Save the Rhino International

Another really good organisation - well worth supporting.

Thanks for the link SM

Thanks SM I will have a look at that one later, it's good that we have found organisations, and support groups for all our Animals
WS

A distressing read and link re Rhinos and illegal Rhino Horn trade

http://www.rhinoconservation.org/2010/05/20/concern-grows-over-south-african-game-auctions-trophy-hunts-illegal-rhino-horn-trade/

Lai

What on earth is a place like Shamwari doing thing like this for I know they all need money, but I would have thought there were better ways of doing it. At least the Fletcher family, have lost all their ill gotten gains. Thanks for highlighting this Lai
WS

Very tempted to remove the 'Save the Rhino' organisation thread!

Read this and then tell me what you think - Im stunned - The hypocracy of it!

Extract from the Article on the Lion Aid site:

There has been a recent furore created by an article in the Times about a conservation organization dedicated to saving rhinos (appropriately called Save the Rhino) accepting funding from a hunting lobby or two.

Save the Rhino made a deal with the Safari Club International where funds from rhino hunts would be donated back to the London-based charity in order to continue their conservation efforts. Save the Rhino clearly acknowledges SCI as a partner on its website, and has been receiving funds since 2006. Save the Rhino and SCI seem to describe this as a win-win situation – the one needed funds, and the other was willing to extend them (after being rejected by some other organizations).

What is not discussed in the article is that many of those rhinos taken as trophies are not wild, but captive bred on game ranches. The trophy hunters will happily shoot such canned rhinos, and since bred white rhinos are quite docile animals, they will happily expose their vulnerable hearts to a high powered rifle from close range.

For the full article click HERE (WARNING image on this link will upset)

It is all too common in SA - the same thing happens with lions. Kept in captivity and released for those who want to pay big $$$ for their trophy hunting. Lions, Rhino and buff fetch a good price. I am appalled at this but i am not surprised, so much goes on that we don't know about.

I have no idea what the answer is, for as long as people are willing to pay whether it be hunting or for so called mecinal reasons, these animals are threatened.

At the moment i am speechless so can't put a coherent reply here.

Lai

Lai, I have to keep rereading this, Im really struggling to get my head around it and to call the arrangement a win-win situation is a slap in the face.



SM

I agree SM - i am not following their win win argument. For the animals it most certainly isn't.

Lai

I was really saddened and full of disbelief when I read this yesterday. Win Win is just a cop out for poor supposed conservation work. True conservationists I am sure would never enter into such a deal that was falsely leading people to think they were on top of their game for the conservation of an animal.
In my book there is no excuse for this kind of thing to go on. I am sure there will be people out there who will say the captive breeding of the Rhino and then the canned hunting of them is supporting the Rhino's in the wild.....to me this is utter rubbish, no animal deserves to be bred and shot for the sake of another animal or monetary gain.
Conservation work usually starts and continues with the education of the people about the animals and the land to help sustain a species, it should never in my book be led by the barbaric, unethical breeding of animals to be shot for monetary gains that I am in no doubt go to line the pockets of other people before the wild animals are even considered.

littlewid-x-

This is the article that was in the Times.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7140128.ece

Thanks for posting the link Anne-Marie but i am and that this can still be happening.

Lai

Excellent find AM. That is really informative and highlights the article in question.

Thanks for posting.

SM

Sorry I've only just caught up with this after my PC problems. This is really terrible news, to accept funding fron organisations like that defeats the object. So I dont know how they can call it win win.
If you want to withdraw the thread it's OK by me SM
WS