Blood Lions® partners with Different.org to launch national awareness campaign

Different.org is a crowdfunding philanthropy platform that helps leverage funding for worthy causes across South Africa.

Blood Lions® and WILDLANDS are extremely excited to announce that they now have a campaign on this powerful platform, to raise funding that can support the amplification of their message and spread awareness about cub petting, predator breeding and canned hunting. The Blood Lions® film and campaign has been incredibly powerful in spreading awareness across the globe, with millions of people reached using their digital platforms.

“Through these online channels we have been able to highlight and expose all the issues around the predator breeding and canned hunting industries in a manner that has been vital for decision-makers in the public and government arenas worldwide,” said Nicola Gerrard, Blood Lions® Digital Media Manager. “One challenge that we continue to face is on the awareness front around animal interactions. Volunteers and tourists continue to feel that their personal interactions at these cub petting and breeding facilities is somehow different and not, in fact, exploitative and commercial in nature. To have Different.org join the campaign is another major boost to ensure these messages are driven hard. The public, our networks and partners continue to play a key role in exposing the truth behind cub petting, predator breeding and canned hunting.”

“Blood Lions® is a vital awareness campaign and film for lion, and more broadly, predator conservation in South Africa – ultimately giving them a voice. The cub petting, predator breeding and canned hunting industry needs as much exposure as possible and Different.org is proud to be able to assist with funding and awareness,” concluded Ryan Sobey, Head of Operations for Different.org.

To contribute to this campaign and see how you can make a difference, please follow this link: https://different.org/projects/wildlands-conservation-trust/blood-lions/.

Innovative conservation ideas come out tops at 2017 Symposium

The 6th annual Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice was held in Howick, KwaZulu-Natal last week.

The purpose of this years’ conference was to explore the practice, science and value of nature conservation and to chart a renewed path towards addressing conservation challenges of the current era.

The Symposium is an initiative of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife (EKZNW) in partnership with WILDLANDS, the Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT), the Environmental Law Association, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of Zululand.

The link between conservation implementation and research is critical to effectively achieve conservation outcomes. The Symposium of Contemporary Conservation Practice is a key event which provides a unique platform for both partnerships and synergies to develop in both fields.

“This symposium is not just a science forum.  The scope focuses on conservation in its full context, which includes governance, science, management, decision-making, stake-holder engagement and the assessment of the effectiveness of efforts and interventions,” Said Bheki Khoza, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.

Dr Roelie Kloppers, WILDLANDS Executive Director, says that the Symposium has always been an important platform for analysing both the evolution of environmental and social challenges and the responses that have been developed to address them. “While our focus has traditionally been limited to the terrestrial environment, this year we launched a new marine programme aptly called WILDOCEANS. Through our integrated approach we hope to better understand the impact of our actions in the terrestrial zone on our marine environment, and, to develop effective strategies for dealing with negative impacts of human actions on our oceans.”

WILDOCEANS’ participation, led by Dr Jean Harris, brought students from the Ocean Stewards programme, a research platform that allows Marine Biology students mentorship and exposure to practical marine conservation. These students were given the opportunity to present their research to all in attendance throughout the duration of the Symposium.

WILDLANDS, once again, sponsored the KZN Premiers Award presented to Nantale Nsibirwa for her work – which identified critical source areas and transport pathways of diffused pollution in the Umgeni catchment. Samantha Hofmeyr was awarded the runner up prize for her work on the impacts of scuba diver activity on the coral reefs of Sodwana Bay. Both received funding to attend any relevant international (winner) and national (runner up) conference in the next 12 months respectively.

When asked how she felt about winning the Premiers Award Nsibirwa said: “Winning this award came as a surprise to me. It took a while to sink in and I am truly honoured!”

“We would like to thank our patron, Dr George Hughes who together with Dr Michelle Tedder and our dear friend and conservation legend, Roger Porter, all assisted in judging the student presentations for the award,” said Kloppers. “In my view the real value of the award does not lie only in the opportunity for the winning student to attend an international conference, but in getting input from an extremely knowledgeable and respected panel.”

Project Rhino’s call to de-horn rhino

Project Rhino, an association of like-minded organisations established in 2011 that facilitates vital rhino conservation interventions, is making a national and international call for funding to have approximately 200 rhino de-horned in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa over the next year. De-horning is seen as a temporary measure to prevent the killing of a rhino for its horn by poachers. It is an ongoing process, as the horn regrows after removal.

