This South African student is tackling wildlife poaching through impactful animal photography

It's a jarring image: A massive rhino restrained on the ground as a man grimaces while cutting through its horn with a power saw, sending sharp fragments flying at high speed.

Captured by 20-year-old student Neville Kgaugelo Ngomane, this photograph highlights the extreme measures now being taken to safeguard vulnerable rhinos from poachers seeking their valuable horns.

Although it appears cruel, this practice has become a common method in some parts of Africa to ensure rhinos' survival. Deprived of their valuable horns, which are coveted in illegal markets, the animals are left untouched.

This powerful image earned Ngomane the 'Young Environmental Photographer of the Year' title in the prestigious International Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) photography competition in September.

Out of over 4,000 submissions, Ngomane's photo titled 'Desperate Measures' was chosen by the judges, along with thirteen other winners, to take top honors in the competition.

Hailing from Mpumalanga in eastern South Africa, Ngomane admitted that witnessing the rhino dehorning was 'difficult to watch,' but he hopes the stark image will aid in the conservation of these majestic creatures.

'I wanted this photo to raise awareness about poaching and its devastating consequences,' he says. 'Winning was so exciting, especially out of 4,000 entries—it's truly an honor.'

Poaching remains a major issue in South Africa, with a total of 1,873 poaching incidents reported across various parks in 2018, according to the South African Department of Environment Affairs.

As a young boy, Ngomane often found himself engrossed in wildlife conservation documentaries, sparking his interest in protecting animals.

Ngomane first picked up a camera in 2014, learning through online tutorials, but struggled to photograph wildlife due to the cost of accessing national parks where the animals live freely.

In ninth grade, one of my teachers brought a camera to school and let me take it home for the weekend,” Ngomane recalled.

“However, I couldn’t afford to visit the reserves to capture wildlife, so I started taking photos at events instead,” he explained.

Ngomane’s fortunes changed in 2017 when he discovered Wild Shots Outreach, a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching photography.

Wild Shots Outreach, based in Hoedspruit, northern South Africa, provides training for students and unemployed youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, teaching them to capture wildlife and environmental photography.

“I saw some of their work on Facebook and started messaging them every few weeks,” Ngomane said. “I asked if the founder could visit our school to teach us wildlife photography.”

In 2018, Mike Kendrick, the director of Wild Shots Outreach, met with Ngomane’s school group and offered free training in shooting videos and still photos.

“Occasionally, I come across students in the school groups who show a genuine passion and talent for photography, and I’m able to provide them with a second-hand camera,” Kendrick shared with Dinogo.

“I gave him (Ngomane) a camera that worked perfectly, the same one he used to capture the photo of the rhino being dehorned,” Kendrick explained.

In collaboration with Canon South Africa, Kendrick was also able to bring in experts from Canon to provide Ngomane’s group with advanced training in capturing complex images.

Ngomane shares that meeting Kendrick allowed him to finally visit the parks and reserves he had missed out on during his childhood.

He has since taken hundreds of animal photos. “At first, I was hesitant to share my photos, but Mr. Mike encouraged me to do so. That’s how I entered the competition—and won,” Ngomane said.

Ngomane has also honed his skills in video editing and intends to create documentaries focused on the importance of wildlife conservation.

“I aim to get out there, travel to the heart of Africa. I want to continue capturing images and videos that promote environmental awareness,” he shared.