Almar Joins the WILDTRUST Adopt-A-Rhino programme

Sadly, since the beginning of 2022, more than 100 rhinos were killed in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) game reserves.

Amid these heart-breaking losses the team at Somkhanda Community Game Reserve, a 12 000ha reserve nestled in the heart of Northern KZN supported by WILDTRUST, a leading environmental non-profit organisation with a vision of a thriving and resilient world; made it a priority to dehorn their rhino population at the reserve as a crucial anti-poaching strategy to deter poachers from this community-owned reserve.

Almar Container Group is excited to join the WILDTRUST Adopt-A-Rhino programme which is designed to assist the reserve to receive a consistent flow of funding to safeguard its rhino population for future generations.

Rhino dehorning is a non-invasive and safe procedure that is done approximately every 18 months. How is a dehorning process carried out?

• Rhinos are usually darted from a helicopter by the vet.
• Once the rhino is down, a pen is used to mark the point of entry – usually 7cm from the base of the front horn and 5cm from the base of the back horn.
• While under anaesthesia a chainsaw is used to cut the horn off horizontally.
• Eyes and ears are covered to prevent noise / disturbance / damage from the saw.
• The stump is trimmed to remove excess horn at the base, then smoothed.
• On completion, the vet wakes the rhino up and observes that he/she is well from a distance.

The Almar SA team has named our adopted rhino Ajani meaning ‘he who wins the struggle’ and are grateful for the opportunity to help safeguard this white rhino from poachers.

“Saving rhino from extinction is a rallying call to our partners, donors, and the communities where we work. We are extremely fortunate to work on the frontlines of rhino conservation and to be able to contribute directly to range expansion and species survival across various reserves and community areas,” explains WILDTRUST CEO, Dr. Roelie Kloppers.

“There is still so much to do, but we draw strength from every ranger working tirelessly in the field, every facilitator raising awareness in their communities, and every donor, partner, and supporter who contributes to our work,” Roelie concludes.

Almar is also happy to announce that Ajani has been dehorned and was fitted with a new collar which is tracked by the reserve management via the Earth Ranger system which allows the team to have live information on him, ensuring his safety and security at all times.

It has been four years since Somkhanda last had a rhino poaching incident, proving the success of dehorning as part of the anti-poaching strategy to keep poachers away from the reserve.

For more information visit https://wildtrust.co.za/.