Uvalde, TEXAS (Ammoland.Com) – Stewards of Wildlife, a non-profit organization based in Uvalde, Texas that offers a safe haven for struggling exotic animal populations, is moving forward with its most ambitious project to date: Rhinos Forever. First introduced at the Exotic Wildlife Association (EWA) Conference in 2015, Rhinos Forever’s mission is to bring rhinoceros from South Africa to ranches in Texas for safe keeping until such time the environment in South Africa is favorable for a thriving rhino population
“If we can’t take the danger from the rhinos, then we are going to take the rhinos from the danger. And no better place to do that than in Texas where the climate and terrain is very similar to South Africa’s,” said Cole Reid, manager at Morani River Ranch Preserve and Director of Special Projects for Stewards of Wildlife. “What we’ll do is source a population of rhinos, which means a population held in reserve to offer protection, in order to re-establish them and then send back home when ready. No matter what happens in South Africa, we’ll have a viable, sustainable population protected and thriving.”
The predicament of the white and black Rhino in Africa is a sad situation and is a war most say is being lost. Stopping the lucrative illegal horn trade would take a major cultural and societal change. The EWA and Stewards of Wildlife supporters visited South Africa earlier this year to establish relationships with ranchers. Charly Seale, EWA Executive Director, wrote, “The outpouring of support from these (South African) ranchers was phenomenal. They saw this project as a proverbial safe deposit box; a place to save the species if all else failed in Africa. By placing them in the hands of Texas ranchers to care for and to propagate, then their prodigy could be used one day perhaps to repatriate and restore this African icon to its rightful place in the world.” Read this article entirely at http://www.stewardsofwildlife.com/rhinos-forever
All Stewards of Wildlife projects require thousands of dollars in private sector funding. While the Rhinos Forever project currently has the support of the Texas Animal Health Commission, there are still other hurdles to cross. “The costs are enormous when you consider shipping a small herd of rhinos – as you need multiple animals to not only survive the trip, but also to create a sustainable gene pool – from South Africa to the U.S. and then offer the care they need. We need your donations. We need your help. You can donate directly and safely on our website. Please call us or contact us for any concerns; we are happy to serve,” concluded Reid.
Stewards of Wildlife’s mission is to have multiple, sustainable source populations for current and future generations in order to draw from to help re-establish decimated or extinct populations in native environments. The Rhinos Forever project is just one of several projects currently underway at the Morani River Preserve. Learn more at http://StewardsofWildlife.Com
About Stewards of Wildlife:
Stewards of Wildlife Conservation is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation and proliferation of wildlife as well as the habitats and natural resources they utilize. Stewards of Wildlife is home to more than 80 species from around the globe. These animals are breeding and stable in vast areas in order to provide the most comfortable and natural living situation possible. Stewards of Wildlife is focused on bringing together animal resources from the private landowners and the public sector zoos in order to create “meta-populations” of species that are vital, sustainable, and can maintain evolutionary potential.
We understand that there are many organizations and groups with the best intentions trying to help wildlife, and realize that our contribution is space and expertise. Though our priority concern is protecting the rarest and most endangered species, Stewards of Wildlife is ultimately concerned about all of the flora and fauna worldwide. Learn more at http://stewardsofwildlife.com