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Rhino Rescue Project

@rhinorescueproject

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The OG inventors of ALL horn devaluation methods to protect 🦏 from poachers - without removing their horns. For details, see “Website” in highlights👇

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Via @bryanchristyonassignment: I spent a bit of time with Hume for National Geographic, exposing his and others’ corruption of international (CITES) and South Africa’s rhino protection laws. Here’s a link to the Nat Geo story, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/dark-world-of-the-rhino-horn-trade including Brent Stirton’s breathtaking (and award-winning) images. Brent and I worked for more than a year on the investigation. And for those who don’t subscribe, here’s the text https://savetheelephants.org/news/inside-the-deadly-rhino-horn-trade-bryan-christyThe Daily Show Trevor Noah and Fresh Air with Terry Gross are among those who had me on to share this story, possibly the most complex wildlife crime story I’d ever done, a web of legitimate and illegitimate, well-intentioned and corrupt, of fake Vietnamese game hunters and wink-wink American ones, domestication of an iconic wild species to produce snake oil cancer treatments and aphrodisiacs and legit efforts to dehorn rhinos as a way of devaluing, of corrupt veterinarians and government officials, of the Groenewald Gang and the Hugo Ras Syndicate, cut-outs, buried corpses, and even the Trump sons’ never before shared big game hunts (which didn’t make the news). Here’s how I ended that story: “Hume isn’t bothered that rhino horn is snake oil when it comes to treating serious maladies. ‘I’m not ashamed that the rhino horn I make available to the world could possibly be ingested by somebody who’s got cancer and he dies anyway. It’s not going to help them. I have arthritis. I take at least six bloody remedies. And as far as I can see, none of them work.’”Sweet guy. by @rhinorescueproject

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a year ago

Why, hello, IG, long time, no see! Ya’ll KNOW something big must have happend to lure me back onto the socials after… ah, what was it? A two year sabbatical? Three? Either way, you’d be right and it is:⁣⁣Today is the world premiere of a small, independent film - six years in the making - that I was incredibly fortunate to have played a teeny-tiny part in, alongside conservation powerhouses like @jemu_mwenda of @olpejeta, Saleesha Chandra of @lionguardians_, the phenomenal folks at @maraelephantproject, those at @lewaconservancy and @nrt_kenya @sheldricktrust and @kenyawildlifeservice. Also, @adamjcruise, @brett.d.thompson and many, many others I am undoubtedly forgetting. ⁣⁣But it is the driving force behind this project, which evolved from an exhibition of still photographs into a full length feature film about human/wildlife conflict, the brilliant @jannagiacoppo, whose blood, sweat and tears along with everything else she sacrificed for the better part of a decade to get this film seen by an audience larger than just a handful of us, who deserves to truly be celebrated today, as One But Many (@onebutmanydocumentary) premières at the Dances with Films festival (@danceswithfilms) at TCM Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, this afternoon at 2:30 PDT (there are still a handful of last-minute tickets left to the premiere and the Q&A after, so if you’re in LA and want to go see the film, meet Janna & some of the other contributors, you totally can). ⁣⁣Janna, I am proud to say I know you, proud to have helped you along in the smallest of ways and so proud to call you my friend. Thank you for making this film and for allowing so many of us to join you on that journey. ⁣⁣#humanwildlifeconflict #conservation #corruption #africa #kenya #botswana #southafrica #critical #crossroads #extinction #poaching #wildlifecrime #onebutmany #mostimportantstorynevertold #bethechange #wildspaces by @rhinorescueproject

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a year ago

Look, if you’ve been following us for longer than 15 seconds, you probably know that rhinos are our jam. So, we’re always interested to know what others in the industry are doing. For that reason, it was a great privilege to accompany @joepietersen of @nkombe_rhino ⁣⁣to assist (and by “assist” we mean stand around in the shade and watch 😆) our @rhinorescueproject colleagues @shaunwildlifevet and @gavinsterley implanting tracking devices into the horns of two black rhinos recently. As with other counter-poaching measures, such devices are not a 100% guarantee against poaching, but they are an important component in any comprehensive anti-poaching “tool kit”. ⁣⁣⁣⁣In a fragmented and polarising conservation landscape, it’s easy to adopt an “us-versus-them” attitude. To forget that, by and large, everyone is doing the best they can, with what they know. Having not come from a “classic” conservation background, Joe has managed to utilise Nkombe Rhino as a vehicle to do good across all of those deeply divisive pro-trade/no-trade lines, because unlike so many others bogged down by politics, egos and historical alliances, he simply doesn’t focus on the lines. He sees animals in need, and helps them. A humbling example of what we can ALL do for conservation if we put our own interests and agendas aside in pursuit of something larger than ourselves 💪🏼❤️🦏 ⁣⁣⁣⁣(@gyssssagys @richiequan @antongeyser thanks for having us join you, guys! And a rhino-sized shout out to @pumasouthafrica for the new shoes - I don’t know how many pairs I’ve wrecked working in the bush over the past nine years, but it’s embarrassingly many 🙈)⁣⁣⁣⁣📸: @antongeyser (only the good ones, the rubbish ones are probably on us)⁣⁣⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #tracking #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #blackrhinolivesmatter #counterpoaching #onlyarhinoneedsahorn #bethechange by @rhinorescueproject

