Stronger on World Wildlife Conservation Day

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and government shutdowns around the world, conservation was not cancelled in 2020. Today is World Wildlife Conservation Day, and we’re recognizing it by looking back at what we’ve been able to accomplish this year, because of you.

Rhino reserves and the local communities surrounding them have been hit with huge economic losses as travel and tourism have ground to a halt and governments and donors have reduced their conservation budgets. But with your support, IRF has been able to keep critical rhino protection and monitoring teams throughout Africa and Asia safe and employed. Rangers and monitors have stayed in the field, continuing to protect rhinos while facing unprecedented challenges this year. 

We are stronger with you. With your help this year, we were able to:

• Provide more than $260,000 in grants to 10 rhino reserves in Southern Africa to help pay staff salaries, purchase health and safety equipment, and keep rangers and monitors in the field where they are needed.
• Fund 31 Rhino and Wildlife Protection Units in Indonesia – teams from local communities that monitor and protect all of the world’s remaining habitats for Javan and Sumatran rhinos.
• Partner with the Southern African Wildlife College to train rangers and K9 units throughout Africa and operate the K9 and aerial support units in Kruger National Park, home to the largest concentration of rhinos on the planet.
• Hire farmers in Indonesia to grow and plant trees and create 210 acres of new habitat for Javan and Sumatran rhinos.
• Begin tracking several Sumatran rhinos for eventual translocation into our conservation breeding program.

In IRF’s nearly 30-year history, we have never faced a year like this one, and your support has never been more crucial as we face decreases in revenue and increases in unexpected expenses, both caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The challenges we face are great, but so is our resolve. A long-time IRF supporter is matching every gift made until December 31st. For the rest of this year, your gift will go twice as far and make double the impact for rhinos and the people guarding them.

Thank you for standing with us and enabling us to keep rhinos thriving now and in the future. We are stronger with you.