Move over ‘Whale Wars’ the intense Animal Planet show ‘Battleground Rhino Wars’ debuts in March
The intesne “Whale Wars” from Animal Planet has spawned a new show – “Rhino Wars,” which examiners the dangerous and shocking world Rhino poaching.
Animal Planet recently announced a premiere date for the new three-part series, which will pit four former US special forces officers against the shady animal poaching industry of Africa. The Vets head to Kruger National Park in South Africa to help park rangers and local security forces battle the poachers who are decimating rhinoceros populations.
“Battleground: Rhino Wars is the next evolution in Animal Planet’s muscular conservation strand,” says Marjorie Kaplan, president and general manager of Animal Planet.“The men and women protecting rhinos on the ground in South Africa are outgunned and outmaned. This is not an issue of rhinos being dangerous or competing for food or other resources. This is purely greed and profit. There is absolutely no justification for these creatures to be dying, and the people risking their lives to protect them are heroes.”
The Chinese black market is key in driving the demand for the rhino horns which are used for their supposedly magical medicinal properties.
Two of the American ex-military stars — Craig “Saw” Sawyer (the Team Leader and a former Navy SEAL) and “Oz” (the medic and an ex-Green Beret) — and “Dap” Maritz (the South African Security Manager of Game Reserves United) represented the show.
“Our experiences have made us angry and heartbroken,” Saw said in a statement. “But most of all, they’ve left us motivated. Protecting the rhino has gone from a mission to a calling. The most dangerous soldier in any war is one who fights with his heart.”“It feels like the right thing to do,” Oz says of saving endangered wildlife. “We all got over there and got immersed in it and cared about it. When we got there and got on the ground and got involved, the hook really set in that much deeper. We all looked at each other and thought, ‘We’re doing the right thing.’”
“Rhino Wars” premieres on Animal Planet on March 7 at 9PM ET.
Check out their website for more information.
This post has been updated to meet the guidelines of the The Global Dispatch – S Nevets
Battleground Rhino Wars looks like an interesting mini-series dealing with a growing problem for one the most unique animals in the world. I work at DISH and several of my coworkers said that they are going to watch and see how the people tasked to help protect the rhinos do on the series.
[…] Move over 'Whale Wars' the intense An… The Global Dispatch “The men and women protecting rhinos on the ground in South Africa are outgunned and outmaned. This is not an issue of rhinos being dangerous or competing for food or other resources. […]
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