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Cape Town - On Friday, June 3, 23-year-old Daniel Fenton, a game ranger from Ngala Private game reserve in South Africa, completed his 922km walk from Phinda Private Nature Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal to Botswana’s Ramatlabama Border gate.
Fenton started his long journey on Sunday, May 1. The journey across South Africa included addressing pupils and businesses about the dire situation our rhinos face and the issue of ongoing poaching.
Fenton says his campaign also carriers a message to the South African government to improve its protection mandate for rhinos. Statistics show that a rhino is killed for its horn every seven hours in our country.
He called his trip “Hope for Horns” and together with his employer, &Beyond (a luxury safari group) is raising awareness and funding to relocate 100 rhinos to the safety of Botswana, where poaching is virtually unheard of.
Botswana has an anti-poaching unit supported by the country’s military, a strict anti-poaching policy and intense government interest in conservation.
“Rhinos without Borders” is an initiative that &Beyond founded, in partnership with Great Plains Conservation - the organisation plan to move rhino as and when the money becomes available.
“Hopefully, they will come back to South Africa one day but until we can look after them, they are better off there,” he says.
Fenton raised more than R100 000 during his walk, to go towards the next phase of the relocation process.
His trek followed the exact route taken by the relocation truck that translocated six rhino, to undisclosed locations, in Botswana in 2015 and on which the remaining rhino will be moved over the next few years.
“What an adventure it’s been! From start to finish, 922km across South Africa was truly an unforgettable experience. The people that I have met along the way have been outstanding - putting me up in their homes for the night or simply stopping along the road to show their support.”
He says the support he received for his epic journey was unimaginable, from his 4x4 vehicle being fully kitted-out in camping gear by Frontrunner, to the live tracking device, which SPOT Africa sponsored him for emergency purposes and so that friends and family could track his progress.
“This is not the end, only the beginning,” he said as he reached the border. Fenton hopes to take part in more fund raising efforts since the cost of moving one rhino costs R720 000.
Fundraising: www.gofundme.com/hopeforhorns
Instagram: @hopeforhorns
Facebook: Hope for Horns & Our Horn is NOT Medicine
That ecstatic feeling! (Supplied)
