Skydive for Rhinos

The African Conservation Trust (ACT) wants to match one-for-one, the Rhinos that were killed by poachers last year in South Africa, with a national Skydive for Rhinos campaign and is calling on ordinary South Africans to do something extra-ordinary to show their support.

Skydive for Rhinos is an African Conservation Trust (ACT) initiative with the objective of raising R10 Million for on the ground, verifiable Rhino conservation and anti-poaching efforts in South Africa.

Funds raised will be utilised for training and equipping rhino anti-poaching units (APUs), aerial surveillance and support and community intervention programs. These will be verifiable, urgently needed interventions and funds will be distributed nationally to where support is most needed.

100% of funds raised go to the ACT Rhino Fund, a dedicated bank account. Every Rand raised is accounted for, no charges or administration fees are being deducted.
Rhino Poaching - The Black and White of it all!

The past 45 years has seen more than 100 000 Rhinos killed for their horns throughout Africa. This is a multi-Trillion US$ loss to the continent. Since 2008, more than 1013 South African Rhinos have been killed by poachers. In 2011 that figure reached an alltime high of 448. We are only half way through 2012 and South Africa has lost 232 Rhinos to poaching already!

If one Rhino is worth around R 500 000, this equates to half a billion Rand that has been stolen from South Africa since 2008. With Rhino horn selling for up to US$50 000 per kg and the average Rhino horn weighing 5kgs, this means that the illegal poaching of rhino horn is a multi-billion dollar, black market industry. 93% of the world's last remaining White Rhinos are in South Africa and fewer than 4 800 Black Rhino are left in the world. South Africa is quite literally the last remaining strong hold for Black and White Rhinos and they are both under serious threat of extinction.

And this is not typical poaching: highly sophisticated and organised criminal syndicates (with no respect for the existence of the species) are using advanced technologies and equipment to poach as many as two Rhinos a day, right here, right now, in South Africa.

To some, Rhinos are worth more dead than alive. For us South Africans however, OUR Rhinos are one of OUR Big Five - up there with OUR Lion, Leopard, Elephant, and Buffalo and one of OUR much loved and most valuable natural assets. OUR Rhinos are iconic to, and indicative of, every aspect of South Africa: Wildlife, Culture and
Heritage. OUR Rhinos are part of OUR valuable eco-tourism and safari industry, their very existence creates employment and brings in valuable tourism revenue. OUR Rhinos are so much a part of OUR economy that they feature proudly on OUR R10 notes. And with only 25% of Rhinos in South Africa being privately owned, these most definitely are OUR Rhinos.

Rhinos have been around for more than 50 Million years. An attack on one of South Africa's Big Five is an attack on South Africa itself. This is a serious crime against OUR wildlife: it is theft on a grand scale.

It is our duty to preserve OUR wildlife for OUR future generations.
We are purely the custodians.
Protecting Rhinos at the front-line of attack requires funding and resources.
The target is to be raised is R10 Million.

Teams of dedicated, professional tandem masters are in place at the four registered Parachute Association of South Africa (PASA) Drop Zones that will be hosting Skydive for Rhinos events, which are:

27th - 29th July @ SkyDive Rustenburg - Rustenburg, North West Province.
17th - 19th August @ Angel's Way Skydiving Centre / Skydive Durban - Eston, KZN.
31st August - 2nd September @ Skydive Port Elizabeth - Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape.
21st - 23rd September @ Skydive Robertson, Robertson, Western Cape.

Remember - 22nd September is World Rhino Day!

Contact Sheelagh on for more info on how you can get involved.