Photo courtesy Susan Portnoy – The Insatiable Traveler
I am one of the 120 something bloggers from all over the world who campaign for #JustOneRhino – a fundraiser supported by Green Travel Media and Travelers Building Change. #JustOneRhino, the project we have at heart right now, aims to help Rhinos Without Borders raise money to translocate 100 rhinos from South Africa – where a rhino is killed every 7 minutes (a reality that gives me chills down my spine) – to Botswana, Africa’s safest place for this endangered species so far. The project is steered by wildlife conservationists Beverly and Dereck Joubert – National Geographic Explorers in Residence and founders of Great Plain Foundations – people who are thoroughly dedicated to saving rhinos from extinction.
Try as we might, it is hard and often beyond our possibilities as individuals to stop the poaching, change mentalities, make people understand once and for all that rhino horns DO NOT have aphrodisiac or healing properties, or efficiently fight against illegal ivory trade. We’re also critically running out of time. Rhinos are disappearing fast: reports show that we’ve already lost 107 since the beginning of the year. We can’t change these numbers anymore. What we can do, however, is move these animals to a place where they can be protected and live.
For this to happen, we need money – “shipping” #JustOneRhino to Botswana costs $45,000. It is pricey and difficult, but it is essential if we want to secure a future for these majestic creatures which are priceless to the African landscape and the savannah ecosystem.
Rhinos have been around for 40,000 years and they need to stay with us. We must give them a chance! Help us to keep them alive, as many as we can. Donate here and contribute to this major importance project that is rhino translocation. In exchange for your contribution, you have the chance to win some extraordinary prizes (see below) – #JustOneRhino is supported by some amazing sponsors, and we are very grateful for their generosity.
These are some of the prizes at stake (but there are more). All you have to do is donate on the Travelers Building Change website. You will receive “tickets” – a $20 donation gives you the right to 10 entries, $30 to 20 entries, $50 to 30, etc. and you get to choose the top 3 prizes you would like to win. The fundraiser closes on 1st March, so hurry up! The prizes will be drawn randomly; the winners will be announced on 3rd March, World Wildlife Day.
10-day Galapagos Voyage for one. Value $5,298
Full Trip Details found here.
South Africa Big Five Safari: Kruger & KwaZulu-Natal + Swag Bag for 2 people. Value $5000
Full Trip Details found here.
Seven nights bed and breakfast in a Garden View suite. Value $5,187
10 nights’ stay & wellness package for two people at Yemaya Island Hideaway and Spa on Little Corn Island, Nicaragua. Value $5,241
Will you help us, too, to lift up our rhino and take it somewhere safe? Become a #JustOneRhino contributor – every rhino counts!
Last but not least, no one can give you better insight into why your help is needed than the founders of the project themselves. Have a look and spread the word!
*The quote in the title belongs to Dereck Joubert
