Glenhills man strives to protect rhinos

EVERY nine hours a rhino is killed in South Africa. That is the harrowing statistic faced by conservationists as the value of these creatures’ horns soars above that of gold or platinum.

At the Thula Thula Rhino Orphanage, which serves as a sanctuary for approximately four orphaned rhinos, the staff remain on constant high alert. They have dedicated their lives to 24-hour surveillance, which means something simple as having supper becomes a complicated luxury.

This is where Glenhills resident, Warren Mc Allister, plans to make a difference.

“We hope to raise funds to increase the security at the sanctuary, not only to provide better protection for the rhinos against the poachers but also to assist the men and women who are sacrificing their lives to protect these priceless animals,” he said.

The first phase of the planned security upgrade, said Mc Allister, involves a camera surveillance system as well as an alarm along the rhino pen and parimeter fencing to alert the guards to when and exactly where potential poachers have breached the orphanage.

“We want to make sure that the poachers don’t get close to the orphans,” he added.

The project is set to cost an estimated R40 000, and thus far a total of R11 000 has been raised to fund the desperately-needed security upgrade.

“To date, more than 150 rhinos have been killed this year. That is double the amount last year this time. We are appealing to the community to stand together and to help us protect the rhinos. People can either sponsor money or the hardware that is needed to help us reach our goal.”

“People can sponsor as much as and often as they can afford. Our goal is to preserve our rhinos for our future generations,” said Mc Allister.

• The funds are being raised under The Earth Organisation. Contact Warren at warren@ptinnovation.co.za.

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