WYNTIR
Rescue…
Wyntir was only 2 months old and weighed 107kg when she arrived at CARE for WILD AFRICA on the 20th of June 2014. She was found near Kingfisher Spruit, north of Talamati Bush Camp after her mother had been slaughtered by poachers several days earlier in the Kruger National Park. She had been lost in the bush without the protection of her mother, which led to her being attacked by a cackle of hyenas. The hyenas completely chewed off both of Wyntir’s ears during the attack, leaving her weak and vulnerable.
Recovery…
When Wyntir arrived at CARE for WILD AFRICA, she was immediately attended to by her own personal veterinarian, Dr Ferreira du Plessis. He attended to the gaping, bleeding holes where her ears were supposed to be. There was an increased danger of infection in her ear canal and possible loss of hearing due to the infection being caused by insect larvae in her wounds. Dr du Plessis and the staff at CARE for WILD AFRICA cleaned and treated her wounds daily. She also had a dear friend looking after her during her recovery; Emma, a 6-month-old hippo that was also rescued and brought to CARE for WILD AFRICA. A volunteer was tasked at sleeping in Wyntir’s night pen with her to provide her with love and comfort through the long dark nights. Within a few weeks, Wyntir’s battle wounds were healed and her emotional spirit was healing too. She had also learned to voluntarily close her ear canals to prevent insects and other irritations from entering. A true fighter!
Rehabilitation…
After Wyntir had recovered from her wounds, she was introduced to another young orphaned rhino by the name of Tana. Tana was only 3 months older than Wyntir and they bonded instantly. A few months later, another orphaned rhino joined the two; his name was Mabush. Since then, the trio have been inseparable. They provide each other with the emotional support they need and their bond is very strong. Although Wyntir’s hearing is very poor, she can hear well enough to survive on her own. Tana and Mabush have, in a way, become her ears. Wyntir has learned to read Tana and Mabush’s body language to understand if there is something approaching that she cannot hear herself. In this way, the group protects each other. Another importance of the close relationships these rhinos have formed is that when they reach sexual maturity, they will be able to successfully breed with minimized stress.
Wyntir and her friends now enjoy grazing freely in the field during the day, only returning to the safely of their boma in the late afternoon. Wyntir also enjoys taking mud baths with her friends. Her ability to close her ear canal is very useful in this regard because it stops the mud from entering and blocking her ear canal. The orphans are provided with supplemental feeding and electrolyte-laced water to maintain their healthy condition. Wyntir and her friends are also provided with a cosy night pen filled with comfortable bedding to sleep in. Security guards watch over them like guardian angels all day and all night.
Despite Wyntir having a rough start, she has since grown into a strong and powerful leader among the orphaned rhinos.
TOGETHER THE FOLLOWING SCHOOLS support WYNTIR ...
EDEN COLLEGE
South Africa / KwaZulu Natal
The Olli Team is very excited to have Eden College onboard and they launched our School Rhino Challenge in KwaZulu Natal just after the finish of our Frontier Ride on the 6th August 2017 at their Conservation Fest!
olli #jointcustody school rhino challenge
launched in kzn at eden's eco fest
Olli's #JointCustody School Rhino Challenge was launched in KZN at Eden's Eco Fest. This coincided with the finish of the OLLI Frontier Rhino Ride where Wayne did a symbolic cycle into Eden's grounds with Olli (our fibreglass rhino) towed by the support vehicle with Eden Eco Warrior Nikita Surjoo and Head of the Eco Club Emily Garland. Here he was greeted by an ethusiastic crowd from which an amazing flash mob emerged to fill the field and entertain much to everyone's delight. Wayne and the Olli Team were very touched by this wonderful gesture. There followed an excerpt from a play on rhinos being produced by Eden in collaboration with Acting for Rhinos.
eden's welcomes olli with a stunning flash mob
eden is acting for rhinos
Jean van Elden and students handed over a cheque of R5 000 to Olli for Care for Wild Africa and a young student, Shivam Iyer, donated R1 000. It meant a lot to share this event with Grant Fowlds of Project Rhino KZN and Rhino Art with which One Land Love It (OLLI) has previously partnered and who enjoy a long standing association with Eden. It is exciting to know that there are so many concerned about our natural heritage and willing to collaborate and engage where they can. We firmly believe that the only way to turn the tide is through collaboration and our hastag #JointCustody represents that ideal. Our Eden experience exemplified that goal.
