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How You Can Make A Difference with #JustOneRhino

Have you ever had a moment when you’ve wondered if there’s anything you can do to make this world a better place? Caught up in the business of life, putting in more hours of work than you know, you might think that ‘changing the world’ is a job for the great adventurers, thinkers and other extraordinary folks and there’s nothing significant you can do from your tiny little corner of the planet. Right?

Wrong.

I hate to break it to you, but you’re equally responsible for the entire planet. You do call it home, don’t you? Today you can contribute to positive change from wherever you are with as easy a gesture as a click on your mouse. That’s why I’m asking for your attention to a very critical issue, something that you can help with.

A Rhino is being killed in South Africa every 7 hours.

Rhinos are critically endangered due to the increasing illegal trade of rhino horn used in traditional Chinese medicine. In some parts of the world, it is regarded as a symbol of wealth and proudly displayed in opulent homes. The horn is savagely yanked from the head of the animal, which often leads to mutilation of the head and body.

Photo courtesy: Susan Portnoy/The Insatiable Traveler

Photo courtesy: Susan Portnoy/The Insatiable Traveler

The killing of rhinos helps poachers to make a living in a country with high corruption, relatively lax anti-poaching regulations, tolerance of trophy hunting and where a large percentage of the population lives in poverty. Unfortunately South Africa is home to 80% of the African Rhino population. The alarming poaching rate means that the rhino will be extinct in the wild in the next 20 years.

That’s in our lifetime.

The #JustOneRhino Campaign initiated by Travelers Building Change and Green Travel Media has brought together the world’s top travel bloggers and 20 responsible brands to raise $45000 to move #JustOneRhino to Botswana, a country with strict anti-poaching laws and the lowest poaching rate across Africa.

Rhino 1
photo credit: Justin Beckley Photography

Renowned conservationists and Botswana based National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert have undertaken to save the Black Rhino from extinction through their Great Plains Foundation. Their campaign called Rhinos Without Borders seeks to raise funds ($4.5 million) to move 100 rhinos from South Africa to Botswana by airlifting them and releasing and rehabilitating them in their new home. To save the species, of which only 5000 remain today, they must be moved out of South Africa as soon as possible to Botswana, one of the few places in the world with conditions suitable for the survival of the Black Rhino.

Photo by Beverly Joubert

Photo by Beverly Joubert

#JustOneRhino is a small step in that direction, trying to raise $45000, the cost to translocate a single rhino. Over 120 travel bloggers and I have pledged to spread the word about #JustOneRhino and help raise funds through our blogs, writing and social media channels. So, I’m asking for your support to help us achieve our goal by donating until March 1st, 2015.

It’s not everyday you get to say, “Hey, I helped save the Black Rhino from extinction”!

By donating, not only do you get to officially make the world a better place, you also get a chance to win one of these amazing prizes including tours and hotel stays in 11 countries generously offered by our fantastic sponsors.

A small donation could land you a BIG vacation!!

$20 gives you 10 raffle entries, $30 gives you 20, $50 gives you 30 and so on. Donating more obviously means higher number of raffle entries. Prizes will be announced on March 3rd, 2015 which is World Wildlife Day.

DONATE

Feeling inspired and motivated? Ready to take action?  Well, then here are the prizes you can win:

Platinum Prizes:

  • International Expeditions 10-day Galapagos Voyage for one. Value $5,298
  • Adventure Life South Africa Big Five Safari: Kruger & KwaZulu-Natal for 2 people. Value $5000
  • Cobblers Cover Hotel, Barbados Seven nights bed and breakfast in a Garden View suite. Value $5,187
  • Yemaya Island Hideaway & Spa, Nicaragua 10 nights’ stay & wellness package for 2 at Yemaya Island Hideaway and Spa on Little Corn Island, Nicaragua. Value $5,241
  • Secret Retreats
    • 3 nights for 2 people at Bali Jiwa Villa, Bali, Indonesia. Value $1,000
    • (2) 3 nights for 2 people at The Scent Hotel Koh Samui, Thailand. Total Value $3000 ($1,500 for each)
    • 3 nights for 2 people at 4 Rivers Floating Lodge, Koh Kong, Cambodia. Value $900
    • 3 nights for 2 people at Flower Island, Palawan, Philippines. Value $900

Gold Prizes:

  • 2-night stay w/ breakfast each morning at Renaissance Asheville
  • eBags EXO 2.0 Hardside Spinner 24″
  • BrinnoUSA TLC200pro HDR Time Lapse Video Camera with BCC 24-15 lens
  • Blogging for Business 1-on-1 Mentorship from Green Global Travel
  • Lifetime membership to Travel Blog Success
  • 2 nights for 2 people at La Francesca eco-resort in Italy
  • African elephants photography prize package by Dani Blanchette
    2 Admirals Passes good for dinner or brunch cruise in any port with Hornblower Cruises & Events
  • $150 gift certificate to ExOfficio
  • Men’s Alpha Black Gold 100% wood watch by WeWOOD
  • Men’s Alpha Beige 100% wood watch by WeWOOD
  • Tour with students in Mumbai and Delhi for 2 people

Don’t wait. Donate by clicking on the button below (like I did) and spread the word on social media using the hash tags #JustOneRhino and #RTTC. Help us in saving the rhino from extinction because together we can make the world better!

DONATE

If you’re interested to know more, you can read Dereck Joubert’s interview with Green Global Travel here.

 

A BIG Thank you to our wonderful sponsors!

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Sanjana @ Green Global Travel

Tuesday 5th of May 2015

Such an important cause that will hopefully really help the Rhino population! Thanks for sharing this wonderful post!

Someday I Hope to See #JustOneRhino in the Wild! | Vagabondette – The Wandering Dev

Tuesday 24th of February 2015

[…] How You Can Make A Difference with #JustOneRhino […]

Sandip Roy

Monday 19th of January 2015

It's wonderful that someone is talking about rhinos. Will keep a watch on this blog.

thebohochica

Monday 19th of January 2015

Thanks Sandip! Its about time someone got talking about the African Black Rhino and now there's a lot of us travel bloggers trying to garner attention to this cause.

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