Chantelle Cook (CRF), Andre Barnard (GM: Sales) and Glenn McKeag (CEO) of Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris
CRF is delighted to have received a R60,000 donation from The Rhino Ride, a unique conservation initiative supported by Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris, which will bolster CRF’s ongoing projects to create rhino conservation awareness and fund critical anti-poaching interventions.
The official handover took place in Berlin, where Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris attended a trade show. This donation is part of an ongoing contribution to CRF as specific Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris tours are sold.
CRF – along with The Next Generation Conservation Trust Namibia – is a selected beneficiary of The Rhino Ride, a conservation initiative supported by Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris, a Cape Town based tour operator. For each guest booked on specific long-distance tours, a donation is made to the rhino conservation beneficiaries, which were chosen based on their credibility and transparent fund application.
Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris believe that tourism can and does play a vital role in the conservation of Africa’s spectacular wild places. The Rhino Ride is aimed at creating awareness and sustainable support in the fight against rhino poaching through guided tours. This unique project also offers a platform for diverse partners in tourism and business to get involved and actively contribute towards the greater goal of eradicating rhino poaching.
“The Rhino Ride is an initiative called to life by myself and Gavin Green from Swartberg Biking around five years ago,” says Andre Barnard, GM: Sales at Springbok Atlas Tours and Safaris. “The idea is to support selected rhino conservation efforts through tourism. Among our main criteria for beneficiaries is that funds are applied transparently, so that tour operators who book or support the tours can see how their support is making a difference. This is why we prefer unique little projects within the foundations.”
“This is fantastic news!” says Brent Cook, founder of the Chipembere Rhino Foundation. “As we rely solely on donor support, we are truly thankful for the donation received from The Rhino Ride initiative and to all the tour operators and guests who participated. This donation will go a long way in protecting our magnificent rhino, boosting rhino conservation in the Eastern Cape and bolstering ongoing projects to create awareness and to fund critical anti-poaching interventions. We look forward to applying it to our key projects that are growing and making an impact on the ground where it counts.”
For more information about The Rhino Ride, please visit https://www.facebook.com/therhinoride/ or see https://www.facebook.com/Chipembererhinofoundation for more information about CRF.