uMALUSI

The uMalusi team attempts to save a record of 21 rhinos in one day by capturing the animals and bringing them to the uMalusi sanctuary South of Johannesburg. A virtuoso helicopter pilot takes incredible risks to herd the animals in the right direction for the capture. We begin to see the rhinos up close.

Nobody knows the savannah as well as the bush rangers. As such they are the ideal interface with the complex ecosystem that enables the rhinos to thrive. Their stories are enmeshed with those of the of the rhinos they love and care for, sometimes, to the peril of their own lives.

Dr Michelle Otto, tells us about a procedure that could revolutionise our relationship with the rhinos. Regular horn trimming, as she explains, could very well be the end of poaching, if the right decisions are taken on how best to protect the rhinos.

Rhino horns are one of the most expensive commodities on earth. Obviously poachers are attracted to this apparently easy money. To defend the rhino against poachers, the uMalusi have gradually developed a multi-tiered security system. This is the first line of security.

The investment both in surveillance technologies and in a highly trained security personnel for the protection of rhinos, offerers a fascinating insight in life at the frontline, in the fight to defend the rhino from extermination.

The uMalusi sanctuary has its own rhino orphanage. It is run by Claudia and her love story for these baby rhinos is riveting. Young and old cannot help but be moved by the love she offers them to help them survive the difficult early weeks, especially when they are sick.