PRIME TIME NETWORK CBS AIRS INTERVIEW ON GROUNDBREAKING – RHINO TRANSLOCATION – RHINOS WITHOUT BORDERS
Prime time US network CBS focused on raising awareness of the growing threat of extinction faced by Africa’s rhino by airing a story of hope about a ground-breaking initiative designed to help save this iconic animal. Based on an interview with wildlife filmmakers, conservationists and National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the insert focused on Rhinos Without Borders, a project spearheaded by major players in the African tourism industry, including the Jouberts’ conservation travel company, Great Plains Conservation, and luxury experiential travel company &Beyond.
Rhinos Without Borders tackles the growing scourge of poaching, which has seen 1116 rhino killed in South Africa in 2014 alone, with one animal slaughtered for its horn every seven hours. Based on a partnership between industry players and involving the governments of both South Africa and Botswana, the initiative aims to translocate up to a hundred rhinos from South Africa, where poaching is rampant, to Botswana, which has the lowest poaching rate in Africa. On reaching Botswana, the rhino will be protected by trained anti-poaching teams, who will also form a protective umbrella for other threatened species in the wilderness areas where the rhino will be released.
This movement of rhino to Botswana is envisioned to create a seed population that will have a chance to breed naturally in the wild and have a positive impact on Africa’s rhino numbers. These figures are currently in deficit, with more rhinos killed by poachers than there are born each year.
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“The more we allow species to disappear, the more we’re moving ourselves further and further to extinction” said Beverly. “And we’re not just going to let that happen. We are going to do whatever we can right up until the last minute,” Dereck added.
“As a company with deep grounding in responsible travel and conservation, we feel it is vital for tourism industry members to engage in finding a solution to poaching, which is threatening the survival of rhino. We believe that translocation is vital to the preservation of endangered species and are proud to be working alongside Great Plains Conservation to be making a real difference,” says Joss Kent, &Beyond CEO.
To watch the story in full and listen to the Jouberts explaining the issues surrounding rhino poaching and the importance of this project in securing a future for the species, please click here or on the video image above.