Save the Rhinos
The Unite Against Poaching organisation gathered alongside sponsors to create awareness around wildlife poaching on Saturday.
The Unite Against Poaching (UAP) organisation hosted their annual awareness campaign in South Street, Centurion on Saturday morning to create awareness about rhino elephant and lion poaching.
Members of the South African Police service as well as the Save Our Rhino organisation came together for the conservation event.
UAP organiser Adele Sutherland said they, along with 134 cities around the world, were marching to raise awareness against the poaching of elephants, lions and rhinos.
She said the aim was to get governments around the world to listen, and stand up and do something about the poaching crisis.
Sutherland appealed to people with the same passion and compassion to join her and her colleagues in making enough noise for a great cause.
She said animal lovers could participate and make their mark by signing petitions and becoming part of the movement.
Save The Rhinos member Loraine Liebenberg said the organisation was working in partnership with other organisations to continually combat poaching.
“We have partnered with organisations as far as Vietnam in a horn devaluation initiative to try and make the horns valueless to poachers.”
She said the aim was to spread the word on saving the rhinos, but also to create awareness of how important it is to provide care for rhinos that have survived a de-horning ordeal.
Rhino conservationist Audrey Raubenheimer said rhinos were her life. She looks after them and provides care for them, and is currently raising two young rhino calves named Phoenix and Mac.
“It’s extremely traumatic to see a rhino that has just been de-horned and left for dead,” she said.
Raubenheimer’s organisation has dealt with a number of poaching incidents in the last few months where poachers simply leave the rhino for dead after hacking off its horn. Their reserve patrol team has identified a few poachers, but they fled soon after being seen.
“We have experienced a few of these cases and are hoping to gain enough sponsors to help combat the ease of access to our rhinos through financial assistance,” said Raubenheimer.
Raubenheimer said more of these awareness campaigns were needed in order to keep the momentum going for rhino conservation.
A young girl aspiring to be a wildlife caretaker, Thando Mlungwana, said she had travelled all the way from Thembisa in a taxi to come and support the cause.
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