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6 years ago

Joanna Lumley (OBE) is an English actress, comedian, presenter, former model, author and television producer. She is best known for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom Absolutely Fabulous (1992-2012) for which she won two BAFTA awards.⁣⁣⁣⁣Ms. Lumley is also a passionate human - and animal rights activist. In 2019, Rhino Rescue Project formally partnered with @seekerdna to establish @rhinos.last.stand, a UK-based charity organisation. We are beyond thrilled and proud to be teaming up with our newest patron, @joannalumleytv, as we continue our horn devaluation work and research in 2020. ⁣⁣Thank you, sweetie darling...! 🦏🙏🏻♥️⁣⁣⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion by @rhinorescueproject

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6 years ago

Wishing our boys in the green & gold the best of luck in the Rugby World Cup finals today...! Bring the Webb Ellis Cup home, Springboks! 🙏🏻🏉🙏🏻🏉🙏🏻⁣ ⁣⁣** UPDATE: They did it...! Our beloved country so desperately needed this win. And the Boks’ humility, team spirit and quiet determination left a nation - 57 million people strong - with a collective lump in it’s throat after that final whistle blew. Thank you, Japan, for hosting a tournament second to none. And thanks, Eskom, for keeping the lights on...! 🙏🏻😂⁣ **⁣⁣📸: @russ_wildlife ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#strongertogether #rugby #worldcup #rwc #2019 #flag #pride #southafrica #gobokke #lifeisgoodinsouthafrica #smilesfordays #somuchyes #lovethiscountry #proudlysouthafrican #rhino #nature #homeland #heartland #fromgrassrootstogreatness #worldchampions #halala by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago

Year after year as World Rhino Day approaches, I wrack my brain for something meaningful to post. All the while dreading that such a day even exists. Yes, it’s true: I wish desperately that “World Rhino Day” didn’t have to be a thing; that we didn’t live in a world where we need to set aside specific dates on which we give a shit about lions or wild dogs or pangolins or rhinos. ⁣⁣I remember attending a rhino symposium in 2013 and hearing one of the experts say that rhinos have roughly 10 years left before their extinction is inevitable. I recall thinking “okay, that’s not great, but we still have time to do something”. Now, in the blink of an eye, it’s 6 years later, and it doesn’t feel like their lot has changed much at all. Oh, there are small victories, for sure, but the species as a whole is still teetering on the brink. ⁣⁣But this year, I have renewed hope for our wildlife. And that hope lies in the global climate strike movement that kicked off around the world on 20 September. For the first time in ages, the global community came together, united against a shared threat the likes of which we have never seen before. Humans are finally ready to acknowledge their impact on the planet, and perhaps it is only now that all the other species we share this space with have a fighting chance... at last.⁣⁣We are at a crossroads. Right now, our very survival and that of our planet depends on every decision we make. So - how are YOU making your voice heard...? 💪🏼🦏♥️⁣⁣📸 @gerandeklerk ⁣⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion #worldrhinoday2019 by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago

In 2014, @natgeo photographer Ami Vitale witnessed Samburu warriors from Sera in northern Kenya encounter rhinos for the first time on a visit to @lewa_wildlife. These animals had once been a common sight in the semi-arid region, but the last ones were killed by poachers about 25 years ago. Today, thanks to relocation efforts by the community and conservationists, they are once again roaming the vast rangelands of the Samburu people. Organisations behind the effort included the governmental @kenyawildlifeservice and nonprofits, @nrt_kenya and Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The animals’ new home, Sera Community Conservancy, is locally owned and operated by the Samburu. To deter poachers, the rhinos are watched over around the clock by the park’s community rangers, who receive support from the project’s other partners. ⁣⁣“This was the first time in East Africa [that] a local community took responsibility for the protection and management of the highly threatened black rhino, signaling a mind shift in Kenya’s conservation efforts,” the Northern Rangelands Trust wrote on its website at the time. Vitale added: “Many Kenyans have never seen a live rhino. Some of the warriors thought they would have spots and others thought their horn would be flexible, like an elephant’s trunk.” ⁣⁣It is hard to imagine the sense of wonder these men must have felt that day five years ago, as they gently lay their hands on this most beautiful of creatures. It is our hope that conservation efforts like these make it possible for future generations to enjoy the same privilege for many years to come 🦏♥️🙏🏻⁣📸 @amivitale ⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion #kenya #lewa #samburu #sera #braceletsfordayzzz by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago

