Rhino Run arrives in Nelspruit

NELSPRUIT – South Africa, on average loses two rhino to poaching every day. This is the most significant conservation issue this country has ever faced. In 2012, 668 rhino were poached while in 2013 a total of 559 have already been poached. Considering there is only less than 5 000 Black Rhino left, this is a very concerning statistic.

New Holland believed that to make a difference they had to start with awareness and education, especially among the young people.

South Africa is the home to the first specialist, dedicated, non-commercial centre to care for baby rhinos orphaned by the shocking trade in poached rhino horns. The Wildlife and Cultural Centre at Legend Golf and Safari Resort is in the Limpopo Province is the site for the centre which takes in baby rhinos orphaned or injured across the country by poachers who feed the illegal trade in horns.

Sanctuaries like the Rhino Orphanage are vital to the survival of this endangered species. It costs in the region of R45 000 per month to raise a young rhino orphan. It is for this reason that the New Holland tractor team decided to embark on an epic journey from the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town all the way to Louis Trighaardt in the Limpopo province.

Supporting this worthy cause was former Big Brother star, Ferdinand Rabie, who travelled the entire distance next to the tractor on his bicycle. The team made various stops along the route where they met with primary school pupils and educated the youngsters on the importance of the fight against the rhino poaching. The travelling mascot “Ronnie the Rhino” was a huge hit this week when the team stopped over at Laerskool Bergland on their way to Hoedspruit. At the school the pupils heard how young rhinos often become the target of heartless poachers and are often orphaned when their mothers are slaughtered for their horn. “These orphaned calves then have to be raised by hand and treated by veterinarians until they are full grown healthy adults,” explained Rabie in his address to the school. “A baby rhino drinks between eight and ten litres of milk every two hours which is why it is so expensive to adopt them.”

As a means of raising funds the team asked the children to enter a colouring in competition which would cost R20 per entry and afforded them the chance to win an amazing “rhino prize”.

At the end of their discussion they enjoyed some refreshments before leaving Nelspruit to head to Hoedspruit. By the coming weekend they should have arrived in Phalaborwa before starting the final stretch to Louis Trighaardt.