Please Save Me !
The headline is in fact a desperate plea for help on behalf of an animal that is fast becoming extinct. I am talking about the magnificent Rhino, one of the largest, and oldest, mammals on planet Earth, having been in existence for around 50 million years.
As humans we have walked on the moon, invented smartphones and found cures for Polio and Yellow Fever. Yet we find ourselves killing off this incredible animal because some of us wish to believe that the Rhino horn has some mystical medicinal power. Scientifically, the Rhino horn has been proven to be nothing more than the same substance that makes up the human finger nail, keratin, and in fact serves absolutely no medicinal value whatsoever. The rhino horn now has a higher market value than its equivalent weight in gold !!! - Yes three exclamation marks, - an average Rhino horn now has a market value in certain countries and cultures of around US$500,000. This value has been driven up by scarcity and has encouraged criminal gangs to use increasingly sophisticated ways to find and hunt down these magnificent animals.
With much of my family still living in South Africa we regularly visit some of the stunning game reserves in the region. To come across one of these rare creatures is a sight to behold. I took this photo of a newborn calf on our last visit to South Africa - a memory that will remain with my family and I forever. Truly one of those holiday highlight moments. Sadly, I am unable to say which game reserve we visited for fear of alerting poachers to the fact that there are Rhinos at this particular location.
Seeing a Rhino in the wild is like looking back in time to get a glimpse of what the dinosaurs that once roamed our planet might have looked like. One of the more disturbing videos on the web is that of a Rhino calf crying next to its recently slaughtered mother. Heart wrenching, and a real testament to the cruelty and depths to which some people will stoop in order to fulfill what boils down to pure greed and ignorance.
So, please share and distribute this blog post as widely as possible to help prevent future generations from seeing a Rhino in any other form other than on video and at zoos. Huge thanks go out to Ray Dearlove of the Australian Rhino Project for making me even more aware of the desperate plight of the Rhino and for his incredible, and relentless, pursuit of attempting to export Rhinos from Africa to Australia to enable them to exist in a place where they are not butchered for their horns.
It is through the work of people like Ray that I am inspired to live by the value to always try to do the right thing. With this belief, I also seek to work alongside like-minded people and to avoid those who find it easier to criticize than to encourage.
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I really appreciate you reading my post and if you enjoyed it here are some other articles I have written on LinkedIn:
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- Brain drain stifling Australian innovation
- Advice for budding entrepreneurs
- Give and get rich !
- What I learned sleeping on the street
- Relationships really matter !
- Tackling Tough Decisions
- The Awesomeness Of You !
- Managing Pre-Presentation Nerves
- Are you for sale ?
- Building Powerful Rapport
- Meeting Mandela
- Golden rules to great CEO conversations
- The one job interview question to ask every candidate
- Life lessons learned on the golf course
Bubuk Advisory. Director, Nature Conservation Council NSW. Chair, BirdLife Australia Southern NSW.
8 年Great article Clifford Rosenberg. The more awareness we can bring to this situation the better - and the more that awareness is raised in the key demand countries of Vietnam, Thailand, China, the better. I too am inspired by Ray Dearlove and the work he is doing and the ambitious vision he is working towards. Thanks Gordon Duff for pointing me at the article.
Multiplier | Diversity and Inclusion advocate | Ally | Food lover | Wine enthusiast | Canine obsessed
8 年Such an important topic to highlight and raise awareness of. I am yet to see a Rhino in the wild and hope that one day I will have the opportunity to take as beautiful a picture as you have here for myself. Illegal poaching needs to be stopped and I believe education is a great starting point. Thanks Clifford Rosenberg!
Strategy Account Director | Crazy Dog Mum | Digital Nomad
8 年Such an important topic Clifford Rosenberg. It's sad that as a species, we can be so evolved and progressive in some ways, however so barbaric and primitive in others. I hope that when I have children, they have the opportunity to see such magnificent animals living and flourishing in the wild as they should be.
Sustainability Generalist and Strategic Business Partner
8 年Thanks Cliff for sharing this post and raising awareness for such an important cause.
Principal Customer Success Manager @ LinkedIn | Customer Success, Learning Solutions | Coach
8 年The video link in this blog is really sad and send home the message that we all must act together to protect the Rhino and any other living creature on our planet from extinction. Thank you, Clifford Rosenberg, for a great article. I will be posting this on all my social media accounts.