Rhino whisperer fights poaching with drone campaign

In the quiet rural stretch between Patensie and Humansdorp, where citrus orchards roll into game reserves, lives a young conservationist whose life has been shaped by the heartbeat of the wild.

Justin Terblanche, 27, affectionately known as the “rhino whisperer,” has launched a crowdfunding campaign on BackaBuddy to raise R176 000 for a thermal drone that could be a crucial tool in the fight against rhino poaching.

His campaign, titled “Eyes in the Sky for Our Last Rhinos,” has already raised over R47 000 through the support of 37 donors – but there’s still a long way to go, and the urgency couldn’t be greater.

‘Rhino whisperer’

Terblanche’s love for animals started long before he ever saw a rhino. Growing up in Patensie, he was the child who stopped to help injured birds or nursed stray animals back to health. That instinct only deepened with age.

“My early fascination with the natural world led me to a career in anti-poaching, where meeting my first rhino solidified my dedication to their survival.

“Now, as the co-founder of Rhino Whisperers NPC, I fight to ensure these majestic creatures can thrive in safety,” Terblanche said.

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“Our mission is to save the lives of these critically endangered creatures before they vanish forever. This isn’t just about saving a species – it’s about preserving a legacy. Rhinos play a vital role in their ecosystem and their extinction would leave a gaping hole in the wild, one that can never be filled. If we don’t act now, future generations will never know the majesty of rhinos roaming free.”

When Terblanche joined the anti-poaching unit at Lombardini Game Farm in the Kouga region, it was home to 19 rhinos.

Years of relentless poaching and illness have reduced that number to just four: Amanda, the cautious matriarch; Brittany and Tiffany, inseparable best friends; and a young newcomer, Herbie.

Poaching and illness reduce number to just four

“I saw what these gentle giants go through just for existing,” Terblanche said.

“Poachers don’t care about the suffering. They take what they want and leave death behind. That was it for me. I knew I had to give everything I had to keep them alive.”

But rhinos are wild and traumatised. They don’t trust easily — especially after witnessing the loss of their companions. Protecting them meant more than just patrolling the fences. Terblanche needed to be close enough to intervene – but for that to happen, they had to accept him.

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So he stayed. He left his family and former life behind, moving into the bush to protect them.

“I started spending time out in the bush, far beyond my normal shifts – sometimes for days, sometimes weeks. I didn’t talk. I didn’t move too fast. I just stayed present,” he says.

It took a year and six months of patience, silence, and consistency before the turning point came. The rhinos began recognising him – not just visually, but by his scent, his voice, his energy.

Six months of patience, silence, and consistency

They stopped running. They started watching him with curiosity instead of fear.

“That’s when I knew,” he says. “I had been accepted into their crash. They had accepted me as one of their own.”

From that moment, Terblanche became their protector from within. He can now walk beside them, monitor their movements and respond immediately to any sign of danger.

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He’s learnt their rhythms, moods, and quirks – their behaviours and personalities – like Amanda’s quiet watchfulness, Brittany’s playful nature, Tiffany’s loyalty and Herbie’s youthful curiosity.

Rhinos are being slaughtered at an alarming rate, with poachers driving these giants towards extinction. In recent decades, their population has plummeted by more than 90% and every loss brings the species closer to disappearing forever.

“At Rhino Whisperers, we are the last line of defence,” says Terblanche. “We risk everything to protect them, because if we don’t, no-one will.”

‘We risk everything to protect them’

Despite these deep bonds, the threat of poaching – especially at night – remains constant. The farm receives no government support.

To close the surveillance gap and protect the rhinos during their most vulnerable hours, Terblanche is raising funds for a thermal drone.

“This drone will let us see what we can’t hear. It gives us eyes in the dark – and eyes in the sky,” he said.

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