Share the love for rhinos on World Rhino Day

The power of social media to create awareness on important causes cannot be underestimated. The success of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is testament to its global reach. Now attention has shifted to a new trend with hash tags and handles to create awareness for one of the most-endangered species on the planet and a vital member of the Big Five.

This is none other than the plight of rhino that will be made known on World Rhino Day, September 22 across the globe, with the hash tag #worldrhinoday. Rhino poaching has become an industry which leaves hundreds of these animals slaughtered each year. Rhino horns have become one of the most valuable commodities in the world. It is now more important than ever to create awareness of this scourge, not only in South Africa but across the world.

A key factor in doing so is through World Rhino Day. It was first announced in 2010 when the World Wildlife Fund South Africa hosted a fund-raising event to create awareness. Thanks to the combined efforts of Rhishja Cota-Larson, the founder of Saving Rhinos.org and Lisa Jane of Chishakwe Ranch in Zimbabwe, the event has since gone global.

“World Rhino Day is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to help bring attention to all five species of rhino. We are busy with our role in keeping the website and Facebook page updated with events and campaigns in different countries,” said Cota-Larson.

It celebrates the long-lasting legacy of all five species around the world. This includes the black, white, greater one-horned, Sumatran and Javan rhino.

According to the official website, the theme is Five Rhino Species Forever and celebrates both the African and Asian species. In addition, World Rhino Day is an opportunity to highlight efforts to debunk the myths and diminish the demand for their horns.

“We believe that World Rhino Day is a success because it provides the opportunity for cause-related organisations, NGOs, zoos, and members of the public to celebrate it in their own way,” the official website states.

Donors and partners can also choose how they would like to contribute to rhino awareness through different projects or initiatives, whether through fund-raising dinners, social-media awareness or more hands-on projects.

There are a number of events planned for World Rhino Day this year, with several countries pledging their support to this important cause.

Cameroon will be focusing its efforts on Dancing4Rhinos, where a powerful cultural dance presentation will be held in Buea. The Bamumbu Cultural Dance Group, Ndungated Cultural Meeting and the Alou Cultural Dance Group are selected from villages adjacent to some key conservation areas.

Africa Geographic and Bushnell’s Binocolars will raise awareness and celebrate the majesty of these animals with the World Rhino Day Photographic Competition.

South Africa will also host a number of events, namely:

• The Castle Lager Boucher Legacy, headed by former Proteas wicketkeeper, Mark Boucher, will aim to place the rhino in safe hands.

This initiative’s main focus is finding, tagging and profiling rhino, which is a very expensive operation, costing R10 000 on average. Through the Castle Lager Boucher Legacy 616 rhino have already been tagged and they want to extend the protection of these animals across the globe. Make a donation by SMSing ‘Rhino’ to 48800 to donate R10 to this worthy cause.

• GoRhino will hold the World Youth Rhino Summit from September 21 to 23 at the iMfoloi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as be the main instigator of the Share the Love challenge.

• The ShareTheRhinopiness and ShareTheLove challenges are all about encouraging people to share their love this month and help save a rhino. ShareTheLove challenges people to share and tweet photos depicting their love of family, friends and animals with the handles #ShareTheRhinopiness and #ShareTheLove.

• Another interesting and undoubtedly popular campaign will be Save the Rhino International’s Nail it for Rhinos campaign, where participants are encouraged to paint their nails for rhino and then upload the nail selfie on social media using the handle #nailit4rhinos, and also donate money to the cause online on Savetherhino.org.

According to the Rhino Action Group Effort (RAGE) a LeadSA initiative set up in 2010 to channel support for rhinos, public intelligence is one key areas of rhino conservation.

“Intelligence through the public is a key source of information for the police and investigators. Not everyone can contribute financially, but anyone can contribute information. It’s our collective responsibility to blow the whistle on rhino poaching,” they stated on their website.