The black rhino...
Across Africa, 97% have been
killed for their horns.
Zambia has a small population,
but there’s a bounty
on their heads.
A crack team
is coming together
        to protect them.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
With remarkable skill...
(GRUNTS)
...and dedication...
   (OPERATION RHINO
   TEAM GRUNTING)
          ...there’s only
a small window of time
to get the job done.
They will go to
extraordinary lengths
to keep the rhinos safe.
But the future hangs
in the balance.
Conservation doesn’t get
tougher than this.
(HELICOPTER WHIRRING OVERHEAD)
(THEME MUSIC PLAYING)
          North Luangwa
National Park...
Some of the wildest bush
in Africa.
(ELEPHANT TRUMPETS SOFTLY)
But for Ed Sayer,
Claire Lewis,
and their three children,
this is home.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY
AND GIGGLING)
It’s just the way we live,
yeah.
We’re just, kind of,
camped out in the
middle of the national park.
CLAIRE LEWIS: You know,
don’t wear shoes,
kids don’t wear clothes
most of the time.
          But this
is no safari holiday.
They are leading a battle
against poaching
  and the trade
  in rare animal parts.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
The animal suffering
on the frontline
is the elusive black rhino.
(GRUNTS)
Its story in Zambia,
from the 1970s to today,
is tragic.
         This place is lawless,
and Zambia went from
their national population
of about 12,000 animals
to zero.
I mean, it’s quite
an extraordinary, wholesale
slaughter of a species.
By 1997,
the black rhino was declared
officially extinct in Zambia.
But a handful of passionate
people didn’t give up.
A reintroduction
program began.
And in 2003,
a small number of animals were
brought in from South Africa.
Black rhinos were now
back on Zambian soil.
But poaching didn’t go away.
Their horn is still prized
in Asian medicine.
And today, Claire, Ed,
and their team
are fighting to keep
these new rhinos safe.
CLAIRE: We know
North Luangwa’s
got the potential
to hold a decent
rhino population.
The question mark, however,
of what we can do here rests
with the poaching threat.
Unless the demand
for rhino horn hits zero,
that can never be a reality.
I can’t imagine a world
where our three grow up,
and rhinos aren’t wild.
That would just destroy me.
I was lucky enough to,
to see rhinos here
in the wild,
in the early 80s
as a little boy,
and so Luangwa
meant a lot.
And rhinos, er,
back in Luangwa was...
(STUTTERS) Was also
a major, erm...
Major ambition to work with.
          Claire and Ed
have increased security for
the park’s rhino population
by fitting radio transmitters
inside the animals’ horns.
The rhinos can now be tracked
24/7, 365 days a year.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
          If they stray
into dangerous areas,
armed scouts can head out
to protect them.
(RADIO STATIC,
RHYTHMIC BEEPING)
          Once a year,
the team needs to make sure
that their state-of-the-art
technology has their
rhinos covered.
Young animals need to be
fitted with transmitters
for the first time.
And broken ones need to be
replaced on adult rhinos.
With 14 animals
on this year’s to-do list,
it’s a mammoth undertaking.
Claire and Ed need help.
They’ve brought in a
crack team from across Africa.
Marcus Hofmayr
is from South Africa,
and is one of the
world’s top rhino vets.
Hopefully, in, in 20,
30 years’ time,
this will be a serious
source population
for elsewhere in Zambia
and other projects.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
          Glenton Combes
is specialist bush pilot
from Kenya.
And it is really
a team effort.
And that’s another aspect
that I really love about it,
is, you know,
working with these people,
doing this stuff.
          The last
preparations are being made.
They have just one week
to locate and process
14 rhinos
in an area of over
580 square miles.
This is the most important
week of the year
for Zambian rhinos.
(OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
          Tomorrow,
Operation Rhino will begin.
          There’s a huge
task ahead.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
It is exhilarating for me.
It’s one of the mo...
The best week of the year,
because I’m not stuck
behind the office,
writing reports,
or looking for funding,
or answering
donors’ questions.
It’s... It’s out there,
in the field,
erm, no email.
Just the radios,
working on the ground
with the scouts,
working on the ground
with the rhinos.
That’s just what, er...
