The comeback of the White Rhino from near extinction to a huntable
population is one of the great game management stories in history.
Capstick describes the history of the Rhinoceros, compares
the White and Black Rhino, and narrates important historical
footage of the transplantation program by the Natal Parks Board
that was largely responsible for the great increase in the population
of White Rhinos since 1962.
Then the hunting starts for a trophy Bull White Rhino in the
Thabazimbi area of South Africa, about 200 kilometers northwest
of Johannesburg and 150 kilometers due east of Gaborone, Botswana.
A traditional tented camp is set in the middle of a valley that
is surrounded on three sides by mountains.
Ken Wilson is the client-hunter and Peter Capstick is the back-up
and on-camera expert. Ken's professional hunter is Dirk Uys
(pronounced "Ace") and Dirk's partner is Stan Szmyrgala.
In the course of a week, 9 Rhinos are stalked before the hunters
decide on which one to try for. And the one they take is a loner
Bull that has been seen in the valley for over 25 years which
makes it one of the first Rhinos transplanted back to the Transvaal
after they had completely disappeared from that Province in
the last 1890's.
In the course of the Rhino hunt, two other exceptional species
are taken on-camera: an unusually long-tusked female Warthog
and a Southern Impala with long and wide horns that will place
it in the top 10 of both Rowland Ward and SCI. A 20 foot Python
also provides some excitement.
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