Submitted by Madeline Zehr on the 2018 winter session program in South Africa sponsored by the Department of Behavioral Health & Nutrition…
We recently arrived in Cape Town after a four-day safari that changed my life. We saw four out of the big five animals that dominate the territory we were in. Our rangers were able to tell stories about rhino poaching that made us cringe. However, we are all inspired to do what we can to help. Our rangers explained to us the war that is going on in Africa against the poachers. It leads to gun fights, people getting killed, and rhinos becoming more extinct every day. When the guides were not working, they explained to us that they are walking around on foot or flying by plane to spot poachers and arrest them. Recently, many poachers have been getting 15 years in prison for the crime.
Not only are poachers taking the rhino horn, but they are actually cutting out the rhino’s nasal cavity in order to get the maximum amount of horn possible and sell it overseas as a drug. If poachers only cut the horn without cutting the rhino’s nasal cavity, then the rhino would be fine and the horn would be able to grow back. This process is still not right, but it is certainly a better alternative. After seeing the rhino up close in the wild, I cannot imagine such a beautiful creature reaching extinction because of humans, and my future children never being able to see it.
On the safari, we also saw beautiful stars that are unlike anything we can see in Delaware. There were millions of stars and we could spot constellations and the milky way was as clear as day. It was crazy to think that there are that many beautiful stars above us at home, but we are unable to see it due to light pollution and smog. Seeing these stars showed me how small I am compared to the size of the world. In addition, it taught me to appreciate the beauty in the world and to take the time to enjoy all the little things this great big world has to offer.
