Film used as a tool to combat the scourge of rhino poaching

'Wild Hope: Rhino Ops' highlights both the urgency of rhino protection and the hope that comes from community-driven action.


To the simple mind, films are only for entertainment.

However, those with understanding know that the art form can be a powerful tool to educate and inform.

Using film to combat rhino poaching

In the conservation world, films have been used as a tool to propel their fight against rhino poaching.

Rhino poaching is primarily driven by illegal demand for rhino horns and continues to be a significant threat to rhino populations globally, particularly in South Africa.

Nature, Environment, and Wildlife Filmmakers (NEWF), in a co-production with HHMI Tangled Bank Studios and supported by Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, produced Wild Hope: Rhino Ops, a film showcasing the park’s most extensive rhino horn programme to date.

“This film, an African production being featured on a global platform, is a testament to our mission; to offer a platform where African conservationists and filmmakers can create stories that echo across the world,” said Co-Founder and Executive Director of NEWF, Noel Kok.

The film was written, directed, and edited by South African filmmaker Nathan Rice, who has a long history in South African conservation, with National Geographic Explorer Ntokozo Mbuli serving as assistant producer.

The story follows the efforts of conservationists and rangers at Hluhluwe Imfolozi Park, one of Africa’s oldest game reserves, as they work to protect the continent’s iconic rhinos from poaching and extinction.

Wild Hope: Rhino Ops highlights both the urgency of rhino protection and the hope that comes from community-driven action and collaboration.

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Films that tackled rhino poaching

In 2018, South African filmmaker Leon Schuster addressed rhino poaching through his trademark slapstick comedy style in the film Frank and Fearless.

The film, starring Khanyi Mbau, Thembalethu Ntuli, and the late Mary Twala, might not have received excellent reviews, but it played its part in the fight against rhino poaching.

South African film The Last Ranger earned an Oscar Award nomination in the Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards.

The film, which stars actress Avumile Qongqo, portrays the character of Khuselwa, the last remaining ranger who takes young Litha (played by Liyabona Mroqoza) under her wing and introduces her to the wonders of a game reserve.

“The film sparked a curiosity in me to enquire more on the various subjects it tackles, with rhino poaching at the centre of them,” Qongqo told The Citizen last year.

The actress said it gave her great pleasure to be a part of this ongoing conversation.

“To play Khuselwa left me emboldened as a person, woman, and an actor,” she said.

There have been other films, particularly documentaries, such as Rhino Man and Stroop: Journey into the Rhino Horn War, which have also contributed to the conversation around preserving rhinos.

“For too long, African voices have been positioned on the margins of conservation storytelling,” said the NEWF’s Kok.

“Our mission is to shift that lens – to show that we are not only protectors of nature, but also creators, scientists, and storytellers whose perspectives can redefine how the world understands and values our shared environment.”

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