Save the Rhinoceros

by Katherine Noyes
The Challenge

Rhinoceros populations are under siege. More than 90 percent of the world's rhinos have disappeared since 1970; hundreds of rhinoceros species are now down to just five. Rhinoceros conservation projects are struggling to keep extinction at bay, and your effort could be what it takes to help them succeed.

Rhinos have been roaming the earth for more than 50 million years, but today there are only about 25,000 of these animals left. Of the five rhinoceros species not yet extinct, one has fewer than 300 individuals remaining, while the most endangered — the Javan rhino — has dwindled to just 50 animals in the wild.

In addition to habitat destruction, which is responsible for much of the loss of animal life on earth today, the decline in rhinoceros populations is due primarily to hunting. Rhinoceros horns have long been prized for use in Eastern medicines as well as for dagger handles in the Middle East. Each rhinoceros horn can bring tens of thousands of dollars, making the illegal trade a lucrative one.

As a result, despite the implementation of laws and emergency measures to help these great animals stay alive, poachers are the greatest threat to rhinoceros populations today. Since 1980, most of the black rhino population has been wiped out from its traditional range, and it's largely due to illegal poaching.

Conservation programs are one of the rhinoceros's greatest hopes for survival. With the help of volunteers, these efforts have made strides for the rhinoceros through research, education and awareness, care and protection on reserves, and reintroduction in protected areas. A week or more of your volunteer vacation could make a world of difference for the world's tragically endangered rhinoceros species.

How to Make a Difference I Did This!
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  • Enkosini Eco Experience participates with the World Wildlife Fund on the Black Rhino Research Programme in the Hluhluwe-Imfolozi National Park in South Africa, which holds roughly 10 percent of the world's black rhinoceros population. Volunteers provide hands-on research and conservation assistance in the field including radio tracking, observation, and help with rhinoceros capture and release efforts.
  • Animal Wildlife Area Research and Rehabilitation (AWARE) conducts an African Rhino Conservation Project through which volunteers can participate in veterinary-directed conservation efforts designed to help save the dwindling black and white rhino populations in Zimbabwe. Based in Lake Chivero National Park, the program's volunteers help with tracking, monitoring and anti-poaching operations, among other tasks.
  • African Impact offers opportunities to assist with its Imire Black Rhino Programme in Zimbabwe. Volunteers help with research duties on the 10,000-acre conservancy at Imire Safari Ranch. Stays typically last between two and eight weeks.
  • Earthwatch Institute's “Saving Kenya's Black Rhinos” program offers 15-day expeditions to the Ol Pejeta Conservancy in Kenya. The goal is to help bring black rhinos back from the brink of extinction; volunteer work involves gathering data and long treks through the bush.

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