Symbolic Khama avoids shooting rhino

BONIFACE KEAKABETSE
Correspondent | Thursday May 2, 2013 00:00

 

MAUN: President Ian Khama turned down an invitation to fire a tranquilising bullet on a female young rhino in the Okavango Delta last week saying this may set a wrong precedent to the conservation of the endangered rhinos.

Apparently knowing that Khama is a reputed marksman, luxury experiential travel company, &Beyond officials who were donating six white rhinos to Botswana invited Khama to the gun to sedate a six-year-old female rhino for it to be inserted with a trekking devise to mark the conclusion of the momentous donation event.

However Khama turned down this invite. The shot was finally done by one of the company officials. Explaining reasons for his refusal, Khama said he does not want his pictures taken pointing a gun at a rhino. 'We may end up with pictures saying there is a president poaching a rhino,' Khama humorously said as he thanked &Beyond for the donation and called for the continued conservation of the rhinos.

The teenage rhinos called Army, Helen, Jemma, Bruce, Bertle and Mickey were donated by tourism company &Beyond from their Phinda Game Reserve in South Africa to the government of Botswana.After more than 2,000 kilometres of their excruciating road transportation amid tight security between South Africa and Botswana the rhino youngsters found what is hoped will be a safe home in the Okavango Delta. 

Rhinos continue to be slaughtered at a worsening rate in South Africa so it is hoped that these young donated rhinos, which are four females, and two males will live to pass their genes for the survival of their kind in the next generations.A record 668 rhinos were killed in South Africa in 2012, and this year alone, since its beginning, 309 rhinos had reportedly already been massacred.

Last week alone five were killed in the Kruger National Park. Around 5,000 rhinos are said to be remaining in South Africa and already alarm bells of their impending extinction are tolling, should the carnage continue at the current rate.

'The poaching situation in SA is alarming. If it continues like this, rhinos may be completely wiped out. Who knows, maybe one day we will be re-introducing rhinos from the Okavango Delta back into South African wild,' Kevin Pretorius the &Beyond director told Mmegi in an interview.

Termed Rhino-Without-Borders project & Beyond said it chose the Okavango Delta to trans-locate the rhinos, as the Delta is a proven rhino relocation destination. The company said it attributes rhino safety in Botswana to an arrangement where the military helps wildlife officials for the protection of these endangered species.Speaking during the event, Environment, Wildlife and Tourism Minister, Tshekedi Khama called for the heightened protection of rhinos from poachers.

He said in Botswana, rhinos were almost wiped out by poaching which forced the government to construct the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Serowe where all the rhinos were trans-located for safe-keeping.The rhinos have since multiplied and some have been introduced back into the Okavango Delta. He said the donation from &Beyond will help in boosting the rhino population in the delta and boost the genetic of rhinos in the Okavango.