That’s what the job
is all about.
          The first rhino
they find, is a young female
called Sungani.
Lead vet, Marcus,
must immobilize her
from the air.
Chopper pilot, Glenton,
needs to get him into
just the right position.
It’s a huge test
of a pilot’s skill.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
The dart hits home.
They back off to give time
for the drug to take effect.
(MALE TRACKER 1
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
          To the north,
the team’s trackers
are already on the trail
of another rhino.
A three-year-old bull
called Hugo.
His transmitter needs
replacing.
They will have to rely
on skill alone.
Black rhino like
dense wooded areas,
and can be difficult to spot
from the air.
These units are the
infantry of the operation...
And the first crucial stage
in finding the animals.
(MALE TRACKER 1 SPEAKING)
(MALE TRACKERS
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
           Footprints, urine,
and half-eaten food
offer clues to when
the rhino was there
and where it’s going.
These signs are referred
to as "spoor."
(MALE TRACKER 2
SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY)
          The rhino has
just been sleeping here.
It’s close.
They must be careful,
stay downwind,
and move quietly.
Black rhino will charge
if spooked,
a result of living
in dense woodland
where it’s difficult
to see predators.
The trackers have done well,
and have found Hugo without
disturbing him.
They’ll stay close,
and will call in the chopper
when the team’s ready
for the next rhino.
(MACHINERY WHIRRING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
          The chopper team
is now on the ground
with the first rhino,
a six-year-old female
called Sungani.
(WHIRRING)
          They have
around 25 minutes
before the drug
begins to wear off.
It’s a rare opportunity to get
this close to a wild rhino.
There’s a lot to do.
They take blood samples,
which they’ll analyze later
to check her general health.
Key body parts are measured
to chart the animal’s growth.
And they take samples
of hair and ticks.
Sungani is constantly sprayed
with water to keep her cool.
But the radio transmitter
is the most important part
of the operation.
It’s designed to fit directly
inside her horn,
which is made of keratin,
the same substance
as our fingernails.
The horn has no nerve endings,
so Sungani
feels no discomfort.
She now has her own
built-in security system.
With the tracking device
in place,
the horn the poachers
would kill her for
will now keep her safer.
MALE SCOUT 1: We don’t have
much longer, eh?
No.
(INDISTINCT TALKING)
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
MAN: (ON RADIO)
 So, you’re good to go.
          The procedure
has gone well.
Marcus has given Sungani
a drug to reverse the sedative
and she is quickly
back on her feet.
Jackson Katampi, a local vet,
is new to the team this year.
        (INDISTINCT)
He’s never worked
with black rhinos before.
It’s important
that a Zambian vet
learns how to work
with these animals
to help secure
their future in the country.
                  I’m part
of this rhino team for
the first time, and, er,
my experience has been
with white rhino.
But working
with black rhino...
I can call myself, now,
a rhino expert, you know?
(CHUCKLES)
          By mid-afternoon
on day one,
they’ve managed
to process Hugo
and four other animals
on their list.
Another bull,
two females and a calf.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
          Operation Rhino
is ahead of schedule.
ED SAYER: Yeah, there.
NARRATOR:
 It’s late in the day.
The trackers have found a
four-year-old female
called Tazzazo.
This year, her horn should be
big enough to take
her first transmitter.
As a future breeding female,
she is especially
important to protect.
Marcus begins
to make up the dart
that will immobilize her.
It takes a steady hand.
The drug he uses,
will put Tazzazo to sleep
for 30 minutes.
But for Marcus, just a prick
of the needle would be deadly.
It’s not just about
getting a good shot.
North Luangwa has many steep
gullies and riverbanks.
If Tazzazo falls off
one of these,
she could be
seriously injured.
(RIFLE FIRES)
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
NARRATOR:
 The chopper moves away
but guides her
in a safe direction
as the drug takes effect.
Something’s wrong.
   It’s been six minutes.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
Tazzazo isn’t going down.
The dart may
have malfunctioned.
They’ll have to try again.
(RIFLE FIRES)
This time,
the drug seems to be working.
But there’s another problem.
She’s heading straight
for a narrow gully.
It’s exactly what
they were trying to avoid.
She could be injured.
