by Wild Rhino | Nov 2, 2016 | Information Centre
In 1976 trading in rhino horn was banned under the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), to which 175 countries are signatories, including South Africa and many others involved in illegal trading. But the trade simply moved to the black market.
Since then, thanks to various conservation efforts and improved security measures, the black rhino population has increased from 2 500 to about 5 000 and white rhinos from 7 000 to about 20 000, concentrated in a few countries in Southern Africa.
Since 2008 South Africa lost almost 8 500 rhino to poaching, with the trend continuing. At this rate there is a risk of rhino deaths overtaking rhino births, undoing all the conservation efforts to date and risking the future survival of this important species.
by Wild Rhino | Aug 11, 2016 | Latest News
ThienNhien.Net – Ngày 14/7, tại TP Hồ Chí Minh, ca sĩ Thanh Bùi cùng 22 bạn trẻ Việt Nam chiến thắng trong cuộc thi Tê giác hoang dã vừa kết thúc chuyến đi đặc biệt kéo dài 5 ngày tại châu Phi, tận mắt chạm tay những chú tê giác đang sinh sống và được bảo vệ tại đây. Sau chuyến đi tuyệt vời này, 22 bạn trẻ Việt Nam trở thành những đại sứ trẻ tuổi mang thông điệp mạnh mẽ kêu gọi bảo vệ tê giác – một tài sản thiên nhiên vô giá.
Đây là chương trình được Trường Wilderness Leadership ở HluhluweiMfolozi Game Reserve, tỉnh KwaZuluNatal thuộc Nam Phi tài trợ.
Lần đầu tiên đến châu Phi, các bạn trẻ đã vô cùng ấn tượng bởi cảnh tượng thiên nhiên kỳ vĩ của vùng đất này. Các bạn hiểu rằng, mình đang ở đây để chứng kiến thực tế cuộc chiến bảo vệ tê giác, để có thể đưa thông điệp bảo tồn loài vật độc đáo của thiên nhiên hoang dã khi trở về Việt Nam.
Để chuẩn bị lên đường, nhóm bạn trẻ với hành trang đơn giản chỉ gồm một số vật dụng cần thiết nhất, không điện thoại hay các thiết bị công nghệ. Hầu như các bạn nhỏ đều bày tỏ sự phấn khích với chuyến đi châu Phi đầu tiên của mình. Các bạn trẻ đi bộ, khám phá môi trường sống của các loài động vật và ngủ trong rừng giữa bầu trời Nam Phi. Cùng với các hướng dẫn viên giàu kinh nghiệm và các cán bộ kiểm lâm, các bạn trẻ nhanh chóng làm quen với môi trường hoang dã và nhanh tay bắt đầu nhiệm vụ của mình.
Điều đặc biệt là sự có mặt của ca sĩ nhạc sĩ Thanh Bùi – Đại sứ của các chương trình bảo vệ tê giác. Anh chia sẻ, đây là chuyến đi của những trải nghiệm thực sự – không chỉ về tê giác, mà còn là trải nghiệm của sự kết nối con người và thiên nhiên hoang dã như một tổng thể hoàn thiện.
Trong 5 ngày ngắn ngủi, nhưng các bạn học sinh và ca sĩ Thanh Bùi đã dành nhiều thời gian với các bé tê giác mồ côi – hậu quả của việc săn trộm tê giác, đồng thời tham gia vào các hội thảo giáo dục được tổ chức bởi Wilderness Foundation, nơi các bạn trẻ sẽ được hỗ trợ mặt chiến lược phát triển, cách chia sẻ thông điệp bảo tồn tê giác đến với cộng đồng Việt Nam.
Chuyến đi của đoàn đã được giới truyền thông Nam Phi hết sức quan tâm và đưa tin trên các phương tiện thông tin đại chúng.