Olli and rhino art - #JointCustody
Wayne with Grant Fowlds of Project Rhino KZN and Rhino Art
eden's donation
Eden partnered with Olli where they used Olli's #JointCustody as a theme for their annual poetry competition and Nikki Bolton was honoured to participate in the judging process and award the prize to the winner Sudhita Sithlu in Grade 11.
The Olli Team loved the support and enthusiastic manner in which Eden College embraced One Land Love It's cause. Their students and staff demonstrated that this is a school with heart and passion and we are extremely proud of our partnership.
Olli and yotv at eden college
WOODRIDGE COLLEGE
South Africa / Eastern Cape
WOODRIDGE PREPARATORY SCHOOL participates in an international program called Eco-Schools. We have been affiliated with WESSA since 2004. Woodridge Preparatory has achieved their Platinum Status for 4 years running up until 2015. Our passion lies not only within the classroom; it also extends itself to the great outdoors. We at Woodridge take huge pride in experiential learning, and synchronizing ourselves with nature. We show children how to appreciate nature, the community, and how to give back selflessly.
Our Eco-Committee are very proud to have been involved with the following activities this year.
WASTE TRADE COMPANY – Woodridge is putting structures into place for efficient workstations for recycling. Woodridge College and Preparatory is now generating a small income, by recycling White paper. Alien Hack’s in the nature reserve. Our team get together and eradicate black wattle and Blue gum trees from our very own nature reserve.Woodridge Preparatory School acknowledges special days like Earth Day, World Environment Day, Endangered Species Day, World Water Week etc. We do a variety of educational activities relating to each topic.Woodridge shares a very close relationship with The Van Stadens Wildflower Reserve, and regularly go on environmental excursions.We are also very privileged to be involved with Born Free at Shamwari. Our Eco Committee always enjoy this educational highlight.Annually, we support a Casual Day in aid of “PAWS” (Protect Africa’s Wildlife). Funds raised go to supplying much needed equipment for the Kariega anti-poaching team.Our very own teachers Mr Billy Teeton, and Mr Cliff Reed, recently participated in the Duzi River Champions in order to raise funds for OSCAP.
More recently we look forward to hosting Mr Wayne Bolton who will be running a project with Woodridge in order to Raise Awareness and funds for OLLI.
EXTINCTION IS NOT AN OPTION
Emma Cook (Grade 7, Woodridge)
We’ve got to do something now,
To stop rhino poaching…but how?
How do we stop these cruel, cruel men?
Should we keep our rhino in a small, safe den?
Rhino poaching, some people fail to comprehend.
But how do we bring this terrible thing to an end?
How do we get this out of their mind?
Or else there will soon be no rhino to find.
These beautiful creatures, what have we done?
We’ve killed and poached every single last one!
Only once the very last rhino is rhino is killed,
Only then will the poachers be happy and thrilled?
The rhino are running and snorting in fear,
As these poachers stand by their dead family and cheer!
Why would they do this, these horrible men?
People and guns, they work together like paper and pen.
Rhino are Africa’s unicorn, and once they’re all gone,
Another extinction is born!
These callous poachers, please stop now!
You’ve shot the last rhino, now take your final bow!
RHINO ALPHABET
Olivia Howorth (Grade 7, Woodridge)
A rhino’s quietly grazing grass,
But what he doesn’t know,
Creeping quickly in the bush,
Death awaited the rhino.
Even though this creature is large,
Fat as a stuffed pillow,
Grumpy looking, won’t charge,
He stood under the old willow.
In the shadows death stood,
Jumping from his hiding spot,
Killer in his hand,
Let go the trigger and…BANG!
Maybe if man wasn’t so cruel,
Never would the rhino die out,
Open fields filled with blood,
Poachers cut off the snout.
Quitting on life,
Rhinos died out,
Standing there with a knife,
The poacher laughed in triumph,
Uzi grinned in glory.
Vile as a villain,
Wicked as a witch,
Xenophobia filled the ranger,
Yelling for help,
Zig-zagging around the last dead rhino…
DYING, DEATH, DEAD
Jessica Brown (Grade 7, Woodridge)
My horn is just hair and nail,
I’m becoming extinct, but you don’t care!
Hacked off my horn with a knife,
Death then takes my precious life!
Dying, death, dead…
My life hanging by a thread.
Took it while I was alive,
Didn’t care if I’d survive.
I saw the light coming to me,
It was time to join my family,
In a new world of love and peace.
But that’s not life, not for me,
Killing with a knife, all for money.
That’s my life, that’s what they do,
Dying, death, dead …
Sick with the poachers’ flu.
I see it in your eyes,
The feeling when a rhino dies,
Suffering, blood and pain,
You don’t want a dead rhino ever again!