They must get to her quickly.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
Tazzazo has
fallen through a tree.
Her legs are crushed
beneath her,
which could cause
nerve damage,
and her airway
might be impeded.
They move her safely
into a special
rhino recovery position
and she seems to be OK.
(OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(ED BLOWS)
          Tazzazo is small
for a four-year-old.
Her horn is only
just big enough to
house the transmitter.
Despite her size, she’s an
important little rhino.
Her skin is in good condition.
She has few ticks,
and her vital signs are good.
She’s in great health,
and in a couple of years
she could begin to breed,
and add to the
park’s rhino population.
The transmitter’s in place,
so Marcus gives her
the reversal drug.
It will only take
a few minutes
to bring her back to her feet.
          It’s been a long
but productive first day.
Six animals in a day.
You can’t do more
than that, really.
All in all, couldn’t have
gone better. Great day.
Good day. Good day.
We win. (CHUCKLES)
NARRATOR:
 Day two starts early.
Tracking teams have been
working since before sunrise.
(BEEPING RHYTHMICALLY)
But signs of rhinos are
proving thin on the ground.
The trackers need
some extra help.
(ENGINE STARTING)
      (ENGINE REVS)
Roule Du Toit
is an expert pilot
and works on rhino
conservation in Zimbabwe.
This particular plane
has been the top cover
for literally thousands
of rhino dartings.
I mean, not just hundreds,
thousands.
          He’s not only
an expert at locating rhino,
he also directs the
chopper team from above,
and feeds back intelligence.
North Luangwa National Park
covers a huge area,
and Roule has
his work cut out.
(TALKING INDISTINCTLY)
           With no rhinos,
the chopper team is grounded,
and valuable time
is being lost.
This is just
one of many setbacks
Ed and Claire
have experienced.
Working with rhinos
is never easy,
especially when
they’ve been introduced
from a different country.
For some animals, settling
into a new home is hard.
        And there’s
well-documented evidence
of social bonds of rhinos,
and how they very much
form associations
and bonds with who
they live next to,
and who’s around,
who they smell,
it makes a difference.
And then you
pick up unrelated,
disassociated animals and you
dump them in North Luangwa.
No wonder they all, kind of,
freak out, and go,
"What was that all about?
Why did you put me here?
"I don’t know who you are,
and I don’t know
where to find water,
"and I don’t know
what that plant is to eat."
          These are
South African rhinos
on Zambian soil.
     There, Kango, is a, er...
What is he now?
He’s a fourteen-year-old bull,
who we’ve got, er...
Who was really struggling
in the bush here.
He struggled to adapt.
Erm, and then
he got knocked about
by some big boys,
either side of him.
And his condition
was deteriorating actually,
year on year on year.
Well, I think it’s the
realities of, er,
reintroduction and adaptation
from a South African...
In fact, he was
from the Eastern Cape.
It’s a very different
habitat type to here.
          Ed and Claire
decided to move Kango
into a large enclosed area
of the park.
They supplement his food.
And he no longer has to put up
with the local bullies.
After a year of special care,
Kango is now in great shape.
(GRUNTS)
Soon he will be released back
into a quieter area
of the national park.
These animals are pioneers.
It hasn’t been easy for them.
Ed and Claire hope that the
rhinos will continue to adapt
to their Zambian home.
It’s a process that can take
many years.
The trackers have finally
located another rhino.
It’s a huge male
called Bwatcha.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
           His transmitter
stopped working some time ago,
and fitting a new on
is a top priority.
MAN: (ON RADIO)
This is a good place...
There’s gullies on the sides.
          He’s been found
and he’s in good condition.
Weighing more than a ton,
Bwatcha is a black rhino
in his prime.
Running through
dense tree cover
makes things tough
for the chopper.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
(RIFLE FIRES)
          It’s a tricky shot,
but the dart is in.
      The drug takes effect.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
But Bwatcha is heading
towards a steep riverbank.
MAN: (ON RADIO)
 Er, he’s, he’s giving up.
          A big fall
could be fatal.
Marcus makes a startling call.
MARCUS HOFMAYR: (ON RADIO)
I think so...
If you watch my tail.
