Rhino Poaching DAY 5 - 08h30
The Kariega bull has moved a significant distance of several kilometers down difficult terrain during the night and is now close to an area of good grazing and water so we wait to see evidence of feeding. These are small positive signs which at the very least indicate that yesterdays treatment is making him more comfortable. I want to commend the owners of Kariega for throwing their full support behind the professional decisions I wrestle with every day. That both animals are still alive is hardly a consolation as the responsibility of sustaining so much pain rests very heavily on my shoulders. It is difficult to justify life in the face of such trauma but Kariega has made it very clear that they will support whatever veterinary decisions I make and they have not withheld anything. At 2am this morning my thoughts could be condensed into one line. A small flame of hope draws us forwards into another shameful day of suffering at the hands of humanity.
Will Fowlds