He may look like he is posing for a police mugshot, but Imado is a luckier rhino than most. He is in the privileged position of living on a conservancy where everyone, from the management team to the surrounding communities, are working in unison towards the survival of his entire species. ⁣⁣@lewa_wildlife is one of the jewels in the crown of Kenyan conservation. And with good reason. This expansive property is home to no less than four luxury lodges... all of which run on a not-for-profit model. This means that all earnings are divided equally between covering the expenses towards the day to day running of the lodges and supplying much needed services to the local communities that surround the conservancy. ⁣⁣By welcoming these communities into the inner workings of the conservancy, instead of making them feel marginalized and excluded, Lewa ensures that the villagers become the first line of defense in protecting it’s wildlife. It’s a model so brilliant in it’s simplicity that it’s hard to fathom why it is not being implemented throughout Africa on a more widespread basis, really. ⁣⁣📸 @jannagiacoppo ⁣⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion #kenya #lewa ⁣ by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago

You may have heard that rhinos can’t see all that well. This is indeed true (they sometimes have trouble visually detecting other animals less than a hundred feet away) but - as is often the case when one of the senses is compromised - the other senses are considerably sharper than usual. ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣So rhinos make up for their poor eyesight with their olfactory (smell) and auditory (hearing) senses. In fact, the largest part of the rhino brain is dedicated to the olfactory sense, indicating just how important a rhino’s sense of smell is to its survival. During horn devaluation procedures we often encourage visitors to touch the rhino’s nostrils, because they literally feel like buttery soft tanned leather... so uncharacteristic to an animal best known for it’s robust build and thick skin 😍⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣If you would like to be a visitor on a treatment site, one way to do so would be to sponsor a treatment, which would secure your access to the site to join us as we perform it. If you are unable to join us in person, we’ll take you through the process live and in real-time via an IG “live”. Please donate using the PayPal link in our bio to secure your own once-in-a-lifetime rhino conservation experience 🙏🏻♥️🦏⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣📸: @tazforfar⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion #rhinosaurs by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago

In Africa, Saturdays are for taking your rhino for a walk... 😆⁣⁣⁣⁣We’re kidding, of course. This black rhino calf was given a light sedative and is being led back to his mother, who was immobilized a short distance away to have a tracking collar fitted by @limpopo_wildlife_vet and @tandalatrails at @mongenalodge ⁣⁣⁣Despite his relatively small size, the baby is all muscle, so it’s all hands on deck to reunite him with mom...! (The look of sheer delight on the face of game capture pilot, Richard Burns from @wildskiesaviation as he walks with the young rhino, makes this clip even more endearing 😍🦏)⁣⁣⁣⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion #rhinosaurs by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago

Heya, Instagram peeps...! @rhinorescueproject has launched a @bonfire campaign, through which you can purchase a selection of custom-designed clothing items to show your commitment to rhino conservation ☺️⁣All proceeds go towards performing horn devaluation treatments on animals in high-risk areas, so PLEASE support the campaign and encourage your friends & family to do the same by tagging them in this post 🙏🏻🦏♥️⁣ Link to purchase in bio.⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion #rhinosaurs #wearbonfire by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago

This is one of our favourite images 😍 The face of a rhino we worked on some time ago, taken a moment or two before he was awake fully after the procedure. ⁣⁣Aren’t they simply beautiful...? Don’t they remind you of what dinosaurs must have looked like when they once roamed the earth...? And wouldn’t it be a tragedy if, like the dinosaurs, we never again had the opportunity to run our fingers over the vast network of folds and creases in their skin? Or look into their gentle eyes? Or hear their quiet snores as they sleep...? ⁣⁣The world would be so much poorer if these magnificent behemoths were to vanish from the planet for good. ⁣⁣And so, we persist 💪🏻🦏♥️⁣⁣#rhino #rescue #horn #devaluation #loverhinos #keeprhinosalive #rhinorescueproject #RRP #infusion #rhinosaurs ⁣#texture #skin⁣ by @rhinorescueproject

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7 years ago