For the first time in Wild at Life e.V.’s books, we are embarking on a rhinoceros dehorning mission.
Together with our local partners , this mission will be carried out at the end of October, in the South African province of Limpopo. Known for its warm climate, beautiful landscape, and diverse wildlife, Limpopo attracts tourists and unfortunately, poachers alike, bringing widespread threats of poaching and exploitation to the animals there. For instance, 124 rhinos were killed last year in Kruger National Park, one of the national parks in Limpopo.
Photo credits: Insimbi Legacy
While dehorning is a controversial and debatable topic, Wild at Life e.V. believes that it is a crucial measure in preserving the rhino population considering what our world has come to. At the beginning of the 20th century, the global rhino population stood at half a million. But this year’s number has dwindled to a little over 26,000, according to data from Save the Rhino . If we don’t take action now, future generations may only know of rhinoceros through books and videos.
Rhino horns are highly desired ingredients in traditional medicine practised in parts of Asia and are seen as luxury goods that can sell for a lot of money in illegal wildlife markets. When poachers butcher a rhino, they often hack the entire horn, sometimes going as deep as the skull in order to profit as much as possible. Whereas when conservationists do it, it is a painless procedure. Only the area above the germinal layer (growth point) is cut off and a stub of the horn will remain, allowing the horn to grow again.
Photo credits: Insimbi Legacy
Dehorning operations are quick and efficient, causing as little stress to the animals as possible. However, relative to its duration, the cost of such missions is very high. In our mission, for example, a helicopter is required because of the sheer size of the private reserve. The rhinos will be darted from that vantage point and once tranquilised and captured, the dehorning process will begin. We are also using this opportunity to collar the rhinos with AI-powered collars to gather data and better understand their movements. Compared to satellite collars, these collars are lighter, more reliable, and cheaper.
Afterwards, the rhinos will be released in the same reserve and the horns will be kept in a safe place under the watch of both the government and reserve. (Burning is not allowed.)
Photo credits: Insimbi Legacy
Helicopter, a base station, collars, trained professionals, and other logistics; we are expecting a hefty cost of 9,000€ that we need to raise before the start of this mission. If it is within your means, please donate to help us fund this important mission.
Donations can be made here on this Fundrazr page, our website, or if you'd prefer, our account in Germany is as stated below:
Account: Wild at Life e.V.
IBAN: DE12 8306 5408 0004 9477 03
BIC: GENO DEF1 SLR
Bank: Deutsche Skatbank
As always, thank you for supporting our work.
!! Wild at Life e.V. is giving two volunteers the
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to join us in this meaningful
cause organised by two reputable NGOs. The mission will last for
three days in late October. Lodging and food within the
accommodation will be provided, other expenses such as flight
costs, insurance and personal shopping are self-incurred.
Additionally, we would like a donation equivalent to the cost of
a tracking collar.
For more details, please contact Asli at info@wildatlife.org . If you’d like to apply as a volunteer, please email the same email address introducing yourself, your passion, and how you could contribute to this project (eg. photography, videography, vet etc).
