15/06/2026
“When we protect animals, it’s not for us. It’s the pride of our country. It is for our future generations.” - Dumi Zwane
👉 Why should YOU care about Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park’s rhino’s?
In short:
1. HiP is the oldest game reserve in Africa. If we can’t help them, what are we even doing?
2. All wild Southern White Rhinos that exist today, are descendants of the HiP rhino population. If rhino’s face another near-extinction, we may well need HiP to save the day AGAIN.
3. Losing rhino as a species does not just reduce a number: it unravels the ecological architecture the entire reserve depends on.
The long explanation:
1. HiP is the oldest game reserve in Africa. Yet they are facing significant funding challenges due to diseases such as foot and mouth restricting game capture and sales, dwindling government support and rising costs from anti-poaching operations. Compared to private game reserves, income from high value safari tourism is non-existent.
2. All wild Southern White Rhinos that exist today, are descendants of the HiP population. Due to unrestricted and unregulated hunting, the rhino was thought to be extinct by the end of the 19th century. From a mere 100 individuals that were left in HiP at that time, 500 rhino were relocated across Africa in the 1960s - forming the foundation of all wild white rhino populations today. Despite this success story, since 2007, rhinos Africa-wide have been under severe threat from poaching.
3. HiP houses both black and white rhino in a single unfenced wilderness landscape. They increase plant species richness and “grazing lawns”, suppress woody encroachment and grass fuel load for veld fires, provide seed dispersal and nutrient cycling, and create of wallowing habitats utilised by smaller mammals, invertebrates and birds. Losing either rhino species from that system does not just reduce a number. It unravels the ecological architecture the entire ecosystem depends on.
👉 We are fundraising to support HiP. For R100 per ticket, you can win prizes to the value of R165,560! Visit wildwonderfulworld.com/prizedraw to enter TODAY!
Footage owned by Wild Hope
