Did you know rhinos have been around for over 50 million years?

Now, 95 per cent of rhinos have been wiped off the face of the earth.

We at African Travel, Inc. are especially passionate about the protection of rhinos as they are such a big part of why many people want to visit Africa – the safari experience.

Can you imagine Africa without any rhinos?

Rhinos are killed for their horns which are made out of keratin – the same material that’s found in hair and fingernails. Currently, rhino horn is worth more than gold on the black market. It is often used in traditional Asian medicine and is thought by many to be a cure for cancer, though there’s no scientific evidence of medicinal value.

It’s important to recognize this day as if poaching continues at current rates, the rhino could be extinct within our lifetime.

On this World Rhino Day, we’re sharing ways you can help save rhinos.

1. Turn off your GPS location while on safari 
Poachers are now using unsuspecting tourists to hunt their prey. While on safari, tourists post photos of animals to social media sites, not realizing that embedded within the post or the photo is a geotag containing the GPS location of the photo or poster. This allows poachers to track animals of value. Click here to learn how you can turn off geotagging on your phone.  

2. Book African Travel, Inc’s Majestic South Africa Trip
When guests book Majestic South Africa for travel in 2017 or 2018, we will be donating $50 per couple, in their name, to go towards building a new rhino boma at Shamwari Game Reserve. The rhino boma will be a safe haven to rehabilitate injured or orphaned rhino until they are strong enough to be released back into the wild.

3. “When they buying stops, the killing can too.”
Do not buy any products made of rhino horn. In partnership with the TreadRight Foundation, we support WildAid, whose mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in our lifetimes. For more facts, check out this infographic. 

Read our blog posts about micro-chipping a rhino and building a rhino boma.