With the world’s rhino species increasingly threatened by the rapidly-growing scourge of poaching, World Rhino Day (22 September, 2015) provides the ideal opportunity for those of us in the travel industry to unite and take action to protect these iconic animals. &Beyond, which boasts 24 years of proud successes in rhino conservation, has thrown its weight firmly behind this day. Believing that translocation is vital to the long-term preservation of the species, &Beyond has joined forces with Great Plains Conservation’s ground-breaking Rhinos Without Borders Initiative to move rhino from high-risk areas in South Africa to neighbouring Botswana. 10 rhinos have already been successfully translocated by the project, with plans currently underway to move a second batch.
Just in time for World Rhino Day, Rhinos Without Borders is celebrating the arrival of a calf born to one of the rhinos that the project has translocated from South Africa to Botswana!
In addition to pledging to the Rhinos Without Borders cause, &Beyond guests can also assist in the on-going efforts towards the conservation of this endangered species, by embarking on an adventure-filled Rhino-Notching excursion. This once-in-a-lifetime adventure allows guests to get up close and personal with rhino at &Beyond Ngala Private Game Reserve or &Beyond Phinda Private Game Reserve. Here, guests will have the opportunity to witness the capture and darting of rhino. A wildlife vet will locate and dart the rhino from the vantage point of a helicopter, while the guests and ground crew will follow in open 4×4 safari vehicles. Once the rhino have been darted, the veterinary team will notch each sleeping animal’s ear for research and security monitoring and insert a microchip into the horn, enabling researchers to identify different rhino on the reserve correctly. Groups of up to eight guests can participate in this conservation initiative. Click Here to see guests experiencing the unforgettable rhino notching experience.
