#comanisfoundation

[jacquesmarais]

"Off-line Dogs"... Just in case you're wondering, this term has nothing to do with internet connectivity or Google Search. Instead, what may at first sound like cyber hounds are actually trained tracking dogs running off the leash, and these canines have become the new frontline heroes in the anti-poaching war. A group of us have spent two days embedded at the #SAWildlifeCollege as part of the #ComanisFoundation #RhinoFacts Media Tour, hoping to make sense of what is an undeniably complex issue. And as per usual, one tends to walk away with more questions than answers. One fact that stands out as clear as daylight is that current #conservation models have become obsolete in protecting our rhino. This was cruelly illustrated when word came that our demo with the #K9 Reaction Unit had been canceled: two poaching incidents required both packs of hounds - and Dog Master par excellence, Johan van Straaten - on the ground and in hot pursuit. We managed to squeeze in a quick hour with the man and his hounds early the next morning, however. As part of the shooting exercise, I ran with two rangers for 20min into the savanna bush to leave a fresh trail, and then we hunkered down to wait with baited breath (and our cameras, of course). It took less than 4min before the pack came loping through the tall grass, effortlessly bounding as they sped along the track like a pack of wolves running down a deer. To see this uncontained energy and flow was a thing of beauty, and you did not want to imagine the potential danger they would have to face while deployed against desperate poaching gangs. 'Vasbyt' is one of 3 dogs to have died in the line of duty here at @sawildlifecollege, and the only certainty going forward is that more of these heroic hounds will lose their lives while defending our natural heritage. Keep this in mind the next time you spout your personally packaged conservation sound-byte, and consider how much you understand of the real deal (and toll) on the ground. These are some images I shot with my @SonyXperiaZA and @sonyalphagear #A7riii on this #comanisfoundation project. #Comanis #conservation #rhino #RhinoFacts #k9 https://www.instagram.com/p/BuTP-EXBvjg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=16ukiltc4mo6q

[jacquesmarais]

The 'War on Rhinos' continues, and it is estimated that up to a thousand rangers and conservation personnel have so far died in a pitched battle where poachers seem to have the undeniable upper hand ... I am privileged to once again be a part of the Comanis Foundation #RhinoFacts Tour, with internationally-focused media visits scheduled for #KrugerNP and the Big Game Parks in #eSwathini over the next week. (I've attached some imagery from our previous Tour). As part of this journey, we hope to highlight some of the burning issues around #RhinoConservation, and hopefully find common ground between the #ProTrade Faction, #sadec environmental policy makers, and traditional #conservation entities. There are no easy answers here, but the more we get to know - and the wider we share - these issues, the closer we will hopefully come to some form of consensus. Ultimately, the end goal for all parties concerned should be the survival of the remaining Rhinocerotidae Family genera - everybody agrees on that. Kudos to #Comanis for supporting this project - more information on this can be found at www.comanis.ch #Comanis #comanisfoundation #RhinoFacts #thino #conservation #SonyZA #XperiaZA #sonyxperia #HelloSonyZA #photography #pentax #ricoh #frontrunnerza #BornToRoam https://www.instagram.com/p/BuJNWegB1Sh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=19smjvbqo528a

[jacquesmarais]

They arrive, bludgeoned with knobkieries, dehydrated and disoriented, bleeding from wounds inflicted by pangas, machetes and sharpened metal stakes. Sometimes, they are less than a week old, and after being hacked by poachers for no reason, they have to run and hide from hyenas who have learnt to listen for those midnight shots. The trauma experienced by these #rhino orphans are utterly unimaginable, and your heart wants to break when you think what they have gone through, courtesy of us 'evolved' homo sapiens. Few things in life get me going, but this is one of them, and on the @ComanisFound #RhinoFacts Tour, I had to walk away from too many atrocities performed by bands of poachers and their greedy masters. How #wildlife vets, park #rangers and #conservation crews - who work with this on a daily basis - cope, I have no idea. There is no doubt I would have resorted to maximum force or even worse, given up, but that is not an option here on the #rhinowars front line. Rhino sanctuaries like @careforwild go to battle every single day. They not only have to stave off on-going incursions from crime syndicates and fight for every penny they need to care for the rhinos, but are also in constant conflict with armchair experts and lobby groups. Horse patrols, Belgian melanoise tracker dogs, infra-red camera systems, blood hounds, armed guards ... this is like the forward-control line at a US Marines Base ... It's not fucking easy. You care for a tiny being who bleats - and sounds like a baby whale - for his mother every single night. You nurse it, build up its strength and confidence, and over time, they become a part of your heart. And then, after a year or three, when you deem your job done, you watch as they lumber off into the wilds. This is not an end-game, though. You still need electric fences and attack dogs and devoted rangers to keep the evil - our evil - at bay. Here's the question: what are you doing to stop these atrocities? Isn't it time to actually make changes, and look at ALL the possible solutions, including legal trade? Right now, only criminals are making money, and by 2030, it will be too late as there will be no rhinos left. (at Mpumalanga) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bubjj36AL-X/?igshid=12ob836foiucg

[jacquesmarais]

