Three of the world's best surfers, 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), two-time J-Bay Open event winner Jordy Smith (ZAF), and 1989 ASP World Champion Martin Potter, visited the Chipembere Rhino Foundation to help raise awareness about the conservation of South Africa's rhinos and to learn more about the threat of poaching.
“We met some people from the Chipembere Rhino Foundation to learn about the plight of the rhinos,†said Slater. “I was astounded by the number of the rhinos that are killed each year. There's only about 25,000 rhinos left in the world and last year alone over 1,000 were killed in South Africa.
"I didn't know all this so coming here today was a real eye-opener for me. It was great to see some rhinos and learn more about the conservation efforts.â€
“The rhinos are so mellow, they're gentle giants and that makes it so unbelievable what people do to them,†said Smith. “We were educated on what's actually going on and it was mind-blowing. These rhinos are the most amazing creatures that I've ever seen -- so big, but so humble. To see what's happening to them is a huge tragedy. A huge thank you to everyone that was involved and I'm definitely going to spread the word.â€
The trio met with Dr. William Fowlds who explained the work of Chipembere Rhino Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of South Africa's rhinos. The Foundation's main focus is to provide anti-poaching units with the right equipment and training to help them better protect the species and raise awareness.
“They are such an iconic animal and their value to us is indescribable,†said Fowlds. “The support and awareness that we're getting through the ASP, Kelly, and Jordy is vital because this is a global problem.
"We are not going to solve the crisis from within South Africa," he said. "The whole global community has to get behind this and the ASP is helping by sharing the reality of what happens. If we don't get that message out we won't ever be able to stop what's happening.â€
South Africa is home to 73 percent of the world's rhino population. According to the latest figures, more than 500 rhino have been poached in South Africa so far this year. Despite the efforts to combat poaching, the number of rhinos killed continues to rise each year. Rhinos are poached primarily for their horns, which are falsely believed to have healing and medicinal properties. One of the challenges conservationists face is to educate the public and to stem the demand for rhino products.
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Jordy Smith (ZAF) (pictured),
Kelly Slater (USA) and Martin Potter took a lay day to help raise awareness and learn of the devastating plight of South Africa's rhino population.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Leaving the iconic waves of Supertubes, they headed for the South African "Bushveld" where everyday up to three rhino are poached for their horn and other body parts for medicinal and cultural purposes in Southeast Asian countries, in particular Vietnam.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Home to 73 percent of the world’s rhino population, South Africa's rhinos are being decimated by poachers who are now being supplied by international criminal types with sophisticated equipment to track and kill rhinos.
- WSL / Kirstin
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The ASP team met with the Chipembere Rhino Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of South Africa’s rhinos. The foundation’s main focus is to provide anti-poaching units with the right equipment and training so that they can do a better job of protecting the species as well as raising awareness.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Smith is welcomed by wildlife vet and Chipembere Trustee Dr. William Fowlds who has risked his life protecting the majestic, prehistoric White Rhino in the hope of preserving the species from extinction.
- WSL / Kirstin
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"I was deeply moved and horribly angered to learn about the rhino crisis in Africa firsthand. There is no two ways about how barbaric it is. There’s only about 25,000 rhinos left in the world and last year alone over 1,000 were killed in South Africa. I didn’t know all this so coming here today was a real eye opener for me. It was great to see some rhinos and learn more about the conservation efforts.â€
- WSL / Kirstin
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Dr. Fowlds explains to the team how the scarcity of the rhino and the intermittent availability of rhino horn drives the price higher and intensifies the pressure on the declining populations. For people whose annual income is often far below the subsistence level, the US$60,000 for 1 kilogram of rhino horn is the irresistible opportunity to change one’s life by killing an animal that they don’t value.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Slater and Smith are moved almost to tears by the brutality inflicted on these animals and the suffering caused.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Smith and Slater take in the disturbing image of a rhino poached in the area in March 2012 that was fatally wounded and died during the course of the night. Poaching methods include using tranquilizer guns to bring the rhino down, hacking of its horn and leaving the rhino to wake up and bleed to death very painfully and slowly.
- WSL / Kirstin
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Dr. Will Fowlds and the Kariega team work to save Thandi, a rhino who was one of the few to survive the brutal poaching methods used to extract its horn.
- WSL / Paul Mills
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“They are such an iconic animals and their value to us is indescribable,†said Dr. William Fowlds. "We are not going to solve the crisis from within South Africa. The whole global community has to get behind this and share the reality of what happens. If we don’t get that message out we won’t ever be able to stop what’s happening.â€
- WSL / Kirstin
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The challenges facing those on the frontlines are thousands of kilometers to patrol with little idea of the poachers next target.
