Northern White Rhino Fades Into Extinction 

The last Northern White Rhino male is battling with sickness, bringing the sub-species with only 3 remaining individuals ever closer to extinction. The 3 Northern White Rhinos live at Ol Pejeta Sanctuary in Kenya – you may have heard of Ol Pejeta before as Council of Contributors has supported their rhino conservation and antipoaching efforts. The elderly rhino are guarded by armed rangers 24/7 to keep them safe from poachers. With the protected rhinos being too old to breed, scientists have stepped in to try to help. By taking sex cells from the northern white rhino they plan to optimize IVF using Southern White Rhinos as surrogates. This is a long winded process and there’s a chance none of us will ever see a baby Northern White Rhino. All of the white rhino I have worked with are the Southern subspecies, of which there are estimated to be 20,000 individuals left. The continuous poaching in South Africa is reducing this number by around 1,000 each year. How bright is the future for rhinos and are we doing enough to save them?

For more info: https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/03/northern-white-rhino-endangered-species-spd/

Lacoste takes a stand for wildlife 

In a while, crocodile! Lacoste replaces their crocodile logo with one of 10 endangered animals in an effort to raise awareness of the looming extinction crisis. The save our species limited edition polo shirts were launched on March 1st and immediately sold out. The number of polo shirts available corresponds with the number of individuals left in the wild for that particular species. One of the ten species chosen is the Javan Rhino- of which there are thought to be 67 remaining individuals. The Javan rhino are solitary animals and are rarely seen, they like to keep to themselves. Poaching and a slow reproduction rate have left this rhino fighting for survival. Other species featured include the Vaquita (30 left in the wild), the Sumatran Tiger (350 left in the wild) and the Saola (250 left in the wild). The money from these tshirts is going to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The total polo shirts made to cover all individuals of the 10 species was 1775. What a way to show the world how so few of these individuals remain.
https://www.lacoste.com/us/saveourspecies.html

Latest Council of Contributors Projects

COC has just launched project 010 to support African Rhino Conservation Collaboration by raising $2,200 for a cyber tracker GPS data collection & rhino management platform + 3 devices.
“CyberTracker provides a user-friendly, practical and secure in-the-field GPS data collection ‘reporting’ platform for researchers who study rhino habitat and their social behaviors. At a brand new Intensive Protection Zone in the Eastern Cape, scientists have asked the COC to fund this technology in order to determine how to best safely maximize a healthy rhino capacity and introduce new rhinos into the protected zone. Land contours, food sources, water sources, grazing and browsing habitat data is all recorded to and evaluated by the team to make the best management decisions for the rhino.
As more & more rhino are placed into smaller protected territories, these monitoring systems are imperative for optimal management of populations.”

Project 009 for Limpopo Rhino Security Group saw COC supporters raising enough money to fund 25 hours of anti-poaching aircraft patrol for the February full moon period.
“LRSG was started by a group of committed rhino owners. It began one overcast morning in 2014 – Insimbi and a heavily pregnant Shambula lie lifelessly in the red African sand, both had been butchered for their horn. From that day onward, rhino owners in this vast area bound together and remain on the forefront of the war against rhino poachers. They fund their own Anti-Poaching and send family members on patrol in dangerous situations. They are not rangers. They are not military trained. But I can tell you one thing — they are 1,000% dedicated to the 500 rhino which are owned between them. EYES IN THE SKY is the single most effective poaching deterrent, but very expensive. The CoC is sponsoring 20 hours of a Bat Hawk aircraft, pilot and fuel to virtually eliminate the threat of poachers during the next full moon.  Unite the fight.”
Www.councilofcontributors.com