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Rhino Attacked at Thaba Manzi
Last week there was another poaching attack at one of Silent Heroes Foundation’s supported projects in South Africa, Thaba Manzi Veterinary Services, run by Dr. Jana Pretorius. Although the veterinary compound is surrounded by high fencing and is guarded at all times by armed security, poachers seem undeterred and continue to attack.Before guards could reach the boma where the attack took place, poachers sedated a rhino named George using a makeshift bow and arrow, with a dart full of sedative in place of an arrow. They proceeded to hack away at the flesh of his face, in an attempt to quickly remove his horn. Horrifically, George was alive during the attack. Once guards reached the area they began shooting and chased poachers off the premises. One of the suspects was later brought in to police custody. He was confirmed to be an employee at a local veterinary clinic, where he had been siphoning away small amounts of the sedative used in the crime.
As George lay lifeless with eyes glassed over, the guards advised Dr. Pretorius not to enter the boma as it was considered to be a crime scene. Dr. Pretorius could see no gunshot or machete wounds to the body to explain why George would be dead from the attack, so she observed him for signs of life, and noticed the faintest twitch of his ear. Realizing he was still alive and had likely been darted with sedative by the attackers, she rushed to get her veterinary equipment in time to reverse the effects of the unknown drugs (Dr. Pretorius suspects either thiafentanyl or etorphine was used in the attack). She injected him with a reversal agent for opioids using a pole syringe, and within minutes George awoke, rose to his feet, and was fighting mad at the whole scenario! Dr. Pretorius and the quick action of the guards saved George from a certain and torturous death.
After recovering from the incident for a few days, Dr. Pretorius sedated George to examine his wound and clean it thoroughly. The rhino sustained a deep flesh wound that extended into his nasal bone, but luckily it did not penetrate through to his nasal cavity. He is expected to recover, and is currently being treated with antibiotics and pain medication. George is an older black rhino bull (age unknown) and has lived on the Thaba Manzi farm for almost one year. Thaba Manzi Veterinary Services houses from 25 to 40 rhinos at a time on their farm. Due to the constant threat of poaching, most can no longer roam free on the acreage, and are kept in a large boma on premises so that they may be looked after by armed security at all times.
Dr. Pretorius has experienced the threat of rhino poaching first-hand, when she and her colleague were attacked at gunpoint last year for a stash of rhino horns they were legally keeping on property. Additionally, another rhino at the farm had been shot and killed with a machine gun just two months prior to the robbery. Dr. Pretorius is concerned that poachers will continue to attack her facility, and she is taking measures to step-up security in the area. Dr. Pretorius needs our help to ensure these animals are protected. Silent Heroes Foundation will work to provide supplies necessary to care for injured rhinos, and to aid in the security of her veterinary facility.She is in immediate need of high-tech security devices for the farm, and SHF is working on donations to help purchase these items.
Rhinos are being shot daily in South Africa. Illegal rhino horn is still in high demand for traditional medicines in China and Vietnam, despite the fact that rhino horn has been extensively analyzed and found to be of no medicinal value.
If you wish to help Dr. Pretorius in her fight against rhino poaching, please donate to SHF’s Operation Rhino campaign. >>Participate
