Black Rhino Conservation In South Africa....

I"m still shaken by the news of the Western Black Rhino’s extinction, and though there’s nothing we can do for them now - they’re gone forever - there is some positive news.

Last week The World Wildlife Fund’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project sedated 20 South African Black Rhinos and airlifted them to a new (hopefully safer home) in South Africa’s Limpopo Province. The WWF’s Black Rhino Range Expansion Project has worked to relocate 120 Black Rhinos in the hopes that a new home will keep the critically endangered species safe from poachers.

According to the WWF. More Black Rhino’s have been killed in South Africa in the past 10 months then in the entire year of 2010. Statistics from South Africa’s National Parks reveal that 341 Rhinos have been lost to poaching so far this year, compared to last years record total of 333.

While sedating, blindfolding and airlifting a 3000 pound rhino by the ankles may not appear to be the gentlest way of transporting these creatures, the WWF assures that this method of removing rhinos from critical situations is an improvement over previous methods. The transport only takes 10 minutes, and according to the WWF the rhino’s suffer no ill-effects due to the process.

In 1970 there were 65,000 Black Rhinos in the world a number greatly decreased from 1900. Today less then 5,000 have survived thanks to human greed and ignorance. It’s shameful the way that we treat the world around us, but this news gives me hope. I truly hope that these conservation efforts are able to repopulate the worlds rhino population. I truly hope that we’re able to save the rest of this species from extinction. As humans we are capable of so much, and in situations like this we should be doing everything we can. Though I strongly believe that our greatest tool is education. The more we educate people, the more we spread awareness, and the more we dispel the myths the continue to perpetuate poaching, the greater the chance we’ll have at saving the rhino species.

Most importantly remember that we all have the power to educate. You don’t need to be a scientist or a zoologist to inform people of what’s going on. Tell your friends, your family, your co-workers, your neighbors. Post a status to Facebook, or Twitter, write about it on your blog, share the information with a stranger, but whatever you do, don’t do nothing. Act now, in anyway you can.

*** Pictures taken from Animal Planet who has them credited to Green Renaissance/WWF ***

For more information - http://www.wwf.org.za/what_we_do/species/black_rhino/
http://www.rhinorescueproject.com/about-the-project/
http://www.greenrenaissance.co.za/blog