As part of Women’s month, seven top female learners from Mapalane Primary School joined the combined teams of Rhino Revolution and Eco Children for a provocative and emotional day with one ofAfrica’s most iconic endangered species–the white rhino.

After a briefing, the teams climbed aboard the waiting vehicles whilst the vet joined JanaMeyer–a renowned local conservation pilot–in the helicopter.It wasn’t long before a suitable white rhino was located and the helicopter moved in, allowing the vet to deliver a dart with astounding, pinpoint accuracy.Like a well-oiled machine, the ground crew of assembled specialists converged on the animal, ensuring he went down in a safe and comfortable manner.

Just minutes later, the rhino was stable and the scene was clear for the learners and volunteers to approach. Tentative at first, the girls stood back with a mixture of awe and concern on their faces. Although a unique privilege to get up-close with these beautiful animals, it is also incredibly poignant and jarring to see them so vulnerable. However, with a little encouragement, the girls ’courage and curiosity grew.

One-by-one, they placed their hands on the rhino’s enormous body, sensing his deep breaths undulating beneath the coarse exterior; a paradox of immense strength and precarious fragility.Simply getting to touch them up close was an intimate and powerful moment that clearly left an impression on these girls much greater than any book or lesson ever could.

Over the course of the morning, the joint efforts of all involved resulted in a staggering five rhino successfully dehorned.With each new animal, the vet engaged one of the learners–from helping to apply medicine at the injection site to spraying its back as a mark to the aerial team that this rhino had already been trimmed. Despite the negative connotations of having to inflict this albeit painless procedure on an innocent animal, there was a general feeling of positivity and excitement throughout the day.

For the Eco Children learners, it brought to life the classroom lessons about conservation and, for many, was their first time ever seeing a rhino in the flesh.With a small team of incredible women at the helm–from the pilot and medical team to the organisers at RhinoRevolution and Eco Children, it was a wonderful occasion to celebrate women in conservation whilst contributing to the war on poaching and inspiring the next generation of wildlife warriors