Welcome to our newsletter “The Savannah's Golden Treasure” (WT)!
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About "The Savannah's Golden Treasure" (WT)
With “The Savannah's Golden Treasure” (WT), we are continuing our work in the field of documentary film. Following our first project, “Sorry for the Genocide” (WT), which has already been awarded a grant from “The Good Media Network GMN GmbH,” we are now turning our attention to the fight against poaching in South Africa. Through intensive research and close contacts on the ground, we gain deep insights into the challenging everyday life of rhino conservation. Our goal: to tell socially relevant stories in a way that is accessible, visually impressive, and substantively sound.
For us, this project is much more than just a film. It is important to us to show how complex, violent, and human this issue is. And that it goes far beyond the protection of individual animal species.
Producer - Wave In Motion GmbH
How can conservation work when a dead rhino is currently worth more than a living one?
The Rhino Crisis at a Glance
Rhino poaching ranks among the greatest threats to endangered species in southern Africa, with white and black rhinos particularly at risk.
- Over the past two decades, the number of rhinos killed by poachers has risen dramatically.
- In 2024 alone, 420 rhinos were killed in South Africa; in just the first five months of 2025, the toll has already reached 103.
- South Africa is home to the largest rhino population on the African continent.
- Despite tougher laws and armed anti-poaching units, poverty, corruption, and high costs make effective protection extremely difficult.
- The demand for rhino horn remains undiminished, particularly in China and Vietnam, where it is valued for its use in traditional medicine and as a status symbol, and in Yemen, where it is used to make dagger handles.
- A single kilo of rhino horn can fetch up to 100,000 US dollars on the black market, and it often leaves the continent within just 48 hours.
- By contrast, the legal trade of live rhinos, such as for the purpose of securing genetic diversity, offers far less financial incentive, meaning that many farmers are reluctant to keep the animals.
„I‘ve seen them slaughter calves for a horn that‘s maybe 50 grams. They are ruthless.“
Dr. Robert du Toit, Veterinarian at Vryheid Private Veterinarians
CURIOUS TO LEARN MORE?
Here you can find more information about our documentary “The Savannah's Golden Treasure” (WT).
