A Jersey-born veterinary nurse has returned to the Island after assisting with life-saving procedures on endangered wildlife in South Africa – including dehorning rhinos to protect them from poachers.
32-year-old Robin Allix volunteered with conservation group Wildscapes in the Limpopo province, where she helped dart, treat and monitor wild animals including elephants, leopards and rhinos.
The dehorning process, which is designed to make rhinos less attractive to poachers, involves trimming rather than fully removing the horn.
“It provokes very conflicting emotions because you are causing such unnecessary stress to the animals, but you are essentially doing it to protect them from human greed,” she said.
Robin described her time in South Africa, which involved 19-hour days, long stints in the bush, and helping with emergency call-outs, as “incredibly rewarding”.
“No two days are ever the same when it comes to working with wild animals,” she added.
The former Hautlieu and Les Quennevais student first joined Wildscapes last year and has now completed two expeditions. She hopes to return to Africa again – but says Kenya or the USA could also be next.
- Read the full interview with Robin in JEP Weekend tomorrow.
