Chiiz – Volume 2 2017

M

ore than 20 years ago, I came in
contact with several environment
protection organizations and learned about
the various abuses caused to wild animals
by greedy people and companies. They
ruthlessly destroyed nature and had already
exterminated many species of animals,
while others were on the brink of it.

When we started helping out endangered

species, mainly elephants, whales and

rhinoceroses, we had to take several

extensive measures to protect them.

During that time, I was very busy helping

different species, especially rhinoceroses.

They were, then poached to make dagger

from their horns for the rich Arabs of the

Middle East, and their horns were pulverized

to be used for the often questionable

Chinese medicines. In traditional Chinese

medicine, the powdered horn of the rhino

is said to have an aphrodisiac effect. In

other words, many Chinese people hope to

become more sexually potent. This alleged

effect is, to this day, nowhere proven!

In order to produce these questionable

products, thousands of rhinos were killed.

They were brutally slaughtered to the brink

of extinction. Only by harsher punishments

to the perpetrators and a paramilitary

surveillance on the last of the rhinoceroses

could a complete extermination of these

wonderful animals be prevented. Although

in the end, animal protectionists won and

the number of rhinos gradually increased.

Years later, I flew to South Africa to do

some sort of ranger training. I wanted to

learn more about the world of animals, and

the behavioral patterns of certain species.

During this time I lived with the rangers

and was with them round the clock and

helped wherever and whenever assistance

was needed.

At that time, a drought period plagued

the reserve where I was traveling as an

apprentice. In order not to lose the precious

rhinos, elephants and some other species of

animals by the drought, we were forced to

import tons of grass from the water holes,

which had been bought from other greener

regions of South Africa and transported

to us. We had to load a few tons of grass

every day on a large pickup - bring to the

The Nurses And I

By Benny Rebel

The mother and child

Canon EOS D60 14mm F/8 1/500s ISO200

Benny with a Friend