10 YEARS OF CONSERVATION SUCCESSES WITH SAVE THE RHINO

Since 2013 we’ve been proud charity partners of Save the Rhino International. Looking back at the successes of the last 10 years has impassioned us to look ahead to the future of the partnership. This last decade together has brought forth some incredibly positive impacts for our joint vision of protecting all rhino species, and we're delighted to say that the effects are wider reaching.

Wildlife Conservation

“Mahlatini’s support is vital in helping us achieve our ambitious vision of seeing all five rhino species thriving in the wild.” Darion Moore, Partnerships Manager, Save the Rhino International.

Together we’ve witnessed some incredible wildlife conservation successes since our partnership began in 2013:

• We have raised more than $20,000 for rhino conservation through direct donations and merchandise purchases
• The black rhino population has grown from less than 4,000 to approximately 6,198 in 2023
• Annual rhino poaching numbers in Africa have dropped by almost 50%

These statistics bring all wildlife lovers great joy, however the reality is still harrowing. Rhino poaching numbers are still dangerously high with 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 on average.

Community Empowerment

The effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic were far reaching, and it made life for anti-poaching rangers very tough. Facing the fears and horrors of tackling wildlife poaching on a daily basis can feel overwhelming, and ranger units were forced to face insufficient funding as the pandemic wiped out one their major sources of income, travel and tourism. This affected all elements of ranger's daily lives, from funding effective equipment to worrying about the health and safety of their loved ones. We are proud to be partnered with a charity who continued to work tirelessly to support ranger’s salaries and emergency costs during the pandemic.

Community empowerment is wider reaching than supporting the brave rangers. Over the last 10 years we have helped fund education programmes in communities and schools across rural villages which surround park borders. These areas are the most exposed to criminals involved in trafficking and often attempt to recruit locals to assist them. Working with communities to help them understand more about rhino species and how to protect them empowers individuals to safe guard precious rhinos and other native species.

"I think the programme really helps us achieve something we can’t through law enforcement. Kids absorb messages easily; are telling people that rhinos are beautiful, and that you shouldn’t poach because it’s bad for the ecosystem." Claire Lewis, Technical Advisor to the North Luangwa Conservation Programme.

Environment and Biodiversity

One of the incredible things about supporting rhino conservation is the bigger, further-reaching impact. Rhino are an 'umberella species', meaning they have a large habitat that they share with other plants and animals. In this way, working to protect rhino populations also means saving lions, aardvark, dung beetles and a host of other diverse life.

Naturally, a big part of saving all rhino species is about protecting their environment and rhinos need larger, more connected safe spaces so they can continue to embrace natural behaviors like foraging for food, searching for mates and raising their young. In addition to tackling poaching, our partnership has supported work with on the ground teams to protect existing rhino habitats, create wildlife corridors, and build resilience into wild spaces so that they can withstand impacts of climate change.

Sustaining for the future

Knowing the shocking statistic of 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗿𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝟭𝟲 𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 on average is a driving force as we look to the future of our partnership with Save The Rhino.

To further strengthen our commitment to the survival and protection of all rhino species, this 10th anniversary year marks the beginning of a new initiative and era for our partnership. We now donate $10 for every couple travelling with Mahlatini (no matter their destination) to support Save the Rhino and protect all rhino species.

"The incredible thing about Mahlatini's partnership is that the donations are open, meaning Save The Rhino can allocate to where needs the funding most - whether it is repairs and equipment for rangers, or medical funding for wild vets." Cathy Dean, Save the Rhino CEO