professorbutterscotch:

thisisnotafrica:

antihunting:

funnywildlife:

Military Protection!!

A four man anti-poaching team permanently guards a Northern White Rhino on Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya, 13 July 2011. The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is an important “not-for-profit” wildlife conservancy in the Laikipia District of Kenya and the largest sanctuary for black rhinos in East Africa. It is also the home of 4 of the world’s remaining 8 Northern White Rhino, the worlds most endangered animal. There has been an increase in poaching incidents on Ol Pejeta recently, in line with a massive worldwide increase in rhino poaching linked to the rise in the Asian middle class. Anti-poaching teams provide close protection to the rhino, with 24 hour observation over all rhino on Ol Pejeta and 24 hour armed guard protection over the 4 Northern White Rhino who are kept in their own Boma area. The team have developed extraordinary relationships with these Rhino, leaning on them, scratching them and displaying tremendous affection towards these most endangered of animals. Each of the men in these teams feels a genuine vocation towards the protection of these animals, something the rhino seem to sense, and this emerges on a daily basis as the men walk with the rhino through their day.

we’re not the military, but we CAN provide protection

I need to reblog this to show that this is the first time in months I’m seeing an article about the protection of African animals where the protectors are BLACK PEOPLE.

BLACK.

BLACK PEOPLE

BLACK PEOPLE

Men from certain African countries (especially if they are in military garb) are portrayed in films and newspapers as ‘violent savages’ who don’t care about the welfare of their own animals, unless they want to eat them.

 This dangerous stereotype adds to the belief that AfircanS (as a collective) are too ‘stupid’ to do important stuff except kill, poach and eat and white people are the only ones in Africa who care about African animals’ welfare.

A lot of Africans care for the safety of animals (whether they are dying out or not) 

You need to side-eye every godddamn white documentary out there that shows themselves as the savors of African animals, while portraying Africans as just poachers (as if white people don’t poach)

There are certainly a shitton of people who have the whole “we need to teach ~them~ how to protect their resources” thing extended to poaching, sigh. I suggest y’all with twitter follow @maratriangle, really cool tweets about wildlife and conservation (and occasionally poaching-foiling) from the Mara.

Also! I think it was Laura (Seay) who said that the next big television drama should be one about conservation staff (she named a specific reserve, I think it was a gorilla one near Goma?) because they are 

GOD

DAMN

BAD

ASSES

kicking ass and saving rhinos, man. I’d watch that. (…except I don’t know if I’d trust anyone currently making shows to make it responsibly and awesomely. BUT STILL.)