ADVERTISE AND SAVE THE RHINOS

www.guardian.co.uk

{Disclaimer: Images in this post are graphic and subject matter is serious. Not for sensitive viewers.}

Want your sponsorship to be more than just getting your button on another blog? Interested in helping a good cause? Keep reading…

When I found out I was pregnant with Lil Mister, obviously hundreds {if not thousands} of ideas began flooding my mind of all the things I wanted to teach him and the type of Mom I wanted to be.

One very specific value I knew I wanted to instill into him {and all my children} is the importance of animals and their well being.

To me, animals are more than just creatures. They have souls and feelings; families and loves; likes and dislikes. Animal cruelty is the quickest way to have me loose all respect for you.

Living in South Africa, we are blessed with some of what I consider the most beautiful animals in the world!

Despite some beliefs…there are not lions running the streets of Johannesburg; unless they won the Curry Cup of course! ;-)

travel.howzit.msn.com

But in our parks and nature reserves, conservation is working hard, very hard, to keep these animals alive and healthy!

One amazing species, that happens to be part of The Big 5, is quickly deteriorating because of poaching. It is a terrible, horrendous act that is leaving hundreds of these beloved animals to suffer and die.

I’m talking about the rhinoceros!

www.guardian.co.uk

www.gambassa.com

These beautiful animals are on the verge of extinction because of poaching. Poachers cut off the horns of the animal for sale on many ‘black markets’ such as the underground Asian market. In some extreme instances, the animal is left alive to suffer.

www.turnitaround.co.za

Some of our parks are no longer even willing to house rhinos because of the threat of poaching, leaving less space for these creatures to thrive.

Infant with her mother www.piaberrend.org

As stated by Save The Rhino, there are less than 29,000 African rhinos left {this includes White Rhinos at approx 20,400 and Black Rhinos at 5,050; of which about 20,000 reside in South Africa alone}. This is a dramatic decline from a population in the 1970’s of over 70,000!!

In 2011, there were 448 rhinos killed in South Africa. A record of 668 were killed in 2012 as reported by Environment News Service. Compare that to the less than 20 killed a mere 7 years ago in 2005.

The Guardian has effectively reported that the horns are now selling at about $65,000 per kilogram making them more valuable than gold.

Why are these precious beasts being tortured and killed you ask?

Some examples can be looked at here.

The list is extravagant…almost as extravagant as the lives being lived by those buying the horns. A cure for poisons, a cure for typhoid and flu, preserves youth, cures you of demons, calm the liver, get rid of fear or anxiety…the list is on going! The horns are ground into a powder in which is then mixed with liquid or placed over food.

So what is going to happen?

One idea is de-horning, which you can read more in depth about here. Basically, it is the idea that by removing a rhino’s horn, we decrease the risk of it being poached. This has yet to be proven effective or ineffective to any extent and it is reported that it could cost between US$5.5-8.8 million to dehorn all the rhinos in the Kruger National Park alone. Repercussions to this method, other than financial, are also yet to be extensively known.

Another hot topic is the shoot to kill method. As of this time, Rangers and conservationists are only to shoot at poachers if their own lives are put into imminent danger {i.e. the poacher shoots at them}. Many have varied opinions on this approach, I’ll keep mine mute at this point in time.

Why have I brought all of this up?

Well, besides the fact that it is a topic VERY close to my heart. I am planning to do my little part to help out. And I’m asking that you join me.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could advertise your blog AND help a good cause at the same time??

That is what I’m offering you today. You’ll notice if you check my sponsors page that my prices have gone up quite a bit at this stage. It’s all for the cause my peeps.

For the next 30 days, I am donating ALL the money raised through sponsors on my page. That’s right. You read it here first! Every cent that I earn from 04 April 2013 until 04 May 2013 will be donated to the SaveThe Rhino campaign. Even if {praise God} all the ad slots fill up and your ad only shows sometime in May…if you register during April, I donate the money!

I’ll email you a copy of the donation receipts for verification and tax purposes!! {I’m cool like that!}

Seriously, dudes, this is a really good thing here. You get your blog out there for exposure, we get to know each other {which is totally awesome}, and we help this really great cause!!

These animals are precious. They are moms and babies. They are females and their mates. They are an entire species being bled to death for a piece of their body that is now more valuable than cocaine on the black market!!

If you want to know more, email me at shanamom2{at}gmail{dot}com.

If you can’t help by sponsoring, than please PLEASE share this! Get the word out there. Encourage others. Read up on these beautiful creatures. Tell a friend. TWEET!!!

And a BIG thank you! Thank you for reading this. Thank you for supporting this cause. Thank you for allowing me to tug at your heart strings!