          He will
go in on foot
to bring Bwatcha down.
(INDISTINCT TALKING
THROUGH RADIO)
          It’s dangerous,
but Bwatcha’s life
could depend on it.
Marcus approaches
with caution.
He’s gauging
the effect of the drug.
He can’t get this wrong.
Bwatcha’s finally down.
He signals to the chopper
it’s now OK to land.
Marcus’s bold move
has kept Bwatcha safe.
But it takes
six fully-grown men
to put this heavyweight
into his recovery position.
There’s a nasty
little riverbed
just on the other side
of this little incline here,
which we didn’t
want him to enter.
MARCUS: If they’re
sleeping enough,
you can actually
grab them and other...
Walk them in a circle,
or actually trip them up
against themselves.
That’s basically what I did
there with this guy.
          Ed has to drill
a new hole in Bwatcha’s horn
for the replacement
transmitter.
The number is, er...
          The old one
has moved upwards
as the horn has grown.
(CLAIRE SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
           Rhino horn can grow
up to two inches a year.
It’s been two years
since the last transmitter
was fitted.
ED: He’s a big bull, isn’t he?
Isn’t he? Nice, big...
The biggest we’ve done so far,
I think.
MARCUS: You can tell him too
when we wake him up, eh?
Yeah, yeah,
he’s a very big boy.
          The chopper needs
to shuttle some of the team
back to the airfield,
leaving Ed, Marcus,
and Jackson on the ground.
They can’t delay giving
the revival drug to Bwatcha.
But waking him up
while they’re on foot
could be dangerous.
They must take
to the trees for safety.
(LEAVES RUSTLING)
The reversal drug
takes effect.
Black rhinos are
notoriously bad tempered.
But most will avoid
a confrontation,
moving away when they smell
humans close by.
Bwatcha, however,
doesn’t leave.
The team keep quiet and still.
(SNORTS)
(CRASHING)
(INDISTINCT TALKING,
CHUCKLING)
(SNORTS)
NARRATOR:
It’s a stark reminder
that black rhino are powerful
and unpredictable.
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
He saw the yellow,
reflective jacket,
and came for it.
Er, and obviously,
that distance,
he came with immediate speed,
and you don’t have time
to reach or act...
I was up in the tree
when he came and hit it.
So I was out of the way,
but then I slipped
and fell out.
So, if he’d stayed,
it would’ve been
a bit of an issue,
and that’s why you actually
need to be up the tree.
You know? So...
(HELICOPTER BLADES WHIRRING)
The team was lucky.
Bwatcha is the park’s top bull
and will hopefully pass on
his highly-charged genes
to new offspring
for many years to come.
As the helicopter nears
the airfield, a call comes in.
(MAN SPEAKING ON RADIO)
          Kango
is getting bullied again.
A large bull elephant has
learnt how to step over
the fence into his enclosure.
He wants Kango’s
special food.
They must use the chopper
to try to drive out
the intruder.
GLENTON COMBES:
With the elephant,
if you spend too long,
putting extreme pressure,
they just get used to it,
and they’ll call your bluff.
          The bull
is reluctant to leave.
Once an elephant’s called
your bluff, that’s it.
You’ll never be able
to fully control,
or work with him again.
They just know,
"If I just go straight,
"I’m done.
I can do what I want."
(TRUMPETING)
          Glenton applies
a little more pressure
(TRUMPETING)
Finally, the elephant
gets the message and leaves.
          (TRUMPETING)
Order is restored,
and Kango can now enjoy
his room service in peace.
But soon it will end.
Next year, he’ll be moved out
of the enclosure
and will have to
make his own way
in North Luangwa
National Park.
The team was lucky
no one was injured
during Bwatcha’s charge.
(OPERATION RHINO TEAM
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
          Unfortunately,
the same can’t be said
for their equipment.
MAN: See, if you look
along the barrel here...
Yeah, we’re going to
have to,
actually, put a bit
of force here.
    MAN: Yeah.
           Their only dart gun
now has a bent barrel.
MAN: So...
Bring that hardwood one, Ed.
And I’d put it...
That it’s pushing there.
          Flying to collect
a new rifle could cost them
a day of operations.
A day they can’t afford.
