Rhino Day - 22 September 2010

Rhino poaching has increased dramatically in the last two years. In South Africa, which is home to more than 80% of the world's black and white rhinos, on average 20 rhinos are being killed for their horns every month. Often the horns are removed while the animals are still alive. By using helicopters to access the animals and a dart gun with scheduled veterinary drugs to immobilize them, the poachers are able to get in and out quickly, posing a virtually un-policable risk to rhino and elephant populations across the continent.

On 22 September, RHINO DAY, WWF is calling on all concerned citizens of the world to dust off their vuvuzelas, toot their horns and to make as much noise as possible, at 1pm, as a symbolic act to send a powerful message to leaders that the time to take serious and effective action against rhino poaching is now.

RHINO DAY will be the culmination of a month-long campaign by WWF and other partners, encouraging the public to help support South Africa’s rhino warriors – the men and women at the frontline who risk their lives daily against the sophisticated, ruthless and heavily-armed international criminal gangs who run the illegal rhino horn trade.

Check out World Wide Fund for Nature (World Wildlife Fund) www.wwf.org.za and Stop Rhino Poaching www.stoprhinopoaching.com for more info and to see what you can do to help.

This young white rhino calf peered curiously at us when we stopped to peer curiously them, while his mother grazed contentedly in the relative safety of the iSimangaliso Wetlands Park (formerly St Lucia Wetlands Park). Sadly, being declared a protected species, in a protected world heritage site, is not enough to ensure their safety. In fact, I feel that it's sad, not to mention disgusting, that there is a need to declare protected species and areas at all.