All Gifts Great and Small

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing a number of compelling stories about what your support means to the International Rhino Foundation’s work. Like last year, you’ve opened your hearts and your wallets to make a huge difference for all five rhino species.

Some of us can give great gifts. Some of us can give small gifts. And all of us can do great things with gifts from the heart.

Please keep an eye out for our upcoming series of stories about what your gifts from the heart, great and small, enable us to do for each of the five rhino species.  We hope you’ll be inspired to continue supporting our work.

Black and White Rhinos
Thanks to the efforts of dedicated rangers, conservationists, and governments, black and white rhino numbers have steadily increased.  White rhinos represent a true conservation success story, coming back from fewer than 200 to more than 20,000 today.  Black rhino populations have doubled from about 2,400 in 1995 to more than 5,000 today.  Our field teams and grantees are working hard to make sure that this momentum isn’t lost to the current poaching crisis, which continues to claim about three rhinos per day in South Africa alone.

Keeping these populations safe requires a multi-pronged approach.  In 2010, we launched a new campaign called Operation: STOP POACHING NOW.  In the past 6 years, you, our generous donors, have provided more than $1.1 million to Operation: STOP POACHING NOW support critical rhino conservation work in Zimbabwe, South Africa, and Swaziland.  You’ve enabled us to provide funds for anti-poaching, strategic translocations, monitoring, hand-rearing of orphans, and veterinary care to rehabilitate and release injured animals.  The protection provided by these efforts also benefits other threatened species such as cheetahs, lions, African wild dogs, and elephants.

The need is still great.  Please consider giving generously to keep these African treasures safe. 

Thank you for your gifts from the heart, great and small.