Why We Support World Rhino Day
As the founder of an African focused Tour Company Sandfieldtravel I believe that we all have a stake in the survival of the African Rhino.
Every year on September 22nd we celebrate World Rhino Day. I love rhinos. They are majestic animals that have stood the test of time but their existence is being wiped out and, sadly, some of the subspecies of Rhinos have already been declared extinct.
Thankfully, there are so many people and organisations whose life work has centred on saving rhinos for the future generation. What will we tell our grandchildren, that once upon a time there lived these beautiful animals called rhinos, we found them and we killed them to extinction!! What a thought!
To recognise World Rhino Day this year, we would like to highlight the work of the Uganda Rhino conservation foundation. Their work has given hope to northern Black rhinos in Uganda. These animals were hunted and poached to extinction during Uganda’s turbulent dictatorship of Idi Amin Dada. Thankfully, the number of rhinos in Uganda is slowly increasing and currently stands at 25. You may think this is still a very low number and you are right, but consider that 25 years ago there were none.
Why you should add Rhino trekking at Ziwa Sanctuary to your Uganda must-do activity.
- As a company we made the conscious decision to include Rhino tracking in our Uganda wildlife offering, to create greater awareness of their plight and to give our clients the opportunity to experience these amazing animals in the wild. You see you it’s much easier to help save these endangered animals when you have seen them. When you come face to face with a rhino your appreciation of this animal is changed forever.
- By visiting the sanctuary, you are also contributing financially to conservation efforts. The entry fee goes to the upkeep as well as supporting the community. Conservation in the absence of local community buy-in is doomed to fail. When local people see visitors wanting to come to the sanctuary, they want to make sure that nothing harms the rhinos. This creates jobs in the local economy and local businesses are able to sell crafts, food and other services. All this helps to deter the temptation to be lured into poaching.
Happy Rhinos Day to you
