World Rhino Day on September 22 is fast approaching as we highlight people doing good for rhino with Ayesha Cantor.
As always we thank Ayesha for her informative Rhino Friday series. To help celebrate World Rhino Day 2014 Ayesha will be highlighting those she finds doing good for rhino during the month of September. Please contact her regarding your ‘Save the Rhino’ project.
Rhino Friday – Walking for Rhino in Zimbabwe
Compliments of Ayesha Cantor who is solely responsible for this content.
There are so many people doing remarkable things in an effort to ‘save rhino’.
Granted, there are also a number of people who are riding this to line their own pockets so please do a little bit of research before simply clicking the donate button.
The poaching of our Nations and our continents rhino ( and elephant, and pangolins, and cycades……. ) is effecting people who previously may not have imagined that they would find themselves thus caught up and then moved to actually do something about it.
With World Rhino Day on 22 September 2014, we would like to highlight some of these amazing individuals and their initiatives during the month of September.
Cattle Herder turned Professional Guide
We start with a passionate Zimbabwean, Samuel Nkomo, a cattle herder who spent his days dreaming about being a professional guide. At the urging of his grandfather, he did just that and today is a multi award winning Professional Guide with a big dream to save the rhino….here is his story….
The idea for the 500km Rhino Awareness Walk began with a young Zimbabwean man, Samuel Nkomo. Sam is a qualified Professional Guide who in his early years herded cattle with his grandfather at their rural home. Subsistence poaching was a normal part of their life and survival. Despite this, his grandfather always told Sam when they were in the bush the wildlife doesn’t belong to us, we need to care for it and pass it on to our children.
When guiding in the area recently, Sam, like many of us, was horrified by the poisonings, carried out by poachers, of Elephant and sadly many other species in Hwange National Park. Driven by a combination of anger, sadness and frustration, Sam sought answers and decided to walk, as a friend of his had done in Kenya. Sam felt strongly that this would help greatly to highlight this tragedy and encourage people to donate, and to aid each and assist anti-poaching units in the field. But he also felt strongly about passing his knowledge and learned skills on to the younger generations. In particular he wished to reach those, like himself when young , at grassroots levels. His was truly a long term ambition , that of encouraging the young to seek employment in the environment and wildlife sectors and creating the funding support to make this possible.
Q. When do you start your walk?
Sam. ‘’I will commence his walk from Rhodes Grave, Matobo National Park on 14 September 2014 and will follow a route which will be posted and advertised regularly. I will pass through the World Rhino Day celebrations on 20 September 2014, and will be joined by families and many young children. Travelling a route along the Main Road to the Victoria Falls with rest stops, engaging with villagers and young people all along the route and even calling in to Hwange National Park and the Painted Dog Conservation Centre, I plan to reach Victoria Falls on 18 October 2014.
Q. Sam, why are you undertaking this walk?
Sam. ‘’ The basic reason for undertaking this walk is to enhance and increase wildlife conservation awareness to the Nation and to other International Communities. Growing up, my grandfather always told me, “none of us inherited our wildlife from our grandparents, but it is loaned to us by our children”. It is from the background that I wish future generations will also be able to see animals in the wild and not in books like Dinosaurs. God gave Africa the gift of wildlife and we have a responsibility to look after them and by undertaking this walk, I would like to show the World that we care for our nature and hopefully send a clear message around the World.’’
Q. Can anyone join in and walk with you?
Sam. ‘’ Anyone who wants to walk with me is welcome to do so. There is no charge to do this. However, you will have to be totally self-sufficient during the walk. There will be no food, accommodation or transportation provided for you. Please bring a hat, sunscreen, water and anything that you might need on the walk.’’ ( to register to walk, please click here)
The 500 km Rhino Awareness Walk, has become the Rhino, Elephant and Environment Trust, which will be administered by Ernst & Young, Bulawayo. If you are in a position to assist this young man, please click here – thank you.
For more on World Rhino Day on Facebook, Website.
More Rhino Friday Series on our website.
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