Alone as much as gone,
I could be the last,
Are rhinos a thing of the past?
There could still be one,
But the war is over, it is done.
Poachers will claim the victory…
The rhino are becoming history!
HOW COULD YOU?
Anna Pistorius (Grade 7, Woodridge)
My name is Aliza, I am the last rhino in Africa.
It is nearly night and I’m hiding in fright.
I’m hiding from the stupid, scummy poachers,
Those killers that lurk in the mid of night.
When those killers are around,
I’ll have to stay out of sight.
I’ll have to save my energy,
Although I’m burning like a fire, filling with fury!
How could they take my family away from me?
Why couldn’t they just let us roam peacefully?
The clouds started to cry,
And then I heard it … a rustle nearby!
I lifted my head, saw them and quickly fled.
I was a cheetah as I ran away,
And then I froze like hardened clay!
All around me were poachers,
My eyes started filling up with tears,
This was the end, a straight line with no bend,
I was going to die!
And nothing can save me I said to myself,
As I let out a sad sigh.
Memories flashed through my mind,
When I was little I had no clue my days would be timed.
I remembered all the good times I had with my mum and my dad,
When they died, I was ever so sad and so mad.
I opened my eyes,
3…2…1… they shot as I said my goodbyes.
I was dead before I knew,
But I have one more thing to say … HOW COULD YOU?
ORDINARY PEOPLE CAN DO EXTRAORDINARY THINGS
An example of what a difference one youngster can make...
Brandon Booth, a 13 year old student at Woodridge College and friend of the family, approached OLLI and asked how he could be involved in our cause. He asked if he could cycle the first day of the OLLI Frontier Rhino Ride 2017 alongside Wayne in collaboration with our goals. Brandon, with his family's support, pursued various initiatives to raise funds for OLLI's beneficiary Care for Wild Africa. Brandon had never cycled more than 50kms and the first day's cycle was 110kms where 4 game reserves would be linked in the route that would ultimately take 1 month and include 20 game reserves over 2000kms from Nelson Mandela Bay through KZN to the Mozambique border. The first day saw Brandon, along with a group of adult, seasoned cyclists, complete the 110kms. Through his previous initiatives and sponsored kms he raised over R5000 and challenged Woodridge to match his achievement which they have done.
What Woodridge's contribution to One Land Love It's #JointCustody School Rhino Challenge has demonstrated is that one individual can make an invaluable contribution as can the collaboration of many. We are very proud of our association with Woodridge because through example they have epitomised what we hope to achieve. Inspiring individuals to collaborate - together we can turn the tide. The ingredients for success are passion and a cause.
"Brandon reached the first day's half way point and his personal best but felt that he was struggling and should stop as he didnt want to slow down the rest of the cyclists. With some encouragement and support he continued to complete the day, doubling what he perceived to be his limit. This is a wonderful example of how indomitable the human spirit is and how where the mind leads the body will follow. Despite the challenges that Woodridge recently faced with the fires and devestation they experienced... they have taught their students that you can rise above adversity and still make a valuable contribution to society.
Brandon is an example of this and we are very proud to call him a part of the OLLI Team."
Wayne Bolton
WORLD RHINO DAY WITH THE MAYOR AND THE oLLI TEAM
On World Rhino Day and celebrating Heritage Day weekend, the OLLI Team gathered along with their partners at the Donkin Reserve in PE alongside the famous giant flag. Here Messges of Unity in Conservation were exchanged and schools partnering in our OLLI #JointCustody School Rhino Challenge had the opportunity to hand over expressions of their stance on conservation and the crisis we face with our rhino to Nelson Mandela Bay Executive Mayor Athol Trollip (himself a Woodridge Old Boy). Different schools presented the mayor with ways in which they had expressed their opinions and Woodridge presented a scroll of poems written by Grade 7 pupils (presented above).
On this day Woodridge also hosted OLLI and Wayne at Woodridge to present him with a cheque. They have collected over R10 000 which will be donated directly to Care for Wild Africa.
Woodridge also extends a challenge to other schools to collaborate with them and to match what they have achieved!
Going green doesn’t start with doing green acts — it starts with a shift in consciousness.
This shift allows you to recognize that with every choice you make, you are voting either
for or against the kind of world you wish to see. When you assume this as a way of being,
your choices become easier. Using a reusable water bottle, recycling and
making conscious daily consumer choices are just a few…” ― Ian Somerhalder
Partners of the 'celebrating Women in conservation' campaign
environmental crime hotline 0800 205 005 or the SAPS number 10111
Report any suspicious activities around wildlife!
