands
00:43:08 from a camp on the
00:43:12 where he protects the last
00:43:14 large wild rhino population
00:43:18 The project involved moving
00:43:21 one third of the
00:43:23 to safer ground.
00:43:25 The fight to protect the
00:43:31 Rangers live year round in
00:43:34 who realize that some of the
00:43:39 What we're doing here is
00:43:43 Every day that a group of
00:43:45 they are potentially able to
00:43:47 kill two or three or
00:43:49 One group killed six rhino
00:43:50 here in the Zambezi Valley.
00:43:53 To our north is Zambia,
00:43:56 crossing from there to here.
00:44:00 The river is the
00:44:03 but there is no
00:44:06 There's two border posts
00:44:09 We cannot cover 150 miles of
00:44:10 river frontage every day of
00:44:14 You'd need more than a
00:44:16 Even then because of the bush
00:44:19 warfare we'd be fighting,
00:44:23 As in Kenya, the odds are staggering,
00:44:25 and the
00:44:28 Operation Stronghold has just Many
00:44:31 of the rangers are
00:44:39 of Zimbabwe's war of independence,
00:44:44 now fighting together
00:44:48 Facing heavily armed
00:44:51 the rangers shoot to kill
00:45:04 Since 1985, more than 30
00:45:09 and at least 20 taken prisoner
00:45:12 In the same period,
00:45:18 Until the network of dealers
00:45:21 Zimbabwe's rangers know they
00:45:24 can do little more than stem
00:45:26 Privately, many wonder how long
00:45:30 We've got people here who've
00:45:34 they go out for 20 days in
00:45:38 success, But it's very very...
00:45:42 demanding on them physically,
00:45:44 their families, its demanding
00:45:50 They are buoyed up
00:45:52 you have a successful contact,
00:45:55 good enough reason to
00:45:58 is to boost enthusiasm,
00:46:00 You have captured,
00:46:03 one and what direction is
00:46:11 No problem, as soon as the
00:46:12 chopper arrives we will get
00:46:16 I guess the big thing is now,
00:46:18 if he's gonna be on the ground
00:46:21 for too long I'll have to go
00:46:25 One down, one running.
00:46:48 Okay, can't we get them in
00:46:51 The support units are on their
00:46:52 way now and...
00:46:56 And the one, as I said,
00:46:58 was in fact bleeding.
00:48:22 I don't know how, in fact,
00:48:27 He scrabbled about 15 paces
00:48:38 It all happened so
00:48:41 One tends just to pick up
00:48:43 of what was happening rather
00:48:48 You get images of rounds from
00:48:50 the expended cartridge cases
00:49:01 The gang had killed four rhino
00:49:05 Each poacher had risked his
00:49:38 The rangers know that Zimbabwe
00:49:41 the wild black rhino.
00:49:43 Still, the dilemma they face
00:49:57 One often wonders about the
00:50:02 And at this stage it's a
00:50:09 The morality is
00:50:15 that there doesn't seem
00:50:18 we can in fact stop
00:50:20 and getting back.
00:50:21 A group of poachers would come
00:50:26 they'll start killing rhinos.
00:50:28 We've got to react to that,
00:50:31 the central objective of
00:50:32 this whole operation,
00:50:35 We are not manhunters,
00:50:38 We are here as
00:50:41 But desperate situations
00:50:45 No, there's no joy in
00:50:50 and quite obviously, we're just
00:50:54 for men who are
00:50:59 to make themselves rich.
00:51:22 Forty five million years of
00:51:25 in an evolutionary microsecond
00:51:30 Still, the rhinoceros
00:51:34 If a major international
00:51:37 stop the poachers, the rhino
00:51:39 would almost certainly bounce
00:51:42 But until the incentive
00:51:44 the profit for the poachers,
00:51:46 middlemen and dealers the
00:51:52 If the fight is lost,
00:51:54 to exist only as a drawing in
00:51:58 of things that once were