Black Rhinos on the Brink
Emergency Appeal Will Support Wildlife Conservation in Zimbabwe
Once a vibrant center of conservation, Zimbabwe is caught in a crisis that is putting its natural heritage at risk.
In Hwange National Park, for example, armed and aggressive poachers have nearly decimated the country’s black rhino population—resulting in over 100 rhinos being killed for their horn during a ten-year period. These losses are especially critical because AWF and others had recently succeeded in bringing the population back from near extinction. Today, the population numbers just 26 rhinos.
Besides affecting individual species, the country’s ever-deepening economic crisis is hobbling its park facilities and staff morale. Many nonprofits have stopped or cancelled conservation programs. State funding to the wildlife and parks authorities has all but dried up. Consequently, scores of rangers and other park staff are working without pay, decent equipment or basic food rations. “Some patrol teams go into the field without any communication radios--which is not only inefficient for stopping well-organized and well-armed poachers but also poses great risk to their safety,” says Jones Masonde, an AWF ecologist.
Your generous donation will provide emergency support to the park stations crucial to Zimbabwe’s park system and fund other important work.
Donate today and your support will go directly to support Southern Africa's rhino population. Without your help, years of conservation gains could unravel and Zimbabwe’s most fragile wildlife could be lost for good.
Your gift now will support AWF’s work throughout the African continent and ensure Africa’s wildlife and wild lands endure forever.
