Activities

When we talk about rhino conservation, what does this actually mean? How do we go about increasing rhino numbers? How do we know whether these activities are having a positive impact?

The funds we raise are used to support projects that address rhino conservation through a number of activities:

• Anti-poaching and monitoring patrols, which detect and deter poachers and gather information about rhino ranges and numbers
• Community conservation programmes that develop sustainable methods by which local communities can creatively manage natural resources
• Environmental education programmes that teach children and adults about the importance of preserving natural resources and address human-wildlife conflict issues
• Translocations, so that rhinos from established populations can be reintroduced to former habitats
• Coordination and capacity building
• Developing economic and socially sustainable programmes, to reduce donor dependence
• Good biological management
• And in extreme situations, i.e., for the rarest rhino species, we support captive breeding programmes

On the whole, we address the "supply" of rhino horn, by working to prevent mortality, rather than addressing the "demand" side in the Yemen and the Far East. Our funds are limited and there are other agencies, such as Traffic and CITES, that deal with the legality of rhino horn trade.

Click on the menu on the lefthand side of this page to read about different types of conservation activities and examples of projects in the field that are using these methods.