SPECIAL FEATURE
Running for the Rhinos
In December , Marion Leiberich was first woman home in the Rhino Peak Challenge trail run in KwaZulu-Natal , a special race that aims to raise funds for the rhino , vulture , and crane conservation projects run by the Endangered Wildlife Trust , Wildlife Act and Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife . As a talented trail runner and veterinarian working in wildlife conservation , the race also struck just the right note with Marion .
Marion with a baby rhino
It all started when Marion ( 32 ) took a gap year
after finishing school in Germany , to travel through Southern Africa while trying to figure out what she wanted to do for a career . While here , she did voluntary work for several conservation and environmental organisations , and they recommended she pursue veterinary science . “ I didn ’ t really want to work with dogs and cats , though , I wanted to get into conservation , and in my final year I spent more time working in South Africa , as well as the USA ,” she says .
This led to her applying to do her doctorate with the University of Pretoria , and at the end of 2014 she moved to South Africa . “ For my PhD , I looked at antibiotic and pain medication treatment in rhinos , specifically to treat poaching victims . At the time of starting my study , there were around 200 animals yearly that needed medical attention due to poachingrelated injuries . The study also worked with healthy rhinos , giving them antibiotics and pain meds to see how the drugs metabolise , by checking their blood work ,” she explains .
“ I ’ m currently doing my post-doc , looking at increasing the welfare and success rate of long-distance translocation of rhinos . A couple of years ago , some black rhinos were taken to Chad and Kenya , and things went horribly wrong , with a high mortality rate amongst the animals . So I ’ m looking at the challenges rhinos face in transport , how best to reduce the stress , avoid dehydration , and ensure they don ’ t get injured . Our work will benefit projects that aim to reintroduce black rhinos to areas where they once roamed , but have been wiped out by poaching , and also to introduce new genes into rhino populations .”
Podium Potential Discovered
Marion ran a bit of track at school and university , but says it was only after she had moved to South Africa , and rescued the first of her four adopted dogs , that her running really took off . “ I needed to exercise my dog , so I began exploring .” She says . Having met boyfriend Christoff while shadowing a game-capture team in the Northern Cape , she followed him down to Somerset-West in the Cape at the end of 2016 . ( They became engaged in early 2020 .) Here , she discovered a new passion for running and exploring in the mountains , usually with her dogs in tow .
She also discovered a real talent for racing , both on road and trail , and her list of podiums in the last few years includes winning the Voet van Afrika Half Marathon , Grootvadersbosch 30km and MaxiRace 20km , placing second in the UltraTrail Cape Town 21km and Cape Town Peace Trail Run , and third in the Winelands Half Marathon , as well as second overall in the 2019 Cape Trail Series . However , COVID has put a big dent in her racing the last year or so . Even without COVID , however , she can ’ t always get to all the events .
“ It ’ s very hard to plan races , because I don ’ t always know when rhino translocations will happen and the field work often happens at short notice , but I did want to run the Mountain Series events in KZN and Limpopo last year … until they all got cancelled ,” muses Marion . “ That ’ s why the Rhino Peak Challenge was definitely the highlight of my 2020 running . You had to send in an application to take part , including a commitment to raise the required minimum of R10,000 for the conservation projects , and I raised R12,000 via my own platforms , plus all runners helped with a joint contribution , so my final tally was around R22,000 .”
On the way to winning the Winelands Half
In her element exploring the mountains
Remarkably , in spite of stormy weather with lashing wind and rain , and initially getting a bit lost , Marion went on to finish first woman in this race . “ The course was a bit overgrown , so I managed to go up the wrong gully , and then when I finally got back on the right trail , I had to turn back , because I started showing signs of hypothermia . The other runners told me my lips were turning blue ! So I went down a bit , but then saw the weather clearing , and decided to try again .”
Motivated to Carry On
Looking ahead , Marion says she plans to continue working with rhinos in South Africa once she finishes her postdoctoral fellowship . “ I have permanent residency already , as veterinary work is an essential service , and I want to stay in conservation research and base work , to help the species , because poaching has shown how much need there is for veterinary work in rhinos . We need to provide that basic knowledge of the species , such as knowing where the veins run .” And that , in turn , means she will also be able to continue exploring the mountains of South Africa , and chasing podiums in local races . “ I ’ m hoping for some races again by April or May , but I simply love running , so this past year has been great for just getting out into the mountains .” so this past year has been great for just getting out into the mountains .”
Marion , Christoff and the four dogs
Images : Randall Crisp , Shawn Benjamin / Ark Images & courtesy Buyi Makhoba-Dlamini & Marion Leiberich
16 ISSUE 137 JANUARY 2021 / www . modernathlete . co . za