Poachers are some of the worst people in the world. They are even worse than telemarketers and insurance salesmen combined. They are worst than every DMV employee combined. Alright I think you get the point, recently I told you about how one of the last male Northern White Rhino on the planet died. Now sadly I have to inform you that another white rhino has been murdered for the worst reason possible.
Even though Bella, a white rhino that was living in South Africa at the Kragga Kamma Game Park, had just been dehorned she was still killed for the tiny bit of horn that she had. In fact all that was there was one centimeter of ivory.
A press release from the Kragga Kamma Game Park reads:
The worst tragedy has befallen our family of rhino here at Kragga Kamma Game Park. Our beautiful matriarch of 20 years old was brutally slain by poachers on Thursday night, her young bull calf Tank left an orphan.
Unbelievably she, along with her other herd mates, were dehorned again just a week ago (their biennial trim), it’s beyond comprehension that she would be killed for a mere 1cm of horn.
The following image can be found graphic:
Ayesha Cantor also wrote a statement, she’s the one who runs the park and she wrote on Facebook:
“It’s just so unreal, for 1cm of horn – we cannot comprehend the waste of it all.
We have always been acutely aware that these rhino are everyone’s rhino, that we are merely their custodians, this has been evident in your outpouring of emotions.
Thank you dear friends, we know that you are as devastated by this as we are.”
It’s tragic that she is dead as well as her son being orphaned. Poachers just don’t care and need to be stopped.
Cantor also wrote the next day on Facebook that even through the tragedy, Tank the orphan was pulling through.
“So sorry to have stressed everyone out last night…it’s a much better day for today…he is with Chuck who has no aggro towards him.
We are giving him some Lucerne to boost his intake seeing as how he is not getting his mother’s rich milk.
Chuck and a few other friends are benefiting too.
Tank seems so much more relaxed and ‘normal’ this morning…fingers crossed that he is on his way to finding a new normal.
Your outpouring of love is incredible and carries us through this, thank you – thank you.”
She concluded with:
“We have no choice but to continue to do the very best we can for our remaining rhino. We will also be watching Tank closely to make sure that he is getting enough sustenance, no longer having access to his mothers milk. Rhino are usually weaned at around two years of age, at 16 months old he is not too far off the mark so he should be fine.”
Lets hope the Kragga Kamma Game Park begins to up security around these special rhinos.