Seeing a rhinoceros in the wild is near the top of the list for almost everyone during a southern African safari.
If we don’t stick to our ‘guns’ and conservation efforts this may soon become an impossible dream. The reality is that despite the concerted efforts of conservation-minded organizations, national parks and the increasingly concerned public, rhino poaching is not going away.
Nobody’s giving up the fight though.
Botswana Leads the Way
Botswana is heavily dependent on touristic activities for its economic survival. As a result, the country has fine-tuned the art of harnessing the power of tourism in the ongoing battle against rhino poaching.
Here high-end tourism experiences work together with conservation to create awareness and generate substantial funds for conservation activities. When you book a luxury southern African safari to Botswana, you are directly supporting anti-poaching activities and conservation on a national level.
Botswana’s anti-poaching unit has won international acclaim for their efforts in curbing poaching and are viewed as role models on the conservation front. However, the Botswana Government has come under fire for its unofficial ‘zero-tolerance’ policy towards suspected poachers.
Be that as it may, the facts speak for themselves. Prior to 2001 the few rhinos that managed to survive the ravages of poaching had been exiled to safety and there were no wild rhinos left in Botswana. At that point, the Botswana government and military stepped in.
The prodigal sons were returned and with the protection of national forces, the rhino began its slow road to recovery in Botswana. Today, their numbers are fast approaching full strength but Botswana is not letting down its guard.
Severe penalties for poaching and forward thinking conservation initiatives on the part of the authorities were the savior of Botswana’s rhinos. One can only hope that the rest of Africa follows suit
What can you do?
You can help by donating towards reputable rhino conservation organizations and supporting establishments that have rhino conservation high on their agenda.
You can include national and private game reserves on your southern African safari itinerary and you can sound the alarm worldwide by talking about conservation issues.
Every little contribution matters, and every small step pushes D-day a little further away.
Get in touch to book and make your impact in the future of southern Africa’s rhinos.
