KERATIN is a wildlife conservation documentary from Orange Planet Pictures exploring the ongoing crisis of rhino poaching in South Africa.

​

In March 2023, British actor and animal welfare advocate Peter Egan travelled more than thirty hours to reach the Zululand Rhino Orphanage in KwaZulu-Natal. The sanctuary provides round-the-clock care for orphaned rhino calves whose mothers have been killed by poachers targeting their horns.

​

Working with the conservation organisation Helping Rhinos, Peter witnesses first-hand the devastating impact of wildlife crime on these animals and the dedicated efforts of the teams working to protect them.

​

The documentary provides rare access to the daily challenges faced by conservationists on the front line of the rhino poaching crisis. It explores the methods used by organised poaching networks, the scale of the illegal wildlife trade, and the strategies being developed to protect rhinos across southern Africa.

​

During the film, Peter is invited to witness — and participate in — one of the most controversial yet essential anti-poaching measures: ethical dehorning. This carefully managed veterinary procedure removes a rhino’s horn in order to reduce its value to poachers and protect the animal from being killed.

​

At the heart of the story is Lulaboy, a baby rhino rescued after the poaching of his mother. When the documentary team arrives, he is small, weak and fighting for survival. The film follows his fragile recovery as the orphanage staff work tirelessly to stabilise him and give him a chance at life.

​

Raw, intimate and emotionally powerful, KERATIN offers a rare and deeply personal insight into the global fight to save one of the world’s most iconic endangered species.

​

The film highlights both the urgency of the rhino poaching crisis and the extraordinary people working every day to protect these animals.

​

Issue featured in this documentary
Rhino poaching and wildlife trafficking

​

Location
Zululand Rhino Orphanage, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

​

Organisations featured
Helping Rhinos, Zululand Rhino Orphanage

​

Topic
Wildlife conservation and anti-poaching initiatives

​

Produced by
Orange Planet Pictures