Wilderness Foundation director Andrew Muir delivered the devastating facts of the South African rhino poaching crisis to over 70 senior staff of US Senators and Congressmen on Monday, March 05, 2012. He was addressing members of the International Conservation Caucus (ICC) at an ICC Foundation hosted event in Washington, DC.
“The main aim of my trip to the United States is to bring US policy leaders up to date on the current rhino poaching crisis and emphasize the Foundation’s view that rhino poaching requires an international response. We need immediate assistance with regards to equipping and training rangers who protect the wild rhinos,” says Muir.
South Africa is custodian to the majority of the remaining rhinos on Earth, and there is a dire need to support its conservation efforts with international awareness and education campaigns, funding for anti-poaching activities, and diplomatic discussions with countries which are importing the horns.
“The Congressmen and Senators were passionate about the issue, and several opportunities will be pursued to facilitate rhino conservation,” says Muir.
Also presenting at the ICCF briefing were Michelle Gadd of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Anna Schneider, Volkswagen Group of America. The WILD Foundation, also a partner, was represented by its president, Vance Martin.
The Wilderness Foundation is an international conservation organization based in Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. It is dedicated to raising awareness of the plight of rhinos in the country, and is involved in a number of anti-poaching activities through its Forever Wild Rhino Protection Initiative, launched in May 2011.
The founder of the Wilderness Foundation, environmentalist and conservationist, Dr Ian Player noted; “It is only through a global campaign and political will that we can save this remnant of the dinosaur age – the rhino.”
Muir will also be meeting with NGO partners, foundations, and corporations in Washington DC and New York City with the aim of generating strong US support for rhino conservation, especially in areas the hardest hit by poachers.
Alan Straton
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