It took Susan two years to convince the orphanage to allow her access – the bond between rhino calves and their carers is fiercely protected. Moving quietly, she was careful not to disturb these two, Nandi and Storm, as they were fed by their carer under infrared lamps to minimise heat loss. For Susan, this image is ‘a peaceful moment amid tremendous violence’.
Despite conservation efforts, black rhinos remain critically endangered, as demand for their horn for use in alternative medicine fuels poaching. Nine months after Susan took her photograph, the orphanage was attacked, the carers assaulted and two white rhinos killed. Nandi and Storm were spared – their horns deemed too small to be worth the trouble.
South Africa
Susan trained as a cinematographer but for 20 years worked as an editor on film documentaries, winning several awards. She recently returned to her first love - the camera - and her images have since been published in newspapers around the world, on television and in online articles and magazines. Susan takes pride in capturing rare or difficult-to-access scenes.
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