Rhinos Without Borders, with the goal of relocating 100 rhinos from South Africa to Botswana, is proudly supported by Ker & Downey.
Africa is such a magnificent continent. It is vast with incredible wildlife. Flying over the Okavango Delta watching the herds of elephant trundle below will leave you awestruck. Seeing Africa for the first time breeds a strong desire to preserve it.
A Mission to Move the Rhinos
Rhino poaching is a pressing issue in Africa. In the 1900s, an estimated 50 rhinos remained in the wild. The numbers increased to 20,000 in 2008 through heroic conservation efforts. Unfortunately, rhino poaching has been on the rise again in recent years. Horn is one of the most valuable natural commodities in the world making rhinos a lucrative target for poachers.
Ker & Downey has partnered with Great Plains Conservation and the Rhinos Without Borders project to help move the endangered animals away from poaching hot spots to safer environments. The project aims to relocate 100 white rhino from South Africa parks to Botswana. Once there they can be closely monitored with specially-designed telemetry devices. Botswana has a “no tolerance policy” for poaching.
Moving rhinos isn’t cheap or easy. The rhinos travel by air to Botswana to shorten the journey and create less stress for the animals. The cost to move them will total $4.5 million, or about $45,000 for each one moved. Ker & Downey donated $70,000 to the project.
Growing the Rhino Population
Following our donation to the project, Ker & Downey was given the opportunity to name the rhino whose relocation we funded. We chose to name her after Ma Palmer, a stalwart of Ker & Downey Botswana’s development into a leading source of photographic safaris. After her over 30 years of service, we felt it only right to honor her in this way, allowing her to live on in spirit among the newly placed rhinos.
Now the rhino population in Botswana is successfully growing. Ma Palmer the rhino was one of the early pioneers to the re-establishment of the rhinos in Botswana. She has enjoyed her fancy-free life since the relocation. Rhinos like Ma Palmer are a pillar of the growing population in Botswana.
Protecting the wildlife of Africa is the aim of the Great Plains Foundation. Ker & Downey is honored to partner with the Great Plains Foundation to assist Rhinos Without Borders. You can partner with us too. For more information, contact your Ker & Downey Travel Professional.
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