- WSL / Kirstin
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According to the latest figures, more than 500 rhino have been poached in South Africa so far in 2014. Despite the efforts being made to combat poaching the number of rhinos that are being killed continues to rise each year. It has become fashionable in many Southeast Asian countries to consume powdered rhino horn as a status symbol and a sign of wealth amongst the newly-rich middle classe and business elite.
- WSL / Kirstin
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The market for rhino horn and by-products is fueled by cultural and religious beliefs in its healing properties and the misinformation that it can increase virility, libido and strength. The reality is that rhino horn is comprised of keratin, a chemical substance seen in the composition of human hair and nails and, as such, it has no medicinal properties whatsoever.
- WSL / Kirstin
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The challenge faced by conservationists is to educate the millions of potential consumers to this reality and shift perspective about the value of wildlife in general in order to stem the demand and collapse the market.
- WSL / Kirstin
“I knew there was poaching but I didn't know to what extent,†said Potter. “They're losing three rhinos every day. That's more than are being born, which is staggering. What is more staggering is the way it's happening. It's very emotional to hear about because it's so brutal. This is one problem we can fix by spreading the word and educating the younger generation.â€
ASP title sponsor Samsung Electronics is also involved in the fight against rhino poaching. Samsung has been working with the team at Rhino DNA Index System (RhODIS) to develop an app that will build the DNA database. The database helps rangers and veterinarians gather information about the rhinos while working in the field, and to convict poachers by linking horns to crime scenes.
ASP dedicated a segment to the Chipembere Foundation on Tuesday's Dawn Patrol, the J-Bay Open's daily morning show. The issue will also be featured in the hour-long J-Bay Open highlights show, which airs on ABC in the USA and other networks around the world. ASP and its surfers are also raising awareness about rhino poaching across social media.
Slater, Smith Raise Red Flag on Rhino Poaching
WSL
Three of the world's best surfers, 11-time ASP World Champion Kelly Slater (USA), two-time J-Bay Open event winner Jordy Smith (ZAF), and 1989 ASP World Champion Martin Potter, visited the Chipembere Rhino Foundation to help raise awareness about the conservation of South Africa's rhinos and to learn more about the threat of poaching.
“We met some people from the Chipembere Rhino Foundation to learn about the plight of the rhinos,†said Slater. “I was astounded by the number of the rhinos that are killed each year. There's only about 25,000 rhinos left in the world and last year alone over 1,000 were killed in South Africa.
"I didn't know all this so coming here today was a real eye-opener for me. It was great to see some rhinos and learn more about the conservation efforts.â€
“The rhinos are so mellow, they're gentle giants and that makes it so unbelievable what people do to them,†said Smith. “We were educated on what's actually going on and it was mind-blowing. These rhinos are the most amazing creatures that I've ever seen -- so big, but so humble. To see what's happening to them is a huge tragedy. A huge thank you to everyone that was involved and I'm definitely going to spread the word.â€
The trio met with Dr. William Fowlds who explained the work of Chipembere Rhino Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the protection and conservation of South Africa's rhinos. The Foundation's main focus is to provide anti-poaching units with the right equipment and training to help them better protect the species and raise awareness.
“They are such an iconic animal and their value to us is indescribable,†said Fowlds. “The support and awareness that we're getting through the ASP, Kelly, and Jordy is vital because this is a global problem.
"We are not going to solve the crisis from within South Africa," he said. "The whole global community has to get behind this and the ASP is helping by sharing the reality of what happens. If we don't get that message out we won't ever be able to stop what's happening.â€
South Africa is home to 73 percent of the world's rhino population. According to the latest figures, more than 500 rhino have been poached in South Africa so far this year. Despite the efforts to combat poaching, the number of rhinos killed continues to rise each year. Rhinos are poached primarily for their horns, which are falsely believed to have healing and medicinal properties. One of the challenges conservationists face is to educate the public and to stem the demand for rhino products.
“I knew there was poaching but I didn't know to what extent,†said Potter. “They're losing three rhinos every day. That's more than are being born, which is staggering. What is more staggering is the way it's happening. It's very emotional to hear about because it's so brutal. This is one problem we can fix by spreading the word and educating the younger generation.â€
ASP title sponsor Samsung Electronics is also involved in the fight against rhino poaching. Samsung has been working with the team at Rhino DNA Index System (RhODIS) to develop an app that will build the DNA database. The database helps rangers and veterinarians gather information about the rhinos while working in the field, and to convict poachers by linking horns to crime scenes.
ASP dedicated a segment to the Chipembere Foundation on Tuesday's Dawn Patrol, the J-Bay Open's daily morning show. The issue will also be featured in the hour-long J-Bay Open highlights show, which airs on ABC in the USA and other networks around the world. ASP and its surfers are also raising awareness about rhino poaching across social media.
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