#JustOneRhino Begins With You!
Rhino – The word “rhinoceros” is of Greek origin; “rhino” meaning “nose“, and “ceros” meaning “horn“. At the beginning of the 20th century there were 500,000 rhinos across Africa and Asia. This fell to 70,000 by 1970 and further to just 29,000 in the wild today. (Information obtained from the “Save The Rhino Website”)
Photo Courtesy of Susan Portnoy, The Insatiable Traveler
This is the visual we are all familiar with and associate with one of the world’s most spectacular animals. As the population figures above illustrate, we are in a major crisis to save this animal and keep it from perishing. Think how sad it would be for your children and grandchildren to grow up without the ability to visualize a rhinoceros. It always has been one of the most coveted animals to see, whether visiting a zoo, wild animal park or for the more fortunate, seeing one in its natural habitat on a Safari (One of my top five on my bucket list)! Hopefully I will consummate this dream before I age beyond ability to participate, or before the faction destroying these animals, kills them off.
Photo Courtesy of Susan Portnoy, The Insatiable Traveler
“Award-winning filmmakers (and National Geographic Explorers-In-Residence) Dereck and Beverly Joubert are among Africa’s most outspoken wildlife conservation advocates. Now, through their Great Plains Conservation and Great Plains Foundation arms, the Jouberts have launched Rhinos Without Borders, an attempt to save endangered Rhinos by translocating 100 of them from South Africa to Botswana in order to protect them from the tragic rise in poaching. To do this, they’ll need to raise nearly $5 million, as the costs to capture, transport, quarantine and release these animals will average about $45,000 per Rhino.” (Direct quote from Bret Love, Mary Gabbett and Green Global Media) Please read the interview Green Global Media did with the Jouberts. It will inspire you to help!
Rhino Horn Removed, by Beverly Joubert
Hopefully this photo shocked you as much as it did me the first time I saw it. This one photo inspired me to join this project and help #JustOneRhino. Why on earth can a population participate in the butchering of this magnificent animal, all in the name of providing a yet unproven aphrodisiac? Seriously, is your sex life more important than an animal that has been around for 15 million years and what are your plans when you eradicate this creature?
I have lived a very treasured life and until recently it was a life full of family and prosperity. So when I look at the future of one of the planet’s oldest animal populations and the fact that we are facing the extension of this creature, I cringe with disgust. Today is my 65th birthday (Yes I am a hopeless romantic Pisces) and I never thought in my wildest dreams that my life would take the turn it has and I would lose the love of my life, after 36 years of marriage.
When Bret Love reached out to me in regard to this project, I jumped on it and have actively shared daily posts for #JustOneRhino. I was simply amazed that over 125 travel bloggers signed up to participate in this project. See, we aren’t all looking for a free trip or stay at a 5-star hotel. We actually are real people, with huge hearts and our community is one of the most loyal and supporting groups of people I have had the pleasure to meet.
At my age I keep learning daily (unless my dementia starts acting up). When Bret stated we could pick the day we wanted to publish, I immediately chose today. I knew there was no way I would forget to publish on this day and given it was to be my first birthday alone, after sharing my life with another for so long, I thought what better way than to help my buddy out and support this wonderful and desperately needed project! Thank God for Dereck and Beverly Joubert, not to mention Jeremy Scott Foster. These kind souls are waging a monumental war against poachers and a society filled with fairy tale aphrodisiacs.
Photo Courtesy of Susan Portnoy, The Insatiable Traveler
As a society we have to comprehend what the loss of this magnificent creature means and what happens when our Ecosystem grows imbalanced each time we lose another species. It is critical that we stop turning our heads, placing our heads in the sand and averting reality. We must march on, full steam ahead and confront the evil people who represent the extinction of this creature.
We cannot tarry, especially given the serious population erosion in the last century. This is real and we must take action now. I am tossing out a challenge to all my supporters and people who follow me on my Nomadic Texan blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Instagram and my other less popular social media platforms, to submit a birthday present of a donation to #JustOneRhino! I am treating myself by giving $100.00 to the cause and would appreciate each of your giving whatever you can spare. No amount is too small. Together we can beat these evil people and save the Rhino!
Make a donation of $20 or more at TravelersBuildingChange.org. Every penny of your donation helps fund rhino conservation, fights terrorism (most poaching profits fund groups like Boko Haram), and earns you a chance at winning one of over 20 great prizes. The more you give, the more chances you have to win
Donation Amounts
$20 – 10 raffle entries
$30 – 20 raffle entries
$50 – 30 raffle entries
$75 – 50 raffle entries
$100 – 80 raffle entries
$250 – 200 raffle entries
$500 – 500 raffle entries
– On why he started TBC:
10-day Galapagos Voyage for one. Value $5,298
Full Trip Details found here.
South Africa Big Five Safari: Kruger & KwaZulu-Natal + Swag Bag for 2 people. Value $5000
Full Trip Details found here.
Seven nights bed and breakfast in a Garden View suite. Value $5,187
10 nights’ stay & wellness package for two people at Yemaya Island Hideaway and Spa on Little Corn Island, Nicaragua. Value $5,241
#JustOneRhinoSponsors
