For our third year in a row, ThreatQuotient is excited to celebrate World Rhino Day and the remarkable work Helping Rhinos does to help rhinos survive at sustainable levels in their natural habitat. We thought we’d take advantage of this opportunity to spread the word about this important mission, our activities to help support rhinos, and some new ways to get involved with Helping Rhinos.

Rhinos have been on the planet for 50 million years, but between poaching and habitat loss their population has dwindled – from 500,000 at the turn of the 20th century to only 27,000 today. Part of ThreatQuotient’s initiative to help has included adopting four rhinos through Helping Rhinos. The first, Mthetho, was adopted in honor of World Rhino Day 2019. We then adopted three orphaned rhinos to represent each region in which we serve customers: Bhanoyi (who recently hit the one-ton mark!) for APAC, and Makhosi for AMER and Mpilo for EMEA (both recently released from the orphanage into preselected, monitored areas in the wild to potentially create the next generation of rhinos).

Helping Rhinos continues to make significant progress in achieving their mission. Here are just three highlights from this year:

1. One of Helping Rhinos’ volunteer groups is the Black Mambas, South Africa’s first all-female anti-poaching unit. ThreatQuotient remains a proud sponsor of Nocry Mzimba, now a Sergeant in the 36-member team that patrols 50,000 hectares of the Balule Nature Reserve and raises awareness of the rhino poaching crisis in surrounding villages. This year, through generous donations, the Black Mambas’ new operations center is up and running, complete with computers, radios and grid maps.
2. Another recent initiative involves creating Rhino Strongholds – areas that provide the best possible security to reduce the risk of poaching and are large enough to allow the rhino to live naturally. Although rhino poaching incidents dropped in 2020, as COVID restrictions eased, poaching in the first half of 2021 was 50% higher than the same period last year. So, Helping Rhinos is also working urgently to fit 40 radio tracking collars on 40 rhinos to help rangers carry out their protection programs more efficiently and effectively. Explore options for getting involved with this important initiative.
3. In partnership with Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Helping Rhinos is also hosting a Global Gala for Rhinos on Saturday, October 23, 2021. The hybrid-event will be live at the Royal Geographical Society in London and simultaneously broadcast online. You can purchase tickets and learn more about the entertainment and live and silent auction items available, with proceeds going to strengthen Rhino Strongholds. 

We talk a lot about saving rhinos from poachers. But the reality is, loss of habitat is another increasing threat to the rhinos’ future on our planet. South Africa is home to 80% of Africa’s rhinos and its human population growth is forecast to rise by 20 million by 2075, putting unprecedented pressure on wild spaces and the wildlife that rely on them to survive. So, whether you’re interested in rhinos, the environment, research, political advocacy, education or community outreach – there are plenty of ways to contribute and help us celebrate World Rhino Day.