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Lifetime Member
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Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator
Hello Rachel!
I am glad to be back, I have been missing BPN:)
Lovely close-up of this animal to celebrate World Rhino Day. Very thoughtful Rachel, and I really appreciate this post. Statistics have it that about 750 rhino were killed for their horn this year only in SA and about 75 of those in Kwazulu-Natal where I live. I know of a little rhino baby somewhere nearby who is being fed with the bottle these days - he had no horn but a tiny nub, which made him of little or no interest to the poachers who hurt his mother. She was badly disfigured and still fighting for her life.
So this is a very special image to me, it is also carefully processed and you revealed lots of detail, the colours are spot-on, the light might have been a tad harsh but you exposed so well, lovely work, nice DOF and the HA works for me.
I am sorry I was unable to process a rhino image for this occasion, due to time constraints I have decided to participate by viewing and passing a few comments tonight. I truly enjoyed viewing and happy to know you care about the species, much appreciated Rachel
Warmest regards and I am wishing you a pleasant evening,
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Post a Thank You. - 1 Thanks
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Hi Rachel, Superb detail, sharpness and exposure on the Rhino. I like the comp and the lowered head and the grass in the mouth. Gabriela, am so sad to hear about the merciless killing of these awesome creatures. God know if and when this madness will end! Peace to all.
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Thanks Gabriela and Sanjeev. Welcome back Gabriela. Those numbers are really atrocious. Unfortunately, unless and until the market for the rhino horn is eliminated, it is likely that poachers will always see dollar signs rather than the awesome, prehistoric looking creatures that we see. Let's hope that the conservation efforts and education efforts make quick advances.
Thanks again,
Rachel
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Hi Rachel -- lovely details and sharpness , nicely composed as well and you handled the light pretty well . They are such marvellous creatures , hope the very best for their kind in the near future and wish to see you posting more often . TFS !
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Lovely looking closeup of this species. The colours look real good, and the expression on the Rhino's face, says it all. Thanks for sharing
Will
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Thanks Haseeb and Will, much appreciated.
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BPN Member
Hi Rachel thanks for the reminder of that day .
A nice solid portrait with good tonal range and nice colors . Well done overall .
From my POV it is useless to think that we will change in terms of stop killing these creatures , i know it sounds hopeless and negative . In our history we made many species disappearing by killing or destroying their environments and everyday there are species disappearing from mother earth without even been noticed by the public , and the most sad thing is WE ALL doing our stuff to make this happen , by traveling around the world in planes, cars etc . By buying and consuming all sorts of stuff we also make this happen faster , so in the end to me we are not that much better than these guys who kill the Rhinos . It is not that much dramatic and maybe not that much obvious.
But still worth to think about , the big difference is that i.e. the Rhino is somehow a key species for showing this , since UNEP is saying everyday 150 species of animals and plants just disappear from our planet , one might say the Rhino is just another one !!!???
What are you all thinking about this ?
TFS Andreas
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Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator
Hello Rachel, Andreas and friends,
Do not mean to hijack this thread but just a few thoughts as the rhino issue is close to my heart. And my home.
Rhinos are unique animals and represent a special link to our prehistoric past. They were close to extinction in the 1960's, at some stage only present in this very Game Park close to my home; from here they were translocated to other Parks, Private Reserves as well as overseas. This is known as Operation Rhino, and it is probably the greatest conservation story ever. A success story.
Ironically the rhino is now being killed for the very thing that evolved to give the species a means of defence against predators. The price of the horn on the black markets of South Asia is truly exorbitant, I am told it is worth nowadays more per kg than gold, platinum, or heroin, although there is no proof that it has any scientific benefits in terms of health, etc. Its "value" is said to originate in myth and propagated by human greed.
Poachers are getting more and more sophisticated, as is they weaponry. They use veterinary sedatives and get to their victims by means of helicopters. Corruption is rife and government officials are at times involved, sometimes not by actively participating but just closing their eyes to what is going on. Who is involved? Well, you'll be surprised: soldiers, vets, mercenaries, ordinary poachers, game rangers, farmers, politicians too. All unashamedly greedy and ready to destroy one of the most precious assets belonging to Africa, one that has been around for some fifty million years.
I am not giving up on the mighty Rhino, not yet anyway...Our local anti-poaching team is doing wonderful work. Lots of support coming in from business people and private individuals. Let us hope someone in the government cares enough to look at the legislation and change a couple of things. It's not impossible...just look at the Botswana government, they did the right thing.
Warmest regards,
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BPN Member
Hi my lovely Gabriela , agree with all your thoughts
, just wanted to say there is much more than the key species to save in our world .
Warmest regards back
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Story Sequences Moderator and Wildlife Moderator
I care about all of them, Andreas my Boetie:) No such thing as key species to me, they all have a place in the world and worth saving. It's just easier to get involved when things are happening under your nose, and especially when you can make a difference.
Thank you Rachel again for this post, it shows you care and I appreciate it:)
Kind regards,