Rhino War was written by Major General Johan Jooste with Tony Park, and published by Pan Macmillan South Africa in June this year. For me, the success of Rhino War lies in the unique combination of Jooste’s powerful tale and Park’s riveting writing. It is a winning recipe that will certainly vie for top-of-the-chart status, covering a subject that is close to the hearts of all South Africans and of environmentally-aware citizens across the globe: the fight to save our rhino.
Rhino War offers the inside scoop on our country’s war against rhino poaching. It reveals how retired South African general Jooste, facing an unprecedented assault on a national park and a single species, successfully transformed a force of undertrained, underequipped, demoralised men and women into arguably the finest anti-poaching unit on the African continent. He raised millions of rands from all corners of the world for the cause and developed advanced technological tools to support the unit’s intelligence and communication.
Jooste admitted at the launch of Rhino War at Cresta Exclusive books that his appointment (as a 60-year-old, white, ex-military general) had not been a popular one and had been met with considerable resentment and hostility by many in South African National Parks, the police and even the military. What makes Jooste’s a remarkable feat is that he, despite the indignation and misgivings, and having the media, government, conservationists, human-rights activists and every South African and their dog looking over his shoulder, still forged ahead and managed to formulate a bold strategy to protect these precious pachyderms.
I was engrossed, fascinated and inspired by the tales, as told by Jooste, of the courage and grit shown by rangers who risked their lives to protect wildlife in the face of a seemingly unstoppable foe. It is a simply remarkable account of heroism, sacrifice and determination.
But it is particularly the humility, integrity and commitment of one man to achieve his goal that drives this story. Jooste keeps the reader riveted as he recounts his successes and failures during the interminable fight to protect the continent’s wildlife heritage.
As best-selling author Tony Park said about the book: ‘This is the unsung, until now, true story of the fight to slow the “runaway train” of poaching in the Kruger Park. The park, the size of a small country, had to be protected by 400 rangers, facing around-the-clock incursions from multiple locations’.
While we all know and support the slogan ‘Save the rhino’, it is astounding to learn what it actually requires in practice. To coordinate a successful anti-poaching strategy, even if, for now, it only succeeds in slowing down the number of rhinos lost, is an exceptionally complex operation.
The value of this book, which I believe to be a must-read, is further enhanced by Jooste’s generous sharing of a wealth of information, insight and suggestions on how to keep up the fight against poaching. Ultimately, Rhino War is thrilling, heartbreaking and inspiring in equal measure, and I highly recommend it.
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