Ep 5. Last of the Rhinos

In The Operatives season 2 episode 5, titled "Last of the Rhinos," we follow a team of international wildlife experts and their mission to stop the poaching of the critically endangered black rhinoceros. With only a few hundred individuals left in the wild, the poaching crisis has reached a breaking point, and the team is determined to do everything in their power to save the remaining rhinos.

Led by former US special forces operative Pete Bethune, the team embarks on a dangerous and high-stakes undercover operation, posing as wealthy rhino horn buyers in order to gain access to illegal wildlife markets and gather intelligence on the poachers and traders fueling the illegal trade. Along the way, they encounter corrupt officials, armed gangs, and desperate locals caught up in the web of the illegal wildlife trade.

As they gather information, the team works in tandem with local conservation groups and law enforcement agencies to identify and raid poaching operations, rescue injured rhinos, and apprehend poachers. Throughout the episode, we see the emotional toll that this work takes on the team, as they wrestle with the enormity of the crisis and the seemingly insurmountable challenges they face.

However, with the help of local guides and informants, the team makes significant progress in their efforts to disrupt the illegal trade and protect the rhinos. In one tense scene, they stage a dramatic sting operation to catch a notorious poacher red-handed, finally securing the evidence they need to bring him to justice.

Through it all, the team's passion and dedication to their mission shines through, as they risk their own lives to protect some of the planet's most iconic and vulnerable species. "Last of the Rhinos" is a powerful and moving look at the extraordinary efforts being made to save these animals from extinction, and the incredible individuals dedicated to making that happen.