Unforgettable encounter with Wild Rhinos

Liam Pitts meets the wildlife in Zimbabwe

By Marie Kjellsdotter. Photo: Laila Bagge

In Zimbabwe, Liam Pitts gets to experience wild animals, as he says himself, where they belong. It’s a dream he has had since he was little. The experience both surprised him and gave him more insight into how threatening poaching is to the rhinos in Africa, as well as an understanding of the work behind the people fighting to protect these wild animals.

Imire, in eastern Zimbabwe, is a breeding and wildlife conservation centre, with focus on the endangered black rhinos and white rhinos. For nearly 50 years, the Travers family have been running the centre with a successful breeding programme to preserve the rhinos on the nature reserve due to the ever-increasing poaching in Zimbabwe, and have over the years successfully released bred rhinos into the wild.

In March 2018, The Perfect World’s fifteen-year-old youth ambassador Liam Pitts travelled to Imire with his mother, songwriter and music producer, Laila Bagge (Laila has written songs for Céline Dion, 98 Degrees, 702 and Mýa), and her partner, Korosh Kananian, to experience the wild animals and learn about the reserve’s work.

When preparing to go out into the bush to track black rhinos, Craig Travers, who works as a wildlife ranger at the Imire centre, explains that there are now only about 400 black rhinos and 450 white rhinos left in Zimbabwe. However, Zimbabwe is actually the country where the rhino population is increasing slightly. Craig also states that 2–3 rhinos die every day in South Africa, and at this rate it won’t be long until there are no rhinos left in the wild.

The Perfect World’s youth ambassador LIAM PITTS out in the bush just a few metres away from wild black rhinos in Zimbabwe.

How did it feel to encounter wild rhinos… up close?

“It was totally surreal, it didn’t feel like it was really happening. We were just a few metres away from wild rhinos. They can be quite aggressive, so we were naturally pretty scared, but I couldn’t help but think they were absolutely fantastic and beautiful animals. It was super cool to see them in real life,” Liam answers and continues, “Before I went to Zimbabwe, I thought I would see rhinos like you do on a safari, but this was for real. We were trekking in the bush, and even got chased by rhinos and had to start running to safety. It was a completely different experience to what I expected – but it was hands down one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced in all my life. It was so incredibly cool to see rhinos in the wild… for real.”

The stay at Imire really made Liam reflect. The Travers family showed him pictures of all the rhinos they had helped at the centre over the years, and of these far too many had fallen victim to poaching.

“I knew that poaching is a serious problem in Africa, but I didn’t know just how serious it actually is. It’s incredibly sad. Exactly how bad it is was a real eye-opener. The sheer number of rhinos that are killed is what surprised me the most, to be honest,” says Liam.

He is also strongly opposed to buyers of rhino horn, and adds, “The notion that rhino horn can heal diseases... a life gets taken for something that doesn’t even work. It’s so awful that I have no words for it. It’s completely sick.”

Back home in Sweden again, how does it feel?

“It’s really hard to explain... it feels like I got to experience something not many others will have the chance to experience. You could say it feels a bit like a dream. A dream I have had since I was little, that came true. Protecting our planet’s animals and nature is very important to me.”

Do you feel that you can use your experience from the Imire centre and Zimbabwe to influence others?

“Absolutely. I do feel that I can influence others, because I can tell them about my experience and what I have seen, which gives me a great opportunity to share and teach others.”

What do you think is important when it comes to protecting wildlife and nature?

“Learning as much as you can. The more you learn, the more conscious you become of everything that’s going on. It’s also super important, even though it’s not something we come across in our own lives, to teach the people who buy products made from wild animals that eating something like powdered rhino horn won’t give them any superpowers. It’s extremely important that we make the buyers understand that they’re just harming living animals. So it’s most important to learn more… to understand more.”

Once you’ve learnt a lot, what should you do?

“Then it’s important to teach others. That way there will be more and more people who really know what’s going on and hopefully that will create change. If you can, you should really teach others… it’s very important. With the right knowledge you can choose to act the right way,” Liam says with conviction, before adding, “In Zimbabwe, it was amazing to see rhinos and wildlife where they truly belong. It was a precious experience. If things continue the way they are going now, my children might not get the chance to see animals in the wild, so I’m truly grateful to have had the opportunity to have experienced it.”

DID YOU KNOW THAT RHINOS

... are ungulates and that there are five now living rhino species – black rhinos and white rhinos that live in Africa, and Sumatran rhinos, Javan rhinos and Indian rhinos that live in the tropical forests and marshlands of Asia.

... Latin name ‘rhinoceros’ means ‘horned nose’. Rhino horns are made entirely of keratin, just like our nails and hair, and have no core of bone.

… have no natural enemies, yet are very easily scared. When they feel threatened, their first instinct is to attack what scares them head-on – whether it is another animal or a completely harmless object.

… are herbivores and munch on grass, fruits, leaves, bark and twigs – all day long

… are one of the largest mammals in the world and can reach 1.8 metres / 6 feet tall and weigh up to 2,500 kilos / 5,500 pounds. That’s about as much as 30 adult men put together!

… usually live alone, but are often seen with oxpeckers on their backs. Oxpeckers are birds that eat the irritating parasites living on the rhino’s thick skin.

… are in danger of extinction. There are about 29,000 rhinos left in the wild, compared to 500,000 in the early 1900s. The biggest threat they face is poaching for their horns, which are used in traditional medicine, particularly in Asia.