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In 2010 Amkhala Game Reserve located in the Eastern cape fell victim to a gruesome poaching attack. Two of their white rhino bulls were found lifeless and hornless on the reserve. Devastated and determined the owners of the reserve implemented extreme measures to make sure none of their rhinos ever face an ending so grisly. The rhinos are under 24 hour surveillance by game rangers. Conrad, a game ranger at Amakhala, who has devoted his life to protection and conservation of this species with Dara Lewis, journalist of Wildlife's Way. Dara Lewis (DL) Conrad I really admire your career choice, what interested you about this field? Conrad (C) I wanted adventure. I wanted to join the army but didn't find it fitting. I love DL You watch the rhinos closely every day, it's your duty to protect them by all means. Do you ever get nervous? C No, I never get nervous. This is my job to protect them...to protect all of the animals on this reserve. It disgust me the way poachers DL Have you had any dangerous encounters with poachers before? C Yes, I was stationed at a park near the Limpopo River and they through heavy stones at me trying to knock me out. I had a few other DL Thankfully is right, it's good to know you survived that and you are okay. What is a day like in the life of a ranger? C To tell you the truth, it's lonely sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job. I feel it is DL I never thought about how lonely it could be, but I can imagine. It sounds like it's calm around the park, which is a good sign. What is the protocol if a poacher is spotted? C It is pretty quite around here, DL Why are you not allowed to disclose that information? C Well, poaching is a serious problem. It's more than a serious problem. We have to take measures to make sure that if we are ever in a situation like that our movements are unknown. On your game drive you probably noticed that the driver never said rhinos over the dispatch or never told you how many rhinos are on this DL Yes, that is very true and our driver did explain his incognito use of language to us. You compared rhinos to the worth of a gold mines, I recently learned the price of a kilogram of rhino horn is $30,000 making it worth more than gold...With a worth that high do you believe that rhino poaching will ever end? C I don't know, all I do know is Conrad on right, posing with another

Game Rangers

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In 2010 Amkhala Game Reserve located in the Eastern cape fell victim to a gruesome poaching attack. Two of their white rhino bulls were found lifeless and hornless on the reserve. Devastated and determined the owners of the reserve implemented extreme measures to make sure none of their rhinos ever face an ending so grisly. The rhinos are under 24 hour

surveillance by game rangers. Conrad, a game ranger at Amakhala, who has devoted his life to protection and conservation of this species with Dara Lewis, journalist of Wildlife's Way.

Dara Lewis (DL) Conrad I really admire your career choice, what interested you about this field?

Conrad (C) I wanted adventure. I wanted to join the army but didn't find it fitting. I love animals too and being a game ranger combined both of those interest.

DL You watch the rhinos closely every day, it's your duty to protect them by all means. Do you ever get nervous?

C No, I never get nervous. This is my job to protect them...to protect all of the animals on this reserve. It disgust me the way poachers ruthlessly kill them. It's just not okay.

DL Have you had any dangerous encounters with poachers before?

C Yes, I was stationed at a park near the Limpopo River and they through heavy stones at me trying to knock me out. I had a few other encounters but that was the worst....thankfully

DL Thankfully is right, it's good to know you survived that and you are okay. What is a day like in the life of a ranger?

C To tell you the truth, it's lonely sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy my job. I feel it is important and watching over these animals is important. But, it does get lonely. When I'm not curtailing the park, I'm reading or working out.

DL I never thought about how lonely it could be, but I can imagine. It sounds like it's calm around the park, which is a good sign. What is the protocol if a poacher is spotted?

C It is pretty quite around here, especially in comparison to my previous station. It is a good sign. I'm actually now allowed to disclose that but the protocol is thorough and effective.

DL Why are you not allowed to disclose that information?

C Well, poaching is a serious problem. It's more than a serious problem. We have to take measures to make sure that if we are ever in a situation like that our movements are unknown. On your game drive you probably noticed that the driver never said rhinos over the dispatch or never told you how many rhinos are on this reserve. Having a rhino is like having a gold mine. People go crazy over gold. We have to make sure our gold is always protected...at all times.

DL Yes, that is very true and our driver did explain his incognito use of language to us. You compared rhinos to the worth of a gold mines, I recently learned the price of a kilogram of rhino horn is $30,000 making it worth more than gold...With a worth that high do you believe that rhino poaching will ever end?

C I don't know, all I do know is that I hope it does. But as long as it is still an issue I will still be a game ranger. That is what I do know.

Conrad on right, posing with another ranger