OUTFITTING RHINO RANGERS, NAMIBIA

Outfitting Rhino Rangers, Namibia

This project is aimed at equipping all 66 current Rhino Rangers with uniforms and equipment as they spend weeks at a time in the field while monitoring and protecting the desert adapted rhino of Northwest Namibia, and they need these resources to continue their patrols and in turn preserve the areas natural heritage. This project is working to help protect large tracts of land, preventing a variety of activities that have a negative impact on the environment. These include poaching, illegal mining, and illegal deforestation. Ensuring that the presence of highly endangered desert adapted black rhino and other species can continue to attract tourism revenue there reduces the likelihood of climate destructive industries taking hold. Additionally, projects like this presents travelers with an opportunity to provide direct support for conservation in a very environment-friendly way.

THE ISSUE

One  of  the  biggest  conservation  threats  faced  in  Namibia  is  caused  by  the  poaching of  rhino,  especially  in  areas  where  communities  rely  on  revenue  from  tourism. The desert  adapted  black  rhino  is  one  of  the  most iconic species that draws  visitors  to the  remote  northwest  of  the  country  and  the  rhino  population  has  to  be  preserved in  order for that draw  to  continue. This  is  especially  important as  these  areas  are already  losing  some  individual  animals  as  a  result  of  the  current  prolonged  drought that has been  going  on  for almost seven  years in  some  areas. These  threats  can  all  be  managed,  and  the  threatened  populations  preserved  by using  established  techniques and  working  with  organizations  that  have  been  in place  for  many  years. However, many  of these  organizations  also  rely  on  the tourism  dollar and  funding  from  donors  so  their  own  resources  are  currently  also considerably  depleted.  The  Covid  pandemic  has  meant  that  revenue  from  tourism has  largely  dried  up  since  March  2020,  and  many  community  members  who  were involved  in  tourism  and/or  conservation  have  lost their income. As  a  result, it is imperative  that these  animals  are  seen  to  provide  value  to  local  community members,  and  that  they  are  carefully  monitored  in  order  to  deter  members  of  local communities  seeing  poaching  as  an  alternative  source  of  income. 

THE GOAL

The Community Rhino Rangers help protect desert adapted rhino, essential to bringing tourism into this area, and their continued presence secures a sustainable income for local communities from natural resources they steward, as well as providing protection for an endangered species - the final measure of the project’s success.

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This project has already been awarded $7,000 by global businesses in the travel and outdoor industries! Help them achieve even more impact and get to $10,000 by the end of this year.