Rhinos Without Borders Increasing at an alarming rate, poaching is now at an all-time high in Africa. Fuelled by rising demand, the illegal trade in ivory and rhino horn has seen the number of elephant and rhino poached throughout Africa rise significantly in recent years. This ominous trend can only be reversed if governments, conservation-minded companies and concerned citizens unite and take immediate action, standing shoulder-to-shoulder. The continued survival of these species is at stake - 2011 saw the western black rhino subspecies declared extinct by the IUCN. In 2014, over 1 215 rhino were poached in South Africa alone, up from 1000 in 2013, 668 in 2012 and 448 in 2011. It is time for passionate conservationists around the world to come together and help save this magnificent animal. &Beyond and Great Plains Conservation partnership Following the successful donation and translocation of six rhino from &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve in north-eastern KwaZulu –Natal in South Africa to Botswana’s Okavango Delta in 2013, &Beyond is going even further in its efforts to secure the future of these rare and unique animals. Through the Rhinos Without Borders initiative, &Beyond, in partnership with Great Plains Conservation, as well as various government ministries, has committed to moving up to 100 rhinos (both black and white) from existing high density populations in South Africa, and releasing them into the wild in various parts of Botswana, a country with traditionally low rhino densities and stringent anti-poaching measures. Rhinos Without Borders is ready to translocate the first ten out of the planned hundred or more rhino from South Africa to Botswana. Thanks to generous donations from around the world, the project, spearheaded by luxury travel companies &Beyond and Great Plains Conservation, has identified and obtained the first ten rhino to be moved from high risk areas in South Africa to the comparative safety of Botswana, where rhino poaching is virtually unheard of. Working in a phased approach, Rhinos Without Borders will begin with the translocation of the first ten animals in early 2015. &Beyond & Great Plains Conservation have partnered up with Trevolta, a global crowd-funding site that helps raise funds for travellers, and now rhinos. Donations start from USD 1, making it easy and accessible for anyone to join the project of hope and make a difference. Visit trevolta/rhinos and choose from the various donation packages and associated rewards. Rhinos_Without_Borders_1 Rhinos_Without_Borders_6 At a Glance ObjectivesIn addition to boosting anti-poaching efforts in both countries, the project ultimately aims to increase the geographical spread of the rhino population throughout Southern Africa, at the same time introducing new rhino genes into Botswana. Both of these actions are aimed at decreasing the threat of extinction posed by poaching. FundingThe Rhinos Without Borders project will invest 25% of the funding towards continued conservation, protection and monitoring of the source population in South Africa. An additional 50% will go towards the actual capture, transport, holding bomas, quarantine and release of the animals, and the remaining 25% will be invested in anti-poaching and security infrastructure in Botswana. - See more at: andbeyond/conservation-community/rhinos-without-borders.htm#sthash.sMAnzAPi.dpuf
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:23:19 +0000
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