The African continent is massively blessed with beautiful wildlife animals than any continent on this planet. It is in Africa where the world can fully appreciate and embrace the big five, namely the Lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo.
However, in recent years, human beings have since declared war with these beautiful creatures for their own selfish and greedy reasons.
African bushes reek of Rhino blood. Their precious horns are somewhat deemed ‘high prized commodity’ by wildlife thugs across the globe. Saving the Last Rhinos, co-authored by well-known and respected conservationist Grant Fowlds and Graham Spence, is a book that makes a rallying call to everyone to stand against the evil-planned extinction of rhinos on this continent and even the global community at large.
Going through the pages of this book, Grant takes the reader to different bushes and bring closer the most horrific and painful experiences that animals such as the rhino have to endure under the hands of human beings. The stories left me furious and disappointed with my fellow human beings for their selfish behaviour of trying to diminish fellow earthly inhabitants. This is one book that every patriotic African should read in order to understand the severity of this war against rhinos and other endangered animals. The next generation of Africans will surely not know how a rhino looks with a horn if this war is stopped by us now.
What Grant does in this book is to caution everyone and make us really reflect on our behaviour as human beings and ask ourselves what kind of wildlife future do we envision for the future generation. I like the fact that the text is written with an international perspective. The book is written with an international reader in mind as the author continues to translate every South African term in order to punt a unilateral message across.
What I liked about what Grant did in this book is that, while he relays his personal stories about his love for nature and also about his mission to educate the masses on saving the last remaining animals, mostly rhinos through his Rhino Art Project, he also takes us through some of the benefits of pulling together in saving our animals. By protecting our animals, they(animals) can help many communities defeat poverty, unemployment and other social ills that continue to co-exist with many poor Africans across the continent. Communities can be uplifted through the opening of game reserves and parks since the primary product(animals) will be available to start such projects.
The animals, especially the big five, are a tourist attraction to the continent, and having them alive will boost the tourism sector. It is in our hands to end and act against wildlife crimes. Wildlife warriors such as Grant and others need to be celebrated for being foot soldiers in the fight against those who refuse to exist with our fellow inhabitants of this earth.