Inside SA's high stakes battle against poaching

SAVING GIANTS Inside SAs highstakes Dade against poaching STAFF REPORTER RHINO OPS, a powerful new documentary that profiles one of South Africa's most ambitious and successful antipoaching interventions launched this week. This film was produced by Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers NEWF , in partnership with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, and a team of emerging African filmmakers. The film documents the largescale dehorning operation initiated at Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park since April 2024. Rhino Ops further offers a rare and intimate look into the frontline of rhino conservation and the courageous work done by Ezemvelo's Game Capture unit. "The film highlights the human stories behind the operation, focusing on Dumisani Zwane, in charge of game capture and field operations at Ezemvelo, whose leadership and dedication have been instrumental in the success of the programme," said Noel Kok, Executive Director of NEWF. Rhino poaching in SA escalated dramatically in 2009, with national losses peaking at more than 1 000 rhinos a year. Hluhluwe iMfolozi alone lost nearly 40% of its rhino population, while Kruger National Park saw a staggering 75% decline. The surge was driven by demand in Asian markets, where rhino horn is falsely believed to have medicinal properties. In response, Ezemvelo in partnership with WWFSA, launched a dehorning initiative in 2024, removing the horns of 1 071 rhinos in under three months. The operation, though logistically complex and costly, has proven highly effective with poaching incidents in the park dropping to single digits. The documentary captures the intensity of the dehorning process. From helicopter darting to ground recovery, each procedure is carried out by a skilled team of rangers, veterinarians and field staff. Rhinos are tranquilised, blindfolded, and their horns carefully removed just above the growth point, a painless and quick process for the animal. Samples are collected for research, and each rhino is microchipped and Vnotched for tracking. The operation's scale and speed were unprecedented, with teams dehorning up to 67 rhinos in a single day. Maintenance dehorning is now scheduled annually to prevent horn regrowth. The documentary can be viewed at https: www.wildhope.tviepisode rhinoops