Conservation in Action: Saving South Africa's Rhinos

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:03][music] >> Yeah, so day two. Guys, welcome once again. We were standing there yesterday and today we've got a a very special occasion. We're going to do a a dart on a on a white rhino and with us here we've got Tinus veterinarian, very very very um successful and knowledgeable guy and he's going to guide you in and and help us and yeah, Tinus, explain to us, please.

[00:00:42]>> Okay, so what we are going to do because rhinos tend to get clostridial diseases, um black quarter, I don't know what you call it in America, but um so we vaccinate for that. So you will put in a vaccine loaded dart.

[00:00:57]Um after that either with the helicopter over from the ground, I will put in a normal dart so that you can have a general experience where we do the general management measurement DNA [clears throat] or and the microchip checking on on the animals. So general management as well.

[00:01:17]So we're not doing it just for shits and giggles.

[00:01:21]Yeah, you go for the back leg in line with the leg for the biggest muscle mass to get through into under the skin.

[00:01:29]Or then if it's like that behind the ear and in front of the fold.

[00:01:34]>> Okay.

[00:01:34]>> So sometimes they stand with their heads down. The skin on the neck is a lot less thick.

[00:01:39]>> Okay.

[00:01:39]>> So there it's about an inch or whatever thick.

[00:01:42]And then on the back it's about an inch and a half.

[00:01:44]>> Okay.

[00:01:45]>> And the needle is about 2 inches.

[00:01:48]>> Okay.

[00:01:49]>> So that's why you want to go straight straight on.

[00:01:52]>> Um I'll set everything up.

[00:01:55]>> Okay.

[00:01:55]>> I'll set the the amount of pressure on for the distance.

[00:01:59]>> Mhm.

[00:02:00]>> But depending on the wind, I will tell you 10 in high, low, left, right.

[00:02:04]>> You know where to aim. Where we going to so you just according to what I say, up, left, or right. Whatever. So if you can hit the box kind of, then you basically there.

[00:02:16]>> Okay.

[00:02:16]>> Um so just go for the middle of the box.

[00:02:19]It's also for me to know how you shoot with my rifle.

[00:02:22]>> Okay.

[00:02:23]>> It's obviously not sighted in.

[00:02:24]>> Okay.

[00:02:25]>> And something to note is that there are there is a big difference between the ball and the way you hold your face. Where you would usually hold your face like that with a rifle. You're actually holding your face like this.

[00:02:36]>> Okay.

[00:02:37]>> You'll see this little triangle. The top of the triangle, top top.

[00:02:40]>> Okay.

[00:02:40]>> That's your aiming point.

[00:02:41]>> Okay.

[00:02:42]>> So Okay, yeah. And another thing is this is a gas operated gun.

[00:02:47]>> Okay.

[00:02:48]>> So don't squeeze the trigger as you are used to.

[00:02:52]>> Okay.

[00:02:53]>> You jerk it, pull it.

[00:02:55]>> Okay, so we have a rhino sighted and we've got the helicopter on standby and we're going to go out and have us a good morning and do a nice hunt for for a rhino.

[00:03:11]>> [music] >> Very excited. When we first seen him, there was a adrenaline rush. I think that we all felt and uh this is real. It's happening. It's going to be a good morning.

[00:03:23]>> It is obviously going to run off somewhere.

[00:03:26]So we going to use the drone to follow him in this mountain as terrain.

[00:04:15]>> He moved a bit.

[00:04:17]Did you get the shot?

[00:04:19]Yeah, you did. But but in the stomach.

[00:04:37]Yeah, it would have been perfect if he didn't hear us.

[00:05:15]Just try to pull it out. Otherwise, if he lies on it, we're going to get it out.

[00:05:56]>> I wonder >> It was cool.

[00:05:57]>> Was it?

[00:05:58]>> Yeah, we we couldn't see him shooting but >> He's seen us. Did you see him turn and look at us?

[00:06:02]>> Yeah, I well I we saw his ears cuz he was right over there.

[00:06:05]>> And then he just kept turning up.

[00:06:07]>> Yeah, good job, sir.

[00:06:09]>> Thank you.

[00:06:09]>> My pleasure and yeah, you did exactly what I said.

[00:06:13]>> Yeah.

[00:06:14]>> He just moved and I the wind was a bit a bit stronger than that all.

[00:06:19]>> We were successful on this dotted rhino hunt this morning and uh my adrenaline was pumping. I haven't had an adrenaline rush like that in a while.

[00:06:28]Very exciting. Um very very special animal, very unique.

[00:06:33]Feel like I'm hunting dinosaurs.

[00:06:36]But uh I can't be more happier uh than having this animal.

[00:06:41]Just beautiful conservation on everybody's part and and uh what a wonderful what a wonderful experience.

[00:06:49]>> Yeah, let me Brian, congratulations on that and well done. You kept your cool and uh a special thanks also to Tiens, our vet.

[00:06:57]He's going to come and join us just now.

[00:06:58]He's just busy um [snorts] doing some measurements and taking some samples and we're all done and uh yeah, lovely conservation effort here and thanks for supporting that and really really appreciate it. Thanks, guys.

[00:07:11]>> Yeah, again, thank you.

[00:07:13]Thank you, Chase.

[00:07:15]>> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] [music] >> I'm a god.

[00:11:47]>> [music] >> So, uh we had just finished up this morning Brian's rhino and we thought I thought it was actually going to take a little bit longer and we were able to find we had a big crew here today that was able to kind of get out here and spot a bunch of rhinos that are on this property and this one we [snorts] were able to get a pond.

[00:12:17]We went ahead and put a stalk on him. We were probably about 100 yards away and then I think we made the it was a tough decision to to have the camera man have Martin step back and wait while we went ahead and put a stalk, but we were roughly right around about 12 yards.

[00:12:32]And the only thing that was between us was just just a tree and and us and the rhino and man I'll tell you my adrenaline started pumping.

[00:12:40]Definitely was scared. I didn't know if I should take off running if it got up or what I should do.

[00:12:45]And we started to make a game plan if we were going to go ahead and take a front shot on the top of that top of the hump or if we were going to wait a little bit and and as we started there was a female and a baby that was around that went ahead and started moving and this one got got up and walked off just a little bit gave us roughly around about a 50 to 60 yard and I was able to make able to placement of the dart in the neck which was I felt was a it was a really great shot and I don't think the adrenaline started until after I squeezed the trigger so and then everything started but uh I just want to thank the whole crew here.

[00:13:23]This is kind of a dream come true. I never thought that I'd be able to um to even make this happen at all. And now being able to come up close to this animal, I think I I definitely appreciate it a lot more. Um but very happy. Thank you guys very much. And I get to do it with my son and my nephew and my brother here.

[00:13:42]Uh and I wouldn't uh have it any other way.