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Anti-Poaching Mission, Up Close
Kirstin
On a lay day at the 2015 J-Bay Open, Championship Tour (CT) surfers Kelly Slater (USA) and Owen Wright (AUS) joined renowned wildlife veterinarian Dr. William Fowlds and the Chipembere Foundation on a special operation to dart and tag a threatened white rhino. By attaching tracking devices to the animal, members of Chipembere are able to better protect her and other rhinos from poachers.
Kelly Slater gets a close look at the tranquilizer gun used to sedate the rhino.
Dr. Fowlds darts the white rhino from the air while the team tracks her from the ground.
After running for a few hundred meters the rhino eventually falls to the ground.
The veterinary team prepares to move the rhino into an upright position to keep her internal organs from being crushed under her own weight and attach the tracking device to her foot. They have just 15 minutes to work before she wakes up.
With just 20,000 White rhino left in Africa, the up-close encounter between Owen Wright and this gentle sleeping giant could be his last if drastic measures aren't taken to protect this critically threatened species.
A once in a lifetime moment, Slater listens to the rhino's heartbeat.
Wright works on drilling a hole into the rhino's horn for the GPS implant. Members of the Chipembere Foundation work tirelessly to source, test and fund the right technology needed for effective and meaningful monitoring.
Wright assists the team in attaching the VHF tracking collar to the rhino's foot which will help the anti-poaching team monitor her location and safety.
The surfers take a closer look at the rhino's horn, believed to have healing properties in Asian countries but scientifically proven to be little more than protein keratin. (Similar to chewing your fingernails.)
The world's most iconic surfer with the world's most iconic creature.
The WSL team met Hope, a poaching survivor. Hope's horn was savagely removed while she was still conscious three months ago.
Poaching levels have reached crisis levels; 2,700 were slaughtered between 2000 and 2013 and another 1,214 in 2014. Join the WSL team in making a difference by spreading the word on anti-poaching and by supporting the Chipembere Foundation, chipembere.org.
During the J-Bay Open the World Surf League also made efforts to spotlight local non-profit Waves for Change. Underprivileged youth in South Africa are no stranger to hardship, see how the organization is using surfing as a means to help teens and children cope with some of the day to day challenges.
Be sure to checkout the WSL and Waves4Water's ongoing collaboration to bring clean drinking water to regions around the world.
The surfers take a closer look at the rhino's horn, believed to have healing properties in Asian countries but scientifically proven to be little more than protein keratin. (Similar to chewing your fingernails.)