Vestige (2019)

• 78%
• 2019
• Documentary
• Mark Halliday

"This is not about them. It is about us as humans." - Nunu Jobe Yet another of the planet's species is in danger of extinction: the rhinoceros. Vestige follows some of the last remaining, protected in Kruger National Park, South Africa from the onslaught of poachers. Rhinoceros are of particular value for their horns, in demand by Asian business elites as a symbol of wealth. The documentary utilises an impressive range of interview footage to show the people who risk their lives on a daily basis protecting this collapsing species. We follow a Zulu bush tracker; the world's largest private rhino owner; a front-line anti-poaching unit; and a veterinarian heading dehorning programmes in order to remove the hunting incentive of poachers. Vestige is an honest depiction of the ongoing battle to save the rhinos, and tells their story within the greater framework of human philosophy. As well as short-term solutions, if we are to save the planet we must also tackle the deeply ingrained problem of human greed. Humans need to be reminded that they are part of the whole picture, and not distinctly separate from other species. The tale of rhinos can give a message to the world.