About Vet Rhino Fund
Learn more about our Rhino Fund that helps end Rhino poaching, and how you can support the fund.
The increase in the number of rhinos being poached in South Africa has a direct effect on veterinarians, as they get called out to examine and treat rhinos injured in poaching incidents. We decided to support our members by raising funds to assist them to treat the survivors to the best of their ability.
This is the origin of the Vets United Against Poaching shirt project. R10-00 from every shirt sold is donated to the Veterinary Rhino fund. Visit the SAVA shop to order your shirt.
Vet Rhino Fund's Structure
The Vet Rhino Fund is an umbrella name which was created for the three funds that fall under it. The three funds are:
- The South African Veterinary Association Rhino Fund
- The South African Veterinary Foundation Rhino and Conservation Fund
- Saving the Survivors Fund
The three funds all aim to contribute to the fight against rhino poaching in Southern Africa by serving different constituencies, focusing on different aspects and being governed by different organisations, covering the wide footprint of the complexity of the war against rhino poaching from a veterinary perspective. Donations can be made directly into any of the funds. Funds donated through the Veterinary Foundation are tax-deductible because of the Public Benefit status of the South African Veterinary Foundation. You can learn more about each fund and its focus area by clicking on the relevant links above.
How the Fund is Used
- For the Rhino Response Team: To assist the veterinarians in affording orphan rhinos as well as rhino poaching survivors the best possible treatment.
- Country-veterinary workshops to enable veterinarians to share knowledge/ experience regarding the best treatment available for animals that survived poaching. It also focused on the management of any rhino poaching incident and ways to prevent rhino poaching.
- Rhino Support Unit: Due to the size, location and often the extent of the injuries, rhinos cannot be moved. Veterinarians have to attend to these rhinos in the field and would need an off-road mobile support unit stocked with the necessary medical equipment.
Resources for Kids
In South Africa, a shocking 1175 rhinos were slaughtered for their horn in 2015. Several organisations are very visible in their efforts to try to curb the illegal killing of our rhinos. By on-going efforts throughout the year, the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA) strives to create awareness and to raise funds, which are used to assist veterinarians called out to poaching incidents, allowing them to treat poaching survivors to the best of their ability.
Our children, although bombarded with adverts and images of how we must save the rhino, are often unaware of the reasons for this uproar. In collaboration with the Air Force Base Waterkloof, the SAVA visited schools in Pretoria in 2014, where a veterinarian explained the difference between white and black rhino, types and the small number of rhinos left in the world, as well as the veterinarians’ role in saving and treating rhinos.
‘Kids love rhinos too’, colouring pictures and stickers were given to the school children. Due to the positive feedback received from schools, we decided to share these pictures with you.
Herewith, find pictures that you can print out and give to the kids. Stick the pictures on your wall to show that you care!
Rhino Colouring-In Pictures to Print!
