Charity desert race to mitigate falling wildlife numbers

On the 23 of July 2010, five staff members of the Cape Town-based tour operator Rhino Africa Safaris, plus a further 13 self-sponsored individuals, will travel to Namibia to compete in a grueling seven-day, 360 km cycle challenge across the northern Damaraland desert, in a bid to raise R200 000 for the Namibian Save The Rhino Trust.

The team will cover an average distance of 50 km each day, competing with sand, dust and blistering heat in excess of 40C.

Participants pay a fee of R18 000 and in addition are required to raise a minimum of R20 000, which is to be donated to the challenge’s beneficiaries, namely the Namibian Save The Rhino Trust.

In recent years there has been a sharp increase in rhino poaching in South Africa, with the majority being slaughtered in the country’s flagship conservancy, the Kruger National Park. Various steps have been taken to combat the trade in rhino horn, such as a moratorium on rhino hunting; de-horning live animals to deter poachers; marking and regulating stockpiled horns and allocating more substantial funds to rhino anti-poaching units. This all cost money however.

In 2009, Challenge4aCause raised R300 000 and generated a massive amount of awareness and interest in the cycle challenge, which has led to the opening of the race to the public in 2010.

Along with having an opportunity to compete in the challenge, the public may make online donations, regardless of the amount, by visiting www.rhinoafrica.com/challenge4acause