“I think it's really the amounts of money that they're able to offer people paired with the violence that they're willing to put on people. It's very much like the drug cartels in Mexico, just more focused on poaching of wildlife.” – John Jurko
John Jurko is a director and producer of the film, Rhino Man, an award winning documentary which highlights the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to protect rhinos and our natural world.
The film follows Anton Mzimba, the head ranger of the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, as he and his team battle to protect the rhinos. Anton faces long deployments away from family, dangerous working conditions, and constant threats to his life until he was assassinated for his work protecting the rhinos – this was while they were making the film. John is continuing to advocate to bring justice to his killers who have yet to be arrested.
John also created and hosts The Rhino Man Podcast to further build awareness of the importance of rangers, the rhino poaching crisis, and our need to connect local communities to protected areas.