I photographed this mother white rhino and her calf in 2017 in Kruger National Park in South Africa. At the time, there was an alarming rate of poaching going on, with nearly 1,200 of her kind killed by poachers that year. In 2022, South Africa began cutting off the horns of all rhinos to try to stop the mass killings of these beautiful animals. Poachers target both black and white rhinos due to their horns that can sell for anywhere from $55,000 to $65,000 each. Rhino poaching is being driven by the demand for rhino horns in Asian countries, particularly China and Vietnam, where they’re used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. They’re also increasingly thought to increase sexual prowess and fertility.
Please make sure you take a look at the small inset image to see what these animals look like with their horns missing; this image was shot just a few days ago in Kruger National Park. You can help the anti-poaching efforts across all of Africa by visiting either the International Rhino Foundation or Save The Rhino and donating today.