Part 7. Rhino dehorning at Chevero

Rhinos have become an endangered species in Zim because of indiscriminate poaching. Even animals kept in protected environments are not safe………….lengthy imprisonment should be a deterrent however offenders rarely serve anything like a full term in prison.

To combat this problem dehorning has become a widespread practice. Nick and Josh had been contracted to dehorn some rhinos in The Chivero Game Reserve, a 2 hour drive south of Harare. ………..and this was to be our next animal capture experience!

We assembled at Josh and Jackie’s farm at 6am. Jackie was buzzing round like an excited impala while overseeing the kids school lessons, preparing breakfast and getting ready to be a vet for the day. After some sticking and dotting with the children we piled into the landcruiser and drove to Chivero Lake where we met Nick, Ron and Ian who had travelled by chopper. Poor Ian who suffers from motion sickness had the pallor of the BFG!

The sun was now high in the sky yet Chivero Lake was still shrouded in mist. As it cleared we saw fisherman casting their nets, cormorants drying their outstretched wings in the sun and large fish eagles soaring overhead……………serene and very tranquil…….. then all hell let loose! We had a call from Nick in his helicopter that they had darted a rhino and were following it as it crashed through the bush. We piled into the Landcruiser to rendezvous with a vet from AWARE (Animal and Wildlife Area Research and Rehabilitation Trust) and a truck full of National Park rangers. Weirdly the rangers who were all dressed in khaki included an attractive young woman who looked like she was dressed to kill rather than chase rhino’s in the bush…….what was she doing there??!

Its amazing how difficult it is to see several tons of rhino in the bush …….it took us a while to find it but suddenly there it was…..a rhino doing the opioid dressage dance ……..with a massive dart sticking out of its butt……enough to make anyone mad! Nick and Keith (another AWARE vet) had used their exquisite skill to dart this beast from 200ft up in the air as it roamed through the thick bush……..as shown in the little sketch!

Eventually the rhino’s legs crumpled underneath it and the team

rushed forward to prevent it from falling on its side………a position in which the animal finds in difficult to breath. It was blindfolded and ear plugs applied as the tranquilised animal can still see and hear. A rectal thermometer was inserted and an iv line put into the ear vein. Finally after checking its breathing was OK, oxygen was administered to counteract the drop in blood oxygen caused by the tranquilisers themselves. Water was sprayed on its back to keep it cool. Phew what a complex operation.

Now the vet fired up a “king” big chainsaw and started to remove the main horn. It took at least 10 minutes to saw through it and trim round the edges. We were 5 feet away throughout the whole dehorning process. Amazeballs! Jan held the severed horn in the palm of her hand…………everyone stared ……this lump of keratin had a street value of $500K! We were able to stroke the rhino’s hide. Quite unexpectably it was smooth and pleasant to touch. What a

special moment!

The severed horn was drilled, microchipped and then bagged together with all of the shavings. No trace of the horn was left lying around……..it was too valuable. Finally the bagged horn was dated and whole lot photographed with the vet alongside. It was handed over to the National Parks team for safe keeping. (hmmmm???!)

Then the inappropriately dressed young lady stepped forward. It turned out that her very important job was to collect ticks off the rhino’s arse for analysis in the lab!!!! As an ex-parasitologist I would never dream of going anywhere near an animal’s rear end without protective clothing! The intestines of large beasts are unpredictable at the best of times but particularly when they are full of tranquilliser!!

The rhino was given an antidote via its ear vein and it came too

almost immediately. Scramble!! He looked confused ……no doubt looking for his horn and then headed off into the bush. To add to its confusion the vet had painted big yellow numbers on its rear end, so we knew not to capture it again……….well at least for 3 years by which time the horn will have grown back!!

An unsuccessful hunt for another rhino followed (although we did spot zebra, giraffes and the elusive impala) so it was decided to stop for lunch. Nick and Josh produced a “gas fired wok” on which Ian and Jon cooked eggs, bacon and egg fried rice……….totes delicious….totes Master Chef in the African bush!

Our bacon fueled reverie was cut short……….Nick reported that another male rhino called Sampson had been darted. It turned out that the Adventurers had been involved in his dehorning 3 years

previously……..… of which Pat had fond memories as she had been in charge of the rectal thermometer!

This old rhino was resistant to the tranquiliser so Josh gave him another dart from close range. Oucha! Soon Sampson started to stagger but unfortunately toward the thick bush where dehorning would be more than tricky…………not to be outwitted, Josh grabbed hold of his tail and began a tug of war until the massive beast succumbed. Feeling victorious Josh climbed onto the rhino’s back and sat astride while the process of blindfolding etc got underway. I think Josh was so fatigued after the buffaloes at Thetford he had gone a little bit crazy……..ooh er ….Carry On Up The Zambezi!

It had taken ages so far so it was decided to call it a day and return to Sable Lodge. Lucky Jon got a lift back to the farm in the helicopter. Fixer Ron flew us back with no bloody doors on his chopper! Marvellous!

Back at base we enjoyed G&T’s and Firelighter Trev, who likes a “nice fire" got cracking collecting wood. He built a towering inferno in the fireplace to keep us warm as the evening temperature began to drop.