Cuộc thi Tê giác hoang dã (tên tiếng Anh: Wild Rhino Competition), được tổ chức bởi tổ chức Wilderness Foundation và đối tác Investec Rhino Lifeline, Peace Parks Foundation với sự hỗ trợ truyền thông ở Việt Nam của Soul Academy và trung tâm CHANGE, là một phần của chiến lược toàn diện nhằm hạn chế nhu cầu sử dụng sừng tê giác ở các nước chính như Việt Nam và Trung Quốc. Tháng 102014, hai ca sĩ Thu Minh và Thanh Bùi đã đưa cuộc thi đến với 15.000 học sinh của 12 trường quốc tế tại TP Hồ Chí Minh. Dựa trên 1.500 bài dự thi, 22 bạn trẻ tiêu biểu nhất đã chiến thắng và đạt được giải thưởng lớn nhất của cuộc thi là chuyến đi đến Nam Phi 5 ngày để trải nghiệm thiên nhiên hoang dã.
by Wild Rhino | Aug 11, 2016 | Latest News
Published in Die Burger, 13 July 2015
by Wild Rhino | Jun 8, 2016 | Latest News
The Wilderness Foundation said its rhino awareness campaign in Vietnam is gaining traction.
The organisation said the second phase of its awareness campaign was launched this month in 11 international schools throughout Ho Chi Minh City.
It calls on young Vietnamese to be “superheroes and speak out against the use of rhino horn in their country” seen as one of the main sources for poached rhino horns.
“The Vietnam, be my hero campaign is the second phase of the Wild Rhino initiative – presented by Wilderness Foundation Africa (WFA) in partnership with Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) and Soul Music and Performing Arts Academy (SOUL) – initially launched in Vietnam in 2014,” the WFA said in a statement.
“Through multimedia marketing channels, competitions and first-hand African wildlife experiences, the Wild Rhino Initiative aims to teach the Vietnamese youth about rhino protection, and motivate them to become ambassadors for the cause,” the Foundation said.
“The people of Vietnam are increasingly demonstrating a revitalised determination to support conservation and environmental reform. With the same inspired outlook, schools in HCMC welcomed the Vietnam, be my hero campaign, as an opportunity to engage the next generation in being part of the solution to environmental care, not only in their own country, but on a global scale.”
“This second phase of the Wild Rhino campaign builds on activities in 2014 and 2015 that saw 15 000 Vietnamese youth from 12 international schools in Ho Chi Minh City introduced to the crisis of rhino poaching and invited to enter the Wild Rhino Competition.”
“Selected as the winners from more than 1500 entries, 22 Vietnamese young people won a trip to South Africa for their first ever rhino experience, and to learn about conservation and species protection first-hand. Inspired by what they saw and learnt, the young people committed themselves as true ambassadors for the cause.”
The CEO of WFA, Dr Andrew Muir, said “it was rewarding to see Vietnamese children of all ages embracing the idea that the rhino should also be a part of their heritage. There are no rhino left in Vietnam, and it is therefore the responsibility of all Vietnamese to help fight the rhino poaching crisis. We are proud to be working in Vietnam and are encouraged by the positive response we have received to this campaign.”
The Foundation said their campaign is being supported by famed local musician, Thanh Bui, CEO of SOUL.
“The new Vietnam, be my hero campaign is an incredible opportunity for the Vietnamese people to take responsibility for a world-issue, and for us as a nation, to ‘right’ a devastating ‘wrong’. I believe that we have a chance for redemption and to stop the demand for rhino horn. Vietnam can be the hero of the rhino,” said Bui.
Werner Myburgh, CEO of PPF, highlighted the significance of demand reduction within a multi-faceted approach to solving the rhino poaching crisis: “With a general acceptance on the ground that there is no magic short-term solution to end rhino poaching, we continue to engage in and support activities that address critical challenges along the illegal rhino horn supply chain – protecting the rhino; disrupting trafficking networks; and reducing demand, with the latter being a major contributing factor to wildlife crime.”
