The Last Rhinos

One of the few books, which not only touch your heart while reading, but the issues raised haunts you and pushes you to take certain actions. The Last Rhinos, a 320+ pager non-fiction by Lawrence Anthony with Graham Spence, first published in 2013, is relevant to this day, as the numerous issues it raises are still not addressed.

The book opens in Thula Thula, a community reserve, South Africa where a female Rhino has been killed by poachers and her two regal horns have been viciously hacked off with honed machetes. Weighting up to three and half tons and clad in thick folds of body armour, Rhinos are the largest land animal after the elephant, are calm and gracious. However, several thousand rhinos are killed for their prized horns, which is used in traditional medicine– despite the fact that these are merely made of keratin, the same as human hair and nails.

The story shifts from Thula Thula, South Africa to Garamba National Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where less than fifteen northern white rhinos are left. Lawrence Anthony, sui generis conservationist, tries to negotiate with DRC’s Ministry in-charge of environment and nature conservation, national parks authorities, non-government organizations, etc. and offer his services to protect these rhinos. The bureaucratic hurdle and presence of rebel groups in and around the national park thwarts efforts to protect the rhinos. The dogged effort, helplessness and agony of a conservationist are captured in vivid detail. Lawernce get engaged with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), a rebel group fighting Ugandan forces, which has significance presence in the park area. Starting with the sole objective to rescue the fifteen or less rhinos, he gains trust of LRA and becomes a key person in the peace negotiation between the Uganda government representatives and the LRA. He spends days in deep forests, the hideout of the LRA and discusses the rescue plan. Despite its failure, the engagement of a conservationist in the conflict out of sheer love for the animals is interesting and has several lessons.

The plot returns to Thula Thula and the conservationist involved in several heart-warming cases of baby elephants being united with their families, followed by the introduction of an adult elephant as leader of the group and trick played by Nana, an elephant, to dodge the group for getting love and affection of Lawrence. The first-hand details of these cases provide interesting insights into the life of elephants.

In Thula Thula, a baby elephant no more than a few hours old was found wandering alone: a strange case, as elephants aren’t known for being neglectful parents. Weighing almost 100 kilograms and resisting every attempt at being handled, reuniting the baby elephant with its family was no small feat. The equipment, logistics, and expertise involved has been captured vividly, with the successful reunion bringing tears to even the most stone-hearted reader.

Lawerence especially dotes on Nana, an elephant in Thula Thula, who was the respected leader of the herd. In a memorable incident, Nana and her herd moved towards a cluster of bushes. Once a safe distance away, Nana returned and poked her trunk inside Lawrence’s car. After a few minutes of sniffing around, she ended up touching Lawrence’s face. One of the finest sensations in the world, according to the man himself. Unsure whether this incident was a chance or deliberate attempt by Nana to seek out his affection, he returned to visit the herd next day. Nana came to Lawrence once again when the herd was out of sight.

Heidi, much like her namesake, was gentle and extremely popular with tourists. The poor creature was slaughtered by poachers for her horns, as were so many of her kind. This incident further highlights how there’s still so much lacking on the protection front.

The book has captured an extremely important issue of the protection of rhinos from poachers, featuring vivid accounts from relatively safer Thula Thula park, and Garamba park, located in the heart of the conflict in the DRC. The details of individual cases, Lawrence’s determination and leadership and his life as a conservationist, rhinos themselves and their undeserving deaths remain with the reader long after the last page. Written lucidly with real life characters, the book forms a bond and leaves a reader with an urge to join the effort in protecting these majestic rhinos.