How far would you go to make a point about something very important? Grahamstown artist and filmmaker Mark Wilby, pushed beyond convention by the devastating discovery of the four poached rhino at Lalibela private game reserve a few weeks ago, walked into the reception area of Grocott's Mail on Tuesday and clipped his toenails.
How far would you go to make a point about something very important? Grahamstown artist and filmmaker Mark Wilby, pushed beyond convention by the devastating discovery of the four poached rhino at Lalibela private game reserve a few weeks ago, walked into the reception area of Grocott's Mail on Tuesday and clipped his toenails.
He then put the clippings in an envelope and posted it to the Chinese Embassy in Pretoria with “To whom it does concern” written neatly across the top.
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There was a point to this seemingly bizarre action. Rhino horn – the target of the poaching syndicates that have seen almost 400 rhino slaughtered in South Africa this year alone – has none of the miraculous properties its proponents claim, say scientists. It is nothing more than keratin – the same polypeptides making up the outer layer of human skin, hair, fingernails and toenails.
“You have a feeling of powerlessness in the sea of petitions and franchised charities,” said Wilby, “This way I'm able to stick my neck out for the rhino, potentially embarrass myself, but still take a stand. “For me, this exercise is about three things. Firstly, myself. We all hover between feeling powerless at times and feeling redeemed when we voice an opinion or sign a petition. But then I wonder if that action is effective – or is it simply to make myself feel better?”
Second, Wilby wanted to make sure his stand was innovative and focused, as “it’s incumbent on all of us to exercise our conscience and to take a stand from time to time”.
Lastly, it all comes down to rhino poaching. “Given the urgency of the crisis, anti-poaching tactics are essential. But this addresses the symptom, not the cause.” Wilby explained that as South Africans, we find it very difficult to understand this demand for horn.
“Here, we learn that rhino keratin is inert and useless. Clearly the story is different elsewhere. We need to know much more in order to address the demand. Diamonds are not terrifically useful either.. but you try and tell that to the market!”
It is widely known that China and Vietnam are the largest consumers of illegal horn, Wilby was disgusted to learn that the South African Chinese Embassy's website registers no concern about the crisis. ”I do feel that the Chinese government is best placed to support aggressive investigation and high-visibility strategies against this curse. Such response would only place the image of China in higher esteem around the world,” he said.
Wilby's statement is one in which we can all easily take part. A stamp to Pretoria costs R2.65. “My challenge to every person who is similarly concerned is to take the trouble to deliver your message in a similar way. Don’t permit anyone to pass around a box and make your activism easier for you and therefore easier to be ignored.”
Why Desiree Schirlinger is going to do her bit too
Swiss pharmaceutical company, Hoffmann-La Roche, decided to check out what all the fuss over rhino horn was about. Results revealed absolutely nothing. The Swiss proved that the horn has no impact on the human body, good or bad. I
n the spirit of certainty, a Hong Kong-based group of scientists performed similar tests. What they found was that when some lab rats are given truly gargantuan amounts of horn, their body temperatures dropped a wee bit.
Or that could be because someone accidentally forgot to close a window. So one of the stars of our bush is being pushed to its limits because once again, humans are being dumb. There are a great number of anti-poaching organisations that have been established in the wake of the crisis, but it's still possible to feel like we're letting these magnificent beasts down.
Tonight I'm going to go home and do some toenail trimming. Tomorrow I need to post my mom a birthday card, so it looks like I'll be sending two letters to Gauteng then. The address of the embassy:
To Whom it Does Concern
Embassy of the People's Republic of China
972 Pretorius Street
Arcadia
Pretoria
0083
