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"I'm Johanna Decker from Germany and I'm an EMT /Paramedic. My passion is wildlife conservation, nature, traveling, and taking photos. Dedicated to rhino conservation."
A Rhino Conservation Seed As A Child.
Once upon a time in Germany, there lived a spirited and unconventional girl named Johanna Decker. From a young age, Johanna was drawn to the wonders of nature and wildlife, eschewing dolls for muddy adventures and outdoor exploration. She possessed a deep love for animals and an insatiable curiosity about the natural world.
After Work Rhino Conservation
"I came to the rescue service by accident and turned my passion into a profession. I love my job, even if it's not always easy."
As she grew older, Johanna's passion for helping others and her desire to make a difference led her on an unexpected path towards rhino conservation. Despite her childhood dreams of becoming a veterinarian or a police officer, Johanna found herself dedicated to the emergency protection of endangered rhinos. Her role as an EMT/Paramedic became a stepping stone that transformed her passion for wildlife into a lifelong mission to rhino conservation.
She said: I've been doing this job for 8 years now and it fills me up every day. It makes me happy to be able to help people in difficult situations. It is not always easy to deal with an emergency situation, but at the end of the day you go home with a good feeling.
Johanna discovered that the medical field exemplified the swift and unpredictable nature of life itself. To maintain a healthy work-life balance and give her all to her challenging profession as an EMT, she dedicated her free time to activities that nourished her body and soul, especially rhino conservation. Protecting endangered rhinos, exploring nature, traveling to wildlife habitats, and capturing the beauty of rhinos through photography became her outlets, allowing her to recharge and return to her job with a lifelong passion for rhino conservation.
First emergency
"One of my first real emergencies in the emergency services was giving birth. We have been called to action, the message was severe abdominal pain. When we arrived on site, we found a very distraught man who brought us into the living room to his wife who was lying on the floor. It turned out pretty quickly that she was in labor. Then everything happened very quickly. The amniotic sac had already burst and we could already see the child's head. That's why we decided to have the child on site. Everything went well and since the father was too excited, I was allowed to cut the umbilical cord. Operations like this make the job the people are so grateful for our work."
Johanna not only talks to us about the emergency she encountered in her first job as an EMT, but also shares how the plight of these magnificent rhinos ignited her lifelong dedication to rhino conservation.
She refused to stand idly by while these ancient creatures, who had roamed the earth for millions of years, teetered on the brink of extinction due to the senseless demand for their horns. Be sure of rhino conservation. Rhinos were being slaughtered for their horns, their mothers cruelly taken from them, all for a substance as mundane as keratin—the same material found in our nails and hair. To protect these endangered rhinos, Johanna embarked on a mission to raise awareness about rhino conservation and stop rampant poaching threatening their survival.
"What touched my soul the most was my work with orphan rhinos. These animals lost their mothers to us humans, they had to experience incredible things. All the trauma and suffering, the physical and emotional pain. And yet they allow us as humans to give them the bottle and they trust us again. That's an incredible feeling.So I had to rhino conservation"
With an unwavering determination to protect rhinos, Johanna embarked on a lifelong mission to raise awareness about the rhino poaching crisis and advance rhino conservation. She traveled to Africa, connecting with local communities, interviewing people, and supporting rhino conservation efforts by various organizations. In her encounters with orphaned rhinos, victims of the poaching epidemic, Johanna witnessed both their immense suffering and their remarkable capacity to trust humans once again with the right care and protection. It was a profound experience that evoked a whirlwind of emotions within her—pain, sadness, anger at the cruelty of poachers, but also awe, joy, and happiness from protecting and bonding with these endangered rhinos.
A Love Affair With Rhino Conservation
"My love for rhinos and Africa started very early. My first lamp as a baby was in the shape of a rhino. Since my grandfather lived in Namibia, I was there for the first time when I was 10 years old. And fell in love with the country. I then also volunteered several times in animal sanctuaries. However, the rhinos never really let go of me. It can't be that an animal that has roamed our planet for millions of years is on the brink of extinction just because of its horns. That's why rhino conservation is so imminent."