The province has lost close on 200 rhino this year, compared to 162 rhino in 2016. While these figures are alarming, the de-horning intervention has achieved positive results over the last two years since it was initiated in a many of the private reserves in KZN. For five years since 2011, the rhino poached on private reserves made up 24% of the total lost in the provinces. Since dehorning started, this number has dropped to an average of 4.5% over the past 2 years.

“Although by no means a silver bullet, the dehorning efforts of rhino have proved a very effective tool in deflecting poachers. We recognise this is not necessarily a tool that can be applied to all reserves such as those with big populations and therefore unable to deploy such a strategy, but on the smaller reserves, it can prove effective. The reserves with larger populations, however, will require our full and ongoing support as they may take the brunt of this deflection strategy,” Dr. Simon Morgan, Director WildlifeACT – Project Rhino Founder member.

The de-horning process is conducted by an experienced wildlife veterinarian and a team of specialists whereby the rhino is sedated, and the horn is removed and shaped to take off as much horn material as possible in a quick and painless procedure. “Our member reserves, who are made up of private, community and state owned reserves, have communicated to Project Rhino that one of their greatest needs is to dehorn all their rhino and to continue to maintain the horns as short as possible,” Chris Galliers, Project Rhino co-ordinator.

Project Rhino has conducted 25 horn removals on rhino from KZN reserves since June this year, costing a total of R200 000. The organisation is now faced with overwhelming requests to conduct over 200 horn removals in KZN which will cost approximately R1.6 million. At an average of R7000-8000 per rhino, the costs quickly add up and have been further exacerbated by other budget demands and budget cuts to many Rhino Reserves. One of the ways to achieve this is to offer both local and international members of the public, a chance to be directly involved in this critical conservation work. The payment towards this experience will contribute directly to a current and vital conservation intervention. Project Rhino wants to encourage everyone, from individuals to large corporate businesses, to get involved in this project and join in the fundraising efforts, noting the benefit of issuing tax deductible 18a certificates on every donation made.

WILDLANDS and Somkhanda Game Reserve have made the decision to de-horn its rhino and found it to be very effective in devaluing the horn and increasing the risk to poachers. It is not something we like to do but we have taken this proactive stance as a temporary measure which gives us more time to work on other important systems that are used to protect our rhino.” Dave Gilroy, WILDLANDS Strategic Manager- Conservation.

To find out more information on de-horning as well as various projects with Project Rhino – visit http://www.projectrhinokzn.org/

GPI auction raises R3.2m

 

 

A host of sports figures and business people gathered at Sun City on Friday night for the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola’s gala dinner and auction, raising more than R3.2-million for The Player Foundation’s beneficiaries Wildlands and Wings & Wishes.

The evening was another memorable experience for the global charity series’ ‘Union of Golf and Giving’ as the funds raised will make a significant contribution to the two main charities of the tournament.

Swing City, the glamorous and dazzling entertainment band, rocked the crowd to get the auction started and brought enthusiasm to the worthy causes supported by The Player Foundation.

The charitable auction is the main fundraiser of the Gary Player Invitational presented by Coca-Cola, and includes funds raised from the live auction at the dinner, as well as personal pledges and bidding from a silent auction of several exclusive items.

The top bid of the evening went for R400 000, and will bring the auction winner to Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland for The Open to experience Gary Player’s 50th anniversary of claiming his second Claret Jug, and also to the Gary Player Invitational in London held at Wentworth Club.

A once-in-a-lifetime experience, donated by Wildlands, fetched R200 000. The ‘Wildlife Experience’ will give the winner a front row seat to some of the most incredible conservation work being done on South African soil in the heart of Zululand in Zimanga.

Other items included a VIP package to the Nedbank Golf Challenge hosted by Gary Player, an FC Bayern Munich – ultimate fan experience, a 2018 Fifa World Cup experience, and a historical autographed photograph of The Big Three – Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

‘The extraordinary support we receive each year from our guests is quite remarkable. The generosity with which so many people contribute to our charity efforts of this tournament, and The Player Foundation’s goal of raising $100 million for charity is truly special,’ said Marc Player, CEO of Black Knight International.