Cathy Buckle's Weekly Letter From Zimbabwe !

For D.J., Amber and Gomo.

Saturday 10th November 2007

Tragedy came to my home area this week and I write this letter for a family represented by three generations who have worked to save an endangered species for Zimbabwe. More specifically I write this letter for D.J., Amber, and Gomo who were shot and killed one night this week.

These three Black Rhino were saved from rampant poaching that was ravaging Zimbabwe in the mid 1980's. Seven young Black Rhino calves, three males and four females were sent to Imire Game Park where they were hand reared. Standing chest high they were bottle fed on a carefully worked out milk formula from five litre plastic bottles fitted with calf teats. You have to see this to really appreciate it, the pushing and shoving, the loud schlurping noises and contented glugging, the vast streams of silver dribble and the look of contentment and pure delight in the eyes of the young animals.

These seven Black Rhino were part of a grand scheme by farmers and Government to save a species. Private Game Parks and Conservancies, at entirely their own risk and expense, would rear the animals, allow them to breed and then return the offspring to National Parks so that all Zimbabweans could share in this wonderous heritage.

Over 20 years those seven Black Rhino thrived at Imire. This was a superb achievement - for man and animal. The Rhino had to be guarded from poachers, day and night; they had to be fed on massive amounts of purchased supplementary feed and they had to be contented enough to breed and for the females to carry their calves for the full 450 day gestation. Vets and experts came in when needed and de-horned the Rhinos, removing the matted hair-like structure which was the lure to the poachers and the very cause of their persecution. Over two decades the Travers' family returned more than half a dozen Black Rhino reared on Imire to the Department of National Parks and gave a great gift back to our country.

Four poachers came to Imire at around 9.30 in the evening this week. D.J. was shot and killed. Her calf, just a few weeks old, survived. Amber, heavily pregnant, was shot and killed. Her unborn calf, almost at full term, did not survive. Gomo, a male, was shot and killed. The horn stump from one rhino, perhaps one handful, was taken by the poachers.

D.J.'s calf will be hand reared on Imire with two other young rhino. Already that precious milk formula has been sought and the ingredients searched for in this time of madness when our shops are empty and almost all goods are unobtainable.

I do not know the details of the crime, the slaughter and the perpetrators but I feel a great sadness inside me. It is many years since I had first hand encounters with elephants and rhino but they are memories ingrained in my heart: the feel of their skin, the look in their eyes, the sounds they make and the smell of them and knowing that their lives and their future depended on us. We must not give up.

Until next week, thanks for reading,
love cathy.