Attending to a wounded rhino is an experience no wildlife enthusiast could ever forget. This was the case for 11 pupils of Uplands College who were invited to help wildlife vet, Dr Peter Rogers, on August 22 at a Hoedspruit reserve. The grade 10 and 11 learners will attend the World Youth Rhino Summit later this month, a worldwide call to action by the youth, against rhino poaching and other forms of wildlife crime.
They had to wake up early, enjoyed coffee and breakfast, braved a flip in a helicopter, learnt about dart guns and tranquiliser darts and witnessed a 16-year-old rhino cow’s bullet wound get treated. Rogers was very informative and allowed the pupils to assist and be involved.
It was a privilege for the young delegates to get up close and personal with a rhino, especially because it is a threatened species. The fact that she was wounded during an attempted poaching incident, encouraged them to present a strong case at the summit.
About 100 teens aged 15 to 17 (including 12 Uplands pupils) will attend the summit after being carefully selected for their future leadership qualities. They were chosen from candidates of Africa, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, UK, USA, Canada, Europe, South America and Australasia, with more than half of the African delegates representing South Africa and the neighbouring countries like Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia.
This experience prepared the pupils for the role they will play at the summit and motivated them to be great representatives for the country and continent.
