Raoul du Toit (pictured above) has won a Goldman Environmental Prize for his 30 years of tireless work to protect black rhinos in Zimbabwe.
I congratulate Raoul on your wonderful service to this World and its animals!To read an inteview of Raoul du Toit at the Yale University Envrionment 360 website, please click on the following link:
http://e360.yale.edu/feature/against_the_odds_saving_rhinos_in_a_troubled_land/2389/
"Raoul du Toit is a Zimbabwean. He commenced his professional career in the field of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), having undertaken post-graduate training at the University of Cape Town. He has been particularly involved in EIA’s of large hydroelectric schemes on the Zambezi and Cunene Rivers. He diverted into rhino conservation work through his appointment in 1985 to the IUCN African Elephant and Rhino Specialist Group, as Scientific Officer. For three years, he coordinated the conservation efforts of this group within Africa. In 1988, Mr. du Toit developed a WWF project to survey the status of black rhinos in the Zambezi Valley and since then has worked as a Project Executant with WWF.He is theSenior Ecologist, Rhino Projects/Conservancies with the World Wildlife fund. (source:http://www.wcs-ahead.org/bios/bio_dutoit.html )
Here is a video I found at Youtube which discusses Raoul du Toit's work:
To learn more about Black Rhinos please visit the following websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rhinoceros
http://www.awf.org/content/wildlife/detail/rhinoceros
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/black-rhinoceros/
http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/endangered_species/rhinoceros/african_rhinos/black_rhinoceros/
The International Union for Conservation of Nature presently classifies the Black Rhinoceros species as being "Critically Endangered". This is the highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species. Critically Endangered means that a species' numbers have decreased, or will decrease, by 80% within three generations!!
"A major market for rhino horn has historically been in the Middle East to make ornately carved handles for ceremonial daggers called jambiyas. Demand for these exploded in the 1970s causing the Black Rhinoceros population to decline 96% between 1970 and 1992. The horn is also used in traditional Chinese medicine, and is said by herbalists to be able to revive comatose patients, cure fevers, and aid male sexual stamina and fertility. The purported effectiveness of the use of rhino horn in treating any illness has not been confirmed by medical science!!!! Once again we see some Asians involved in the decimation of a wild animal bringing it near to extinction!! What is with you people who do this? How can you be so selfish, and so greedy???
(source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rhinoceros )
Source of image of Raoul du Toit:http://e360.yale.edu/digest/interview_forging_a_defense_for_rhinos_in_troubled_zimbabwe_/2894/
Source of image of the Black Rhino:Justin Sullivan at
http://justin.justnet.com.au/dubbozoo/black-rhino.php
Justin thank you for allowing me to use your photo!