The Wild Rhino Initiative forms part of a broader 5-year rolling implementation strategy aimed at curbing the demand for rhino horn in primary user countries such as Vietnam.
The Department of Environmental Affairs said last week that more than 363 rhino had already been poached in the first four months of the year.
by Wild Rhino | Jun 1, 2016 | Latest News
A new rhino awareness campaign that launched this month in 11 international schools throughout Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), is calling on the young people of Vietnam to be superheroes and speak out against the use of rhino horn in their country.
This comes after a recent announcement by the South African government that 363 rhinos had already been poached in the first four months of 2016 in South Africa alone.
The Vietnam, be my hero campaign is the second phase of the Wild Rhino initiative -‐ presented by Wilderness Foundation Africa (WFA) in partnership with Peace Parks Foundation (PPF) and Soul Music and Performing Arts Academy (SOUL) -‐ initially launched in Vietnam in 2014. Through multimedia marketing channels, competitions and first-‐hand African wildlife experiences, the Wild Rhino Initiative aims to teach the Vietnamese youth about rhino protection, and motivate them to become ambassadors for the cause.
The people of Vietnam are increasingly demonstrating a revitalised determination to support conservation and environmental reform. With the same inspired outlook, schools in HCMC welcomed the Vietnam, be my hero campaign, as an opportunity to engage the next generation in being part of the solution to environmental care, not only in their own country, but on a global scale.
This second phase of the Wild Rhino campaign builds on activities in 2014 and 2015 that saw 15 000 Vietnamese youth from 12 international schools in Ho Chi Minh City introduced to the crisis of rhino poaching and invited to enter the Wild Rhino Competition. Selected as the winners from more than 1500 entries, 22 Vietnamese young people won a trip to South Africa for their first ever rhino experience, and to learn about conservation and species protection first-‐hand. Inspired by what they saw and learnt, the young people committed themselves as true ambassadors for the cause. Following workshops and think tanks, it was through their insightful ideas and suggestions, that the Vietnam, be my hero Youth Awareness Campaign was born. Using the principle of peer-‐ education, the campaign features the messages and thoughts of these youth ambassadors on posters, educational leaflets and other marketing materials strategically provided and positioned throughout the schools. Engagement and interaction is further enabled through the Wild Rhino website, Facebook profile and Instagram feed. Representatives of WFA, PPF and SOUL visited schools during the week of 13-‐20 May to launch the campaign and urge participation.
Said Dr Andrew Muir, CEO of WFA: “It was rewarding to see Vietnamese children of all ages embracing the idea that the rhino should also be a part of their heritage. There are no rhino left in Vietnam, and it is therefore the responsibility of all Vietnamese to help fight the rhino poaching crisis. We are proud to be working in Vietnam and are encouraged by the positive response we have received to this campaign.”
Adding to the impact of the campaign, is the support of famed local musician, Thanh Bui, CEO of SOUL. Passionate about change, Mr Bui stated:” “The new Vietnam, be my hero campaign is an incredible opportunity for the Vietnamese people to take responsibility for a world-‐issue, and for us as a nation, to ‘right’ a devastating ‘wrong’. I believe that we have a chance for redemption and to stop the demand for rhino horn. Vietnam can be the hero of the rhino.”
Werner Myburgh, CEO of PPF, highlighted the significance of demand reduction within a multi-‐faceted approach to solving the rhino poaching crisis: “With a general acceptance on the ground that there is no magic short-‐term solution to end rhino poaching, we continue to engage in and support activities that address critical challenges along the illegal rhino horn supply chain -‐ protecting the rhino; disrupting trafficking networks; and reducing demand, with the latter being a major contributing factor to wildlife crime.”
The Wild Rhino Initiative forms part of a broader 5‐year rolling implementation strategy aimed at curbing the demand for rhino horn in primary user countries such as Vietnam.
