Rhino Conservation Fund
This fund has been established by the South African Veterinary Foundation
(A section 21 company not for gain (fund raising number 022002390002) and
is dependant on public donations to assist in rhinoceros conservation and
disease control. The fund is administered by the Directors of the Foundation
who are all veterinarians.
Click here for donation
to the fund or to buy a rhino statue
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Justification and Goals of the Fund
The purpose of the fund is to:
- Assist with anti-poaching operations
- Aid with forensic tests
- Establish databases
- Distribute information
- Aid in the conservation of the rhinoceros
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Assist with research on diseases that threatens the rhinoceros
Create a reward system for the successful arrests of poachers. Assist
with anti-poaching operations To raise funds to assist Government
Departments to combat the illegal killing of the rhinoceros. Conservation
Departments are generally cash strapped and law enforcers have 2 000 km to
travel per month with official vehicles. Poachers are using various means to
obtain rhinoceros horn for the illegal selling to Eastern markets as
traditional medicine. During 2009 a total of 120 rhinoceros were poached. In
some cases methods such as game capture drugs and helicopters were used to
obtain the horn.
Forensic tests
Assist law enforcement officers to make successful arrests using DNA
technology. The South African Veterinary Foundation currently finances
forensic tests using this technology to link the horn of a specific
rhinoceros to the blood samples of that animal on a database at the
Onderstepoort Veterinary Genetics Laboratory of the Faculty of Veterinary
Science, University of Pretoria.
Establish databases
The implementation of the online drug register (www.drugregister.co.za) for
veterinarians in conjunction with the Department of Health is aimed at
streamlining the control of immobilizing drugs for wildlife.
Distribution of information
The South African Veterinary Foundation has been involved in the production
of two manuals:
- Rhino ranching - a manual for owners of white rhinoceros
- Translocating black rhino.
Conservation of rhinoceros
Support research on the biology of the rhinoceros in general.
Research on diseases that are a threat to the rhinoceros
Diseases like tuberculosis need urgent research. Such research would also be
applicable to other species as well.
Reward system for the successful arrests of poachers
A reward of R20 000 for information that will lead to the successful arrest
and conviction of rhinoceros poachers.
Preventative Dehorning