They arrive, bludgeoned with knobkieries, dehydrated and disoriented, bleeding from wounds inflicted by pangas, machetes and sharpened metal stakes. Sometimes, they are less than a week old, and after being hacked by poachers for no reason, they have to run and hide from the hyenas who have learnt to listen for those midnight shots. The trauma experienced by these #rhino orphans are utterly unimaginable, and your heart wants to break when you think what they have gone through, courtesy of us 'evolved' homo sapiens. Few things in life get me going, but this is one of them, and on the @ComanisFound #RhinoFacts Tour, I had to walk away from the atrocities being performed by the bands of poachers and their evil masters. How the #wildlife vets, park #rangers and #conservation crews - who work with this on a daily basis - cope, I have no idea. There is no doubt that I would have resorted to maximum force or even worse, given up, but that is not an option here on the #rhinowars front line. Rhino sanctuaries like @careforwild go to battle every single day. They not only have to read stave off on-going incursions from crime syndicates and fight for every penny they need to care for the rhinos, but are also in constant conflict with armchair experts and lobby groups. Horse patrols, Belgian melanoise tracker dogs, infra-red camera systems, blood hounds, armed guards this is like the forward-control line at a US Marines Base ... It's not fucking easy. You care for a tiny being who bleats - and sounds like a baby whale - for his mother every single night. You nurse it, build up its strength and confidence, and over time, they become a part of your heart. And then, after a year or three, when you deem your job done, you watch as they lumber off into the wilds. This is not an end-game. You need electric fences and attack dogs and devoted rangers to keep the evil - our evil - at bay. Here's the question: what are you doing to stop these atrocities? Isn't it time to actually make changes, and look at ALL the possible solutions, including legal trade? Right now, only the criminals are making money, and by 2030, it will be too late as there will be no rhinos left. (at Mpumalanga) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bubjj36AL-X/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=anltesrzc0vp

[jacquesmarais]

This time last week we were passing through #swaziland's beautiful @biggameparks on the #RhinoFacts Tour, funded by #ComanisFoundation. These three #conservation spaces are about so much more than the #big5, and this is why I love visiting this tiny #kingdom. In #Mlilwane, you can #trailrun and #mountainbike to your heart's content (as long as you dodge the #hippo and crocs). #Hlane delivers on an #African #wildlife experience, while #mkhaya is home to a whole selection of #endangeredspecies. Together, they offer one of the subcontinent's top #ecotravel options. #pentax #tomtom #africa #travel (at Swaziland)

[jacquesmarais]

A sad, but hopeful, goodbye to all the #rhinos and #conservation custodians we met during the #ComanisFoundation #RhinoFacts Trip through #northwestprovince, #swaziland and northern #kzn. Kudos to those putting in the hard yards to ensure their survival, despite the droughts, increased #poaching and political indifference dogging the cause. It is clear to me after six days of speaking to #rhino experts that the current status quo is not going to work, and that new solutions should be considered. #ComanisFoundation #environment # (at King Shaka International Airport)

[jacquesmarais]

Another #RhinoFact from our #media trip to gather information on #rhino #conservation: did you know that it costs R6000 per month per calf per week for the milk formula? We met these two boisterous youngsters at #mkhaya, one of #swaziland's gorgeous #BigGameParks, where they are being cared for by the legendary Reilly family, long time #nature custodians here in the #kingdom. Huge thanks must once again go to the #ComanisFoundation and their tireless founder, Corinne Itten, for funding the #RhinoFacts mission. #pentax #ecotravel #natureconservation (at Mkhaya Game Reserve)

[jacquesmarais]

Finding a moment of utter tranquillity on the plains of #Mlilwane, one of #swaziland's @biggameparks, while shooting #longexposure #startrails last night. We are on Day 3 of the #ComanisFoundation #RhinoFacts Trip, en route to #mkhaya to hopefully see some #blackrhino. The Swazi Parks stand testimony to the life work of Ted Reilly, a man who singlehandedly made #conservation history here on the southern #African subcontinent. #Pentax #3leggedthing #ricohimaging #rhino #travel

[jacquesmarais]

No matter which side of the #rhino #conservation fence you find yourself on, the important thing is to do all you can to #protect these gentle creatures in a full-scale war against #poaching. Today we are flying with the #ComanisFoundation to #krugernationalpark to speak with their experts, before continuing on to #biggameparks in #swaziland. #pentax #tomtom #sonyxperia #peakdesign (at O.R. Tambo International Airport)

[jacquesmarais]

En route to some of the #northwestprovince's most influential private #rhino owners to investigate how they believe legal horn trade could ensure the #survival of the species. With the number of rhinos poached since #2013 fast approaching 4000, the #ComanisFoundation believe that every single avenue should be explored in order to help the five remaining rhino species recover from their #criticallyendangered status. They will assist key #environmental journalists from around the world to meet with a range of rhino experts and organisations over the next week, to hopefully walk away with clear ideas on how to tackle the complex questions surrounding the current CITES ban on #horntrade. #ComanisFoundation #conservation (at Klerksdorp North West Province)

[jacquesmarais]

Next #adventure... A week with wild #rhinos in #northwestprovince, #swaziland and #mfolozi, finding out more about these amazing #megamammals, and how to ensure their future. Thanks to the #ComanisFoundation, #ezemvelokznwildlife, @biggameparks and other #conservation organisations who are making this possible. #sonyxperia #Xperia #pentax #peakdesign #photogadgets_sa (at Cape Town International Airport)