Every hour
of this week counts.
The more rhinos they can fit
with transmitters,
the more secure
the population becomes.
But that’s not all.
The black rhinos have now
become the park’s protectors.
The military operation
protecting them also
protects other wildlife.
CLAIRE: If you can protect
an endangered species
such as the black rhino,
then everything else
is protected.
The elephant numbers here,
have at least, doubled
in the last decade.
It’s a very vibrant
lion population.
Wild dogs have certainly, erm,
improved in numbers here.
We have very big
herds of buffalo.
          Rhinos have been
here for millions of years.
They’ve sewn their presence
into the landscape.
They love to eat the fruit
of the sausage tree.
Coming across
an old sausage tree
in the middle of nowhere
could mean its seed
was put there by
one of the 4,000
original black rhinos
that once called
this place home.
The North Luangwan,
reintroduced rhinos
are pioneers,
forging a new life.
Their kind has
a long heritage here.
Claire and Ed are trying
to make sure it continues.
(INDISTINCT TALKING)
MARCUS: Yeah,
I think that’s...
That’s quite all right then.
MAN 2: Yeah.
          At the workshop,
the team has done
what they can to correct
Bwatcha’s handiwork.
Er... I think that’s
about as good as
we’re going to get it then.
All right,
we need to get going.
Thank you.
     Thank you.
           The vets must
test the rifle to make sure
it now shoots straight.
MAN: Yeah.
(CLAIRE SPEAKING)
(OPERATION RHINO TEAM
CHUCKLE)
(RIFLE FIRES)
Looks OK. All right, now...
You try.
JACKSON KATAMPI: Yeah.
          After learning
from Marcus all week,
Zambian vet, Jackson,
will take the lead
on the next darting.
He needs to be sure
of a straight shot.
Er, sure thing, but, er...
ED: Needs pressure?
This little bit of it? Huh?
      Oh, you know what?
      Try it...
Probably... Great.
(RIFLE FIRES)
Yeah, it’s not bad, huh?
          It will be
quite a responsibility
for the young vet.
The dart gun is working.
And just in time.
Roule and the trackers
have found two rhinos
the team has been
looking for all week.
A large female
called Twikatanee
and her two-year-old
male calf.
This is the most important
operation of the week.
Working with a mother
and calf together
will be their
toughest challenge yet.
They can only work
on one rhino at a time.
The only way to do this
safely is to briefly
separate them,
dart them individually.
Then, while the chopper team
works on one rhino,
Roule will fly overhead with
safety updates on the position
of the other.
(PEOPLE IN HELICOPTER
SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
           Jackson will take
the lead on Twikatanee.
Glenton gives him a pep talk.
                      Yeah.
(GLENTON SPEAKING)
(GLENTON SPEAKING)
JACKSON: All right.
(GLENTON SPEAKING)
JACKSON: Sure.
(GLENTON SPEAKING)
          There’s too much
turbulence.
Jackson waits
to take the shot.
He sees his moment.
(RIFLE FIRES)
The dart is good.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
                  (BEEPS)
(MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
           The chopper must now
try to separate the pair.
Glenton drives the calf off.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
          Twikatanee becomes
increasingly drowsy.
(GLENTON SPEAKING)
          The calf
is still close by,
so Glenton doesn’t land.
Even a small rhino could cause
serious damage to the chopper.
           ED: Pull towards
           you now.
Like this?
          Twikatanee has
come down awkwardly
between two trees.
They need to
get her free quickly.
She is a very large female,
and they won’t be able to
move her without extra help.
A spotter, Ed?
ED: No, we need manpower.
          Despite the risk
posed by the calf,
Glenton brings
in reinforcements.
ED: This is the problem, here.
          They need to
maneuver her
around the tree
and onto flat ground.
What about... What about
rolling her that way,
putting a bag of ropes
against her,
and then
pushing her over?
(SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
(ALL GRUNTING)
CLAIRE: That’s... In a bit.
That’ll hold. OK.
MARCUS: OK. We try and go
the other way now?
     One, two, three!
(ALL GRUNTING)
NARRATOR:
The extra help is just enough.
Twikatanee is into
the recovery position
and out of danger.
