I am about half way through this book. Any one interested in African wildlife and African hunting will find the book fascinating. The book is not about hunting and shooting black rhino, but rather darting the black rhino in Binga and then relocating them to Hwange in the mid-1960's. The methods that were used to hunt and dart the rhino are incredible by today's standards. Given deficiencies in the early dart guns, the effective range was only 8 - 10 yards. Even at that distance the flight path of the dart was parabolic. Since the hunts were more often than not in the jesse, approaches were dictated not just by the wind but by vegetation and the ability to have a flight path that was clear. Ron was doing the hunting with Rupert Fothergill of Operation Noah fame.

All of Ron's books are excellent, but this one, particularly given the subject matter, is superb.

I posted here since I thought many of the frequenters of this forum might find the book interesting.

I agree his stories about black rhino are super interesting and exciting. Very sad that the rhinos are gone...
All his his stories are great.

I've got the book..........I concur!!

Anything about the black rhino in Zim is so disheartening that it is hard for me to read.

Mike you have been to valley many times. Just think about it teeming with blackies as it used to be. As short a time as the 1980's it was common to be tracking buff in Chewore and bump one only to have it come steaming after everyone putting them up trees.

Now they are almost a memory.

I hunted leopard and buff in Dande North in 1989. We saw rhino or bumped one on five occasions. WE saw tracks of several more. I think that was the last population in Zim outside of a Park or private land. I feel privileged to have seen some in the wild.

465H&H

Certainly the plight of the rhino, black and white, is a true tragedy. A case study in the failure of conservation efforts. Same could be said for tigers, the big tuskers of the past, etc. That aside, the book tells the story about a bygone era never to be seen again. The sad thing is that this bygone era was not that long ago.

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
I hunted leopard and buff in Dande North in 1989. We saw rhino or bumped one on five occasions. WE saw tracks of several more. I think that was the last population in Zim outside of a Park or private land. I feel privileged to have seen some in the wild.

465H&H

My buddy Nigel Theisen built the camp that Roger Whittall used in Chewore South. Then worked for Billy in Chewore North for many years after. They darted and moved all those rhino shortly after you were there down to the Midlands Black Rhino Conservancy.

I have an equine veterinary friend in Harare (believe it or not Harare used to team with racehorses). Raoul Du Toit lives right down the street from him. He was instramental in moving many of those rhino as well.

At the time the rhino were moved from the valley...they thought it would be just a few years until Zim was going to be right and poaching under control and they would move them back. What a rude awakening.

quote:

I hunted leopard and buff in Dande North in 1989. We saw rhino or bumped one on five occasions. WE saw tracks of several more. I think that was the last population in Zim outside of a Park or private land. I feel privileged to have seen some in the wild.

Very cool and very sad all at once.

I've seen tracks and spoor of the white in Namibia, and observed blacks in the Ngorongoro Crater, but have never encountered a rhino while hunting. Probably never will. And that is truly sad.

It's terrible, but people's beliefs in magic medicine ( aka Asian countries) and greedy African governments. Bad combination.
Definitely unfortunate and unnecessary.
Maybe and hopefully we will se a light at the end of the tunnel ( and maybe not).

I remember fondly running into Black Rhino in the Save.

Hopefully we can get some control over this poaching. We have to come up with something...

But for all the naysayers, at least South Africa and Namibia's game ranchers are keeping some around.

A video interview with Ron Thomson is featured in the first edition of Hunt Geo

https://itunes.apple.com/us/bo...l-1/id626159381?ls=1

The interview will actually be spread over a number of editions of the magazine as there is over three hours of footage in total. He talks, in depth, about his illustrious career including the capture and relocation of black rhino.