In 2019, Eric, Emilie and I spent a week in a private reserve in the Waterberg region (South Africa). We rode through the reserve and got to observe up close the giraffes, impalas, kudus, antelopes, oryx, zebras, warthogs AND white rhinos. While all the furry herbivores looked cute (I would have taken home a baby zebra in a heartbeat), the white rhinos inspired awe and respect.

If you looked carefully, you could make out human silhouettes hiding in the bushes: They were the rhinos' guardians, hired to protect them from poachers. They follow the rhinos 24/7 all over the reserve, making shift camps, and ready to deter poachers at any cost. Despite this high level of security, poachers sometimes win. In fact, just a few weeks before our visit, poachers had butchered a rhino for its horn, leaving the carcass for vultures, and an orphan baby rhino to starve to death.

Paying the guardians, installing high security, electric fences, saving orphan baby rhinos is very onerous. To help with these costs, the Waterberg Rhino UK organizes an annual fundraiser. A total of 15 fundraisers* complete 250km over 7 days on horseback, riding 6-7 hours from private reserves to reserves, all dedicated to saving the white rhinos from extinction.

I have the privilege to join this epic ride and hope you will support my $5000 fundraising goal by contributing to it today.

*(Each rider is paying all the costs associated with taking part so that every penny raised goes to UK charity Waterberg Rhino.)