SA rhino film aired in China

An award-winning South African documentary, STROOP – journey into the rhino horn war, has been broadcast on prime time television in Hong Kong – a major global wildlife trafficking hub.

Stroop producer and presenter Bonne de Bod, who was in Port Elizabeth recently for the premiere of the documentary, said it was exciting and significant news.

“It’s incredible. Filming in parts of Asia was very risky as all forms of media there are controlled by the Communist Party.

“Having the film shown by the Hong Kong public broadcaster is a huge step forward.

“The demand for rhino horn is massive and awareness and education are key.

“STROOP is the real, raw rhino story, so I have no doubt that this screening impacted many and will bring about changed mindsets and perceptions,” De Bod said.

Susan Scott, who directed the documentary, said it had been imperative to film in countries with rhino horn demand such as China and Vietnam.

“This filming was undercover and illegal so it is jaw-dropping that the film was broadcast in a prime-time slot on Hong Kong state television,” Scott said.

The work the crew did in China and Vietnam would have been impossible without the help of Asian environmental activists, she said.

“To have STROOP translated into Chinese and seen throughout Hong Kong will further that vital change.”

The Hong Kong judiciary also screened STROOP at an enforcement workshop recently.

The workshop was attended by legislators, academics from Hong Kong universities, government forensic teams, criminal justice specialists and representatives from Hong Kong’s department of justice, as well as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the Queen’s Counsel from London and Hong Kong’s under secretary for the environment.