Johanna worked as a volunteer in a rhino orphanage. It's just amazing, it's not an easy job. She said: You sweat, you get blisters on your hands from shoveling crap, you get up early and you work all day. But when she thinks of rhino conservation, it's worth the effort.
It is a psychological and physical strain, the suffering, the trauma that each of these animals had to go through. Each of these babies is a little miracle in their own way. Every rhino counts. And volunteering is much more than just preparing milk for baby animals. For Johanna, it is her small part to contribute to the preservation of the species. The real heroes for me are the women and men in the APUs who risk their lives day and night. She spoke to the local people and started getting first aid kits for them as they are really needed in the bush. This includes the 10 RHINO RESCUE IFAK Trauma Kit donated by Rhino Rescue. In the worst case, gunshot wounds occur and these wildlife heroes have to be taken care of.This will greatly help the rhino conservation cause.
Unfortunately, in the fight against rhino poaching, a human life does not count for much when measured against the immense profits from rhino horn. On the black market, a single kilogram of rhino horn fetches between 60,000 and 80,000 US dollars due to the unfounded belief in its medicinal properties. That's more than the price of gold or cocaine. To advance rhino conservation and stop this deadly trade threatening their survival, Johanna will not cease her lifelong efforts to raise awareness about rhino poaching, preserve these endangered species, and protect their natural habitats. We urgently need to draw more global attention to this poaching crisis and support organizations dedicated to rhino conservation all over the world.The cause of rhino conservation requires a concerted effort by all.
Rhino Conservation is a Mission
As her lifelong dedication to rhino conservation deepened, Johanna volunteered at a rhino orphanage, witnessing firsthand the immense physical and emotional toll from poaching that these endangered animals endured. Each baby rhino, rescued and orphaned victim of poaching, that she encountered was a testament to resilience in the face of such cruelty, a small miracle in its own right that reignited her drive to stop this deadly trade. Filled with a profound sense of responsibility to protect rhinos, Johanna saw her role in preserving these majestic but threatened creatures as more than just preparing milk bottles. Also, we need to call everyone together rhino conservation. It was her way of contributing to the survival of this species on the brink of extinction, raising awareness about the poaching crisis that endangered their very existence, and ensuring that future generations would still have the opportunity to witness rhinos roaming free in their native habitats. Based on this, rhino conservation is also performed.
Meet Rhino Rescue with Rhino Conservation
"I was very grateful when I received the Rhino Rescue products and brought them to Namibia. I know that the guys in the APU are now optimally equipped for emergencies and that gives me a very good feeling. This is a great help for rhino conservation.I hope they never need to use it, but when are they ready for it? It will help a lot."
For rhino conservation efforts.
Amidst her lifelong dedication to rhino conservation, Johanna never forgot her roots as an EMT/Paramedic. She admired the immense bravery and unwavering commitment of the rangers in the Anti-Poaching Units (APUs), who risked their lives daily to protect endangered rhinos and combat poaching. Johanna was deeply inspired by their passion and fighting spirit in rhino conservation, and she felt profound gratitude for their tireless work on the frontline.
The story of Johanna Decker is a powerful testament to following one's passion for rhino conservation and taking action against this poaching crisis threatening their survival. Rhino conservation also requires a concerted effort. Her journey from a nature-loving child to a passionate wildlife advocate and paramedic exemplifies the transformative impact that individuals can have on protecting rhinos from extinction. Through her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts in raising awareness, Johanna strives to ensure that future generations will still have the opportunity to witness rhinos, these majestic but endangered species, roaming freely in their natural habitats.
And so, Johanna's story continues, as she fearlessly ventures into the unknown, armed with her camera, her compassion, and a determination to protect the precious treasures of our natural world. Continue Rhino conservation career.
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