Homer on the range
Meet the Trojan Rhino, new weapon in poaching war
JOHANNESBURG: The Trojan rhino stands among a herd, hiding an anti-poaching unit in its belly while its eye records every step the poachers take.
When the time is right, the team can burst from the side of the paper mache animal and pounce on the unsuspecting poachers before they kill any of its flesh-and-blood relatives.
This scenario – if an eclectic group of artists, electricians and musicians get their way – could become a reality and be the next big weapon in the war against rhino poaching. Moeng “Razorblade” Modise, Herman Buthelezi, Sunday Ndlovu and Eric Soni are part of the group of seven that have built a fullsized model of a rhino mostly from recycled newspapers and wooden planks.
The top of the rhino as well as panels on the side can be easily removed for easy entry and exit to the model, which the team says can hold eight men at a squeeze, creating a modernday Trojan horse.
This idea dates back to ancient Greece where the Trojans were fooled into letting the Greek army – hidden inside a wooden horse presented as a gift – into the city of Troy. The Greeks then jumped from the horse while the city slept and finally won their 10-year siege against the Trojans.
“For rhino security the people can hide inside and watch the camera, then jump out and arrest the poachers,” said Modise.
Inside the faux beast, a camera could be set up to record through the eye while LED lights offer some light on the inside. “I've just been an artist for a couple of years, but I’m very happy with the work on the rhino,” said Ndlovu as he worked on the lights.
Modise said their goal was to teach communities in all nine provinces how to build their model which they believed could aid in the war against poachers, create jobs and teach children about art and nature. “We want to do it all,” Modise said.
The team got the idea in 2010 while teaching local school children to make paper mache animals, and realised that one day there might not be a live animal to model a rhino on. “How will the children know what rhinos are when the rhinos are gone?” Modise asked.
“The young kids, they don’t know about these animals, they need to learn,” said Buthelezi.
Meanwhile, on the same premises at the Ingoma Recording Studio, these men have recorded a reggae song as part of their project.
“You! Hiding in the bush, you killer! Stop it, stop it,” Modise sings, with Soni on the keyboard, Buthelezi on guitar and some of the art students they teach offering backing vocals.