Thomas Aiken shot a fantastic five-under-par 68 in the opening round of the Volvo Golf Champions at Fancourt on Thursday, but was more eager to discuss an issue that should be of importance for all of us proud South Africans.

Aiken appeared at his post-round press conference wearing a “Rhino Revolution” cap and was only too happy to give an explanation.

“I haven’t got a sponsor and I wanted to promote something worthwhile and what could be more worthwhile than saving rhinos? It’s disgusting what’s happening to them, they’re part of the Big Five and it’s a matter of national heritage for all of us, far more important than this golf tournament,” Aiken said.

“I started the Thomas Aiken Rhino Fund and I’ve done my homework about where the money goes. Trevor Jordan of Jordan Properties in Hoedspruit does a fantastic job with Rhino Revolution and I’ve heard people saying about other rhino organisations that you don’t really see where the money goes.”

The Johannesburger pointed out that organisations trying to protect rhinos are struggling to afford the sort of weaponry the poachers are utilising.

“It’s a war and either rhino survive or they go extinct. The poachers get a million dollars a horn so we have a serious financial problem: they have a lot of money and we don’t. We need to fight cleverly – we’re using the money raised for trackers on the ground, roadblocks on the two roads leading out of Hoedspruit and we have help from the air force and their radar station because the poachers are now shooting from helicopters,” Aiken explained.

Rhino Revolution are also hoping to dehorn as many rhino as they can – which Aiken admitted can be controversial.

“We’re trying to dehorn rhino, which is very controversial, but we have fantastic vets doing it and having done over 500 rhino, we haven’t had a single fatality. The horn is like a fingernail, it grows back in about five years and the only problem with dehorning is if one of the rhino gets into a territorial fight with a rhino that still has its horn.”

But Rhino Revolution’s most controversial plan is to legalise the sale of rhino horn and then flood the market to remove the demand.

“We’re trying to legalise the trade and flood the market, so that it brings the price down. We will pump the proceeds back into conservation. At the current rate of poaching, rhino will be extinct in six years, so we have a serious time frame, there’s no time to ‘um and ah’. We’re sticking to our guns and it’s working,” Aiken said.