The magnificent and prehistoric looking rhinos are tragically enough killed in a higher rate than new rhinos are being born. Rhinos are severely threatened with extinction, of the original 100 different rhino species there are only five species left. Over the past 40 years, the world has lost 95 percent of its rhino population, and today there are only about 25,000 rhinos left in the wild. The majority of rhinos (80 percent) live in South Africa, where over 1,000 rhinos are still killed by poachers for their horns, every year.

The demand for rhino horn has increased over the last 25 years, in the Far East horn powder is believed to cure colds, fever, headaches malaria and even cancer. In Vietnam wealthy people mix rhino horn powder with water or alcohol to make a general health and hangover tonic, and also believe that rhino horn can cure impotence and enhance sexual performance.

Rhino horn, which consists of keratin just like our nails and hair, has no magical healing properties and is no more medicinal than nail biting.

If the rhino horn poaching continues at the present pace, the extinction of the world’s rhinos are too close. The Perfect World Foundation is working with awareness initiatives to spread knowledge about the rhinos’ situation. We are involved in and support conservation projects and anti-poaching activities, such as:

• Increasing security around certain extremely vulnerable rhino habitat areas, with funding of communication equipment, fences, night vision binoculars, anti-poaching teams, guard and tracking dogs, and much more.
• Organizing the gala ‘The Rhino Ball’ in 2014, to raise funds for organizations and projects who work to protect rhinos from poaching, Since then, our own and other organizations’ joint efforts have contributed to a slowly but surely increasing rhino population.
• The action of moving 100 rhinos from South Africa, a country afflicted by poaching, to safer areas in Botswana.
• Anti-poaching teams patrolling areas that are afflicted by poaching in South Africa.
• Working to raise awareness and knowledge about the trade in rhino horn, nationally and internationally.
• Contributing to funding 46 units of Wildlife Rangers who are patrolling in Kenya and Tanzania, to combat poaching.

Create awareness of the rhinos’ severely vulnerable situation, find out and learn as much as you can, and then share it with friends and family, in conversations, on social media – knowledge is power. Together we can make a difference. When on holiday never purchases items and souvenirs made of rhino horn or rhino parts.

Buy the Avicii Rhino bracelet to support our campaign. With us you can also Volunteer Travel and get the chance to work with rhinos, and experience wildlife conservation projects around the world. Donations and sponsoring partnerships are crucial for us to continue our work to save and preserve our fragile rhinos.