ED: (BREATHING DEEPLY)
Thanks.
We’re not taking these animals
away from their native area
so they know the terrain.
And, er, they’re actually
incredibly good at
finding each other again.
JACKSON: That one went well.
The animal is down, so, er,
it wasn’t the perfect dart
I would want,
but, er, I think,
er, it still worked.
So it’s quite good for me.
"Four... 4-C-3-D."
Er, this here’s Twikatanee.
She’s quite elusive.
Erm, so she’s, er...
It’s really important
to get her.
Erm, and it’ll help our
monitoring efforts a lot.
          Twikatanee could
live until she’s 40,
and produce many more calves.
Now the team can track her,
and keep her safe.
With the mother done,
it’s time to find her calf.
They quickly find him.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
He hasn’t gone far.
The calf is far more nimble
on its feet than the adults.
Glenton must be just
as nimble with the chopper.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
               (RIFLE FIRES)
          The calf runs
straight into an area
with dense vegetation.
This could put him in danger.
Marcus will once again
try to bring him down safely.
The calf may only be a
couple of years old,
but he already weighs
half a ton.
(SNORTING)
He’s down and safe.
Glenton can drop
the rest of the team.
Above them, Roule
has spotted Twikatanee.
She’s back on her feet,
and looking for her calf.
The chopper team on the ground
now relies on Roule
to monitor her position
and make sure
she doesn’t become a danger.
(DRILL WHIRRING)
The young calf has yet to be
given a name.
And there’s a reason for that.
CLAIRE: We don’t name them
for a long time,
because we’re too nervous
that they’re not
going to survive.
That’s one of the reasons
they’re not named.
          In North Luangwa,
an adult rhino
has little to fear
apart from humans.
Lions will rarely
take them on.
(GROWLING)
But for a young calf,
the story is very different.
        We’ve got high
densities of lions
and hyenas here.
We’ve seen lion claw marks
and scars,
and relatively fresh
wounds of lion attempts
on adult rhinos.
(PEOPLE SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
          His mum could
soon have a new calf,
and he will have
to fend for himself.
(INDISTINCT)
(ALL CHUCKLING)
NARRATOR:
 Implanting a transmitter
 into his horn
will enable Claire and Ed
to watch him more closely
when mum’s not around
to protect him.
From the air, Roule spots
Twikatanee heading directly
towards them.
She won’t be happy if she
finds them with her calf.
The team has to move quickly.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
          As they leave,
calf and mum reunite.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
          Operations
are complete for this year.
The rhino population
originally brought in
from South Africa
is now safer from poachers.
Signs are good that they
are continuing to thrive
in their new Zambian home.
But North Luangwa has
one more surprise
in store for the team.
Below, they spot
something very special.
(INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER)
A female.
And with her, a baby calf,
around six weeks old.
It’s a new animal in the
North Luangwa population.
(MAN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY)
           They may have come
from South African bloodlines,
but these new animals
are thriving.
There’s no turning back.
They’re Zambians now.
(CAMERA CLICKING)
          The team’s work
in North Luangwa
is protecting this
new population of black rhino.
These animals will hopefully
form a source population
for introductions elsewhere
in Zambia.
MARCUS: For me, this is one
of the most satisfying aspects
of my job,
is to just actually
see a project
where rhinos literally
were hunted to extinction,
getting back off its feet.
If I had to stop this job,
I think I would stop flying.
And, and I mean that.
         As a Zambian,
it gives us pride.
We had rhinos here,
and they ran into extinction,
and then this introduction,
just seeing it work,
you know, makes us feel like,
"Wow, we can do more?"
Another story to tell at home.
I say, "OK, I darted
a black rhino
from a helicopter."
That was good for me. Yeah.
          The dedication
of people like these
is holding back
the tide of poaching.
Having thousands
and thousands of rhinos
is still many, many,
many decades...
Hundreds of years away,
if ever.
        But it’s got
a mega-herbivore
back in the ecosystem,
which had once
been exterminated.
          Claire and Ed
dream of a large and secure
black rhino population.
Not just in North Luangwa,
but throughout
the Zambian bush.
Operation Rhino has brought
that dream one step closer.
(SNORTING)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(SNORTS)
