Our Mission: To employ counter poaching training and cutting edge technology to breed, protect and distribute Rhino in Africa.

The GCF’s Rainbow Rhino Initiative has 3 tactical approaches to contribute to this epidemic. Firstly, the foundation has established a counter poaching training camp which sponsors courses focusing on tracking, crime scene investigation and drone surveillance. Second, the initiative is developing a core breeding population of rhino from which a custodianship program can be launched, distributing new founder populations of rhino throughout Africa together with trained anti-poaching units. Third, the GCF is partnering with technology companies to create interactive awareness of rhino relocations through the latest GPS and drone technology allowing international communities to follow real time movement and imagery of individual rhino. The foundation has also played an integral role facilitating all key anti-poaching role players in the region including SAPS, Cape Nature, State Vets, Game Rangers Association of Africa, and the private sector to coordinate rhino poaching crime scene roles and responsibilities

 

The initiative ran its first training course in February 2017 at Camp Charleston, the foundation’s new onsite training facility. The first course trained eight local general workers in the field of counter insurgency. This course offered skills to individuals on fence maintenance teams to enable them to provide valuable input and assistance to anti-poaching units during their day-to-day patrolling of protected areas. This training is a perfect example of empowering people to contribute to the protection of our treasured natural resources. The training was made possible through the kind donation of Sportingbet.

 

The second course sponsored was a five-week Security Ranger Program which took place in March/April 2017 at Camp Charleston where eight candidates working in private and public parks attended. This training provided these individuals with the necessary qualifications and skills to be legal and competent security rangers in protected areas and game reserves. The foundation plans to sponsor three courses this year.

 

 

The poaching of Rhino in Southern Africa and in South Africa in particular has been increasing exponentially over the past five years. In 2013 more rhino were killed than born. In an effort to combat this increase in poaching incidents the Gondwana Conservation Foundation launched the Rainbow Rhino initiative.

 

The initiative’s objectives are to employ counter poaching training and cutting edge technology to protect and distribute Rhino in Africa.

 

The initiative will establish a best of class counter poaching training facility based on Gondwana Game Reserve and combine both traditional counter poaching training practice together with cutting edge technology such as drones and satellite tracking devices.

 

The initiative believes in changing the face of rhino conservation using technology and social media as a platform.

 

The Rainbow Rhino initiative plans to introduce over 60 individual rhino into various reserves in Africa over a 10 year period. Within this period it is estimated that over 85 rhino calves will be born and that the foundation will have over 180 rhino to distribute to suitable locations in Africa.

 

The foundation has a goal of working with conservation authorities where a package deal can be created. This package deal will include the deployment of a highly trained counter poaching unit together with a viable breeding herd of rhino to viable settlement areas.

 

We believe that the loss of the Rhino is a global issue and we all need to join hands to resolve it.  The foundation has thus launched an international fundraising initiative to contribute to the development of the Rainbow Rhino initiative.

 

People may participate in a variety of ways from contributing to the fund in general to sponsoring the training of a counter poaching unit to adopt a rhino or adopt both a rhino and counter poaching training team to be deployed in a viable area.

 

 

Year One
• Rhino relocation – R1,6 million
• Counter poaching unit (team of 4 soldiers, vehicle & equipment) – R1 million / annum
• Establishment of counter-poaching training facility – R500k

 

Year Two
• Rhino Relocation – R 2 million
• Counter poaching training course 2 per annum – 6 trainees per course – R90k per trainee
• Deploy first RRI trained counter poaching unit (team of 4 soldiers, 1 vehicle & equipment) – R1million / annum

 

Year Three
• Rhino Relocation – R 2 million
• Counter poaching training course – 2 per annum – 6 trainees per course – R90k per trainee
• Deploy second and third RRI trained counter poaching unit (team of 4 soldiers, 1 vehicle & equipment) – R1million / annum

 

Year Four
• Rhino Distribution – (R40k per rhino, minimum of 4 rhino in yr 4)
• Counter poaching training course – 2 per annum – 6 trainees per course – R92k per trainee
• Deploy fourth and fifth RRI trained counter poaching unit (team of 4 soldiers, 1 vehicle & equipment) – R1million / annum

 

 

Rhinos in the wild will be extinct by 2020 – If the levels of poaching continue, experts have warned.

 

What can you do?

Don’t buy rhino horn products!
Illegal trade in rhino horn is a continuing problem, posing one of the greatest threats to rhinos today.

Donate towards the Rainbow Rhino Initiative and help us make headway in abolishing poaching and protecting our threatened Rhinos across Africa

Spread the word! This rhino poaching epidemic needs everyone’s help to stop it!