FILM USED AS A TOOL TO COMBAT RHINO POACHING

FILM USED AS A TOOL TO COMBAT RHINO POACHING BONG INKOSI TI WANE To the casual observer, films may seem to exist solely for entertainment. However, those with a deeper understanding know that the art form can be a powerful tool for education and awareness. In the conservation world, films have been used effectively to bolster the fight against rhino poaching. Nature, Environment, and Wildlife Filmmakers NEWF , in coproduction with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and supported by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, produced Wild Hope: Rhino Ops, a film showcasing the park's most extensive rhino horn protection programme to date. This film, an African production being featured on a global platform, is a testament to our mission: to offer a platform where African conservationists and filmmakers can create stories that resonate worldwide," said NEWF cofounder and executive director Noel Kok. The film was written, directed, and edited by South African filmmaker Nathan Rice, who has a long history in conservation, with National Geographic explorer Ntokozo Mbuli serving as assistant producer. The story follows conservationists and rangers at Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, one of Africa's oldest game reserves, as they strive to protect the continent's iconic rhinos from poaching and extinction. Wild Hope: Rhino Ops highlights both the urgency of rhino protection and the hope generated by communitydriven action and collaboration. Other documentaries, such as Rhino Man and Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War, have also contributed to raising awareness about rhino conservation.