I have not written in a while and when I saw that Balekha wrote about poaching and horn trading, I thought I should tell you more about cheetahs, because we are in trouble too.
Monthly Archives: April 2013
The Rhino Horn Mystery
Many of you may have seen me when you visited Inverdoorn and went on a safari. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting me, my name is Balekha and I came to the game reserve with my mother. I am a white rhino, but it’s a very silly name because I’m actually grey and so is the black rhino. Both of us are African rhinos and there are also three other types of rhinos. The other three are Asian and they are: the Indian rhino, the Sumatran rhino and the Javan rhino. We are different in lots of ways, but we have one definite thing in common: we are all in danger of becoming extinct. Human beings have been hunting us for centuries, but the problem has become really big in the last few years, especially in South Africa where I live. People hunt us, because they want our horns. They cut them off and use them for all sorts of things. This is very, very painful and most of the time, if the rhino has not been killed, they die anyway. It makes me very sad, because I don’t understand why anyone would want to hurt us when we have done nothing to harm them.
Save the Human
People have been up in arms about the attention and resources directed at saving the rhino. The National Press Club’s decision to declare the rhino as “Newsmaker of the Year” in 2012 was met with consternation and indignation by many. Trevor Noah recently commented on Twitter that “Those red Rhino horns on cars are so cute. Remember when we used to do that for human beings?” I could go on an animal-loving rant about the sad state of humanity – of a society filled with war, hatred and genocide which is bleeding into the animal kingdom – and that not only is the human race undeserving of help, but that we are beyond hope. But I won’t…because I do not agree.
Hitchcock
Hitchcock is a film aimed firmly at the fans. Those who do not know much about the legendary director, and those who have not even heard the name Alfred Hitchcock, will not find a lot to interest or engage them. Anthony Hopkins plays the renowned master of suspense and Helen Mirren his wife, Alma Reville. The film focuses on their close, yet tempestuous, relationship – specifically during the conception and production of Psycho, arguably his most famous film.
LA, I HATE YOU
LA, I Hate You is the kind of film that the Los Angeles Tourism Board certainly won’t be punting to visitors of sunny, southern California. The film unveils a dark, gritty reality underneath the supposed glitz and glamour. An intense and desperate world is captured through continuous close-ups, which also serve to heighten the sense of claustrophobia the characters impose on one another. The film never relents on this intensity, further trying the audience’s patience with sensory attacks of epileptically-flashing lights and a buzzing and grating soundtrack.
Friends with Kids
As far as romantic comedies go Friends with Kids is quite formulaic, although it takes a fairly unconventional route towards it conclusion. Furthermore, although it offers a few laughs, the drama and dilemmas the characters go through are given more attention. The story focuses on long-time, platonic friends Julie and Jason who decide to have a child together, but refrain from becoming romantically involved with each other. This mutual decision is reached once they assume that traditional child-rearing has led to the degradation of their friends’ relationships, as well as their friendships with each other. The circle of friends is completed by the initially ardent lovers Kristen Wigg and Jonn Hamm, as well as Maya Rudolph and Chris O’Dowd, sporting an American accent.