Save the Rhino

Save the Rhino International (SRI), a UK-based conservation charity, is Europe’s largest single-species rhino charity, in terms of funds raised and grants made, and in terms of profile and positioning. They began fundraising for in situ rhino conservation projects in 1992 and were formally registered as a charity (number 1035072) in 1994. One of SRI's founder patrons was the British writer and humorist Douglas Adams, who was also known to be a conservation movement enthusiast.

Mission, aims and objectives

Save the Rhino International works to conserve viable populations of Critically endangered rhinos in Africa and Asia. They recognise that the future of wildlife is inextricably linked to the communities that share its habitat. By funding field projects and through education, the goal of Save the Rhino is to deliver material, long-lasting and widespread benefits to rhinos and other endangered species, ecosystems and to the people living in these areas.

The aims of Save the Rhino are:

• To increase the number of rhinos in genetically viable populations in the wild
• To enhance the integrity of ecosystems
• To ensure that local communities benefit from conservation activities

NB: Genetically viable populations are generally taken to mean those with a minimum of 20 individuals. In some areas, smaller populations have been known to breed successfully, although it is not know what the impact is on the long-term genetic diversity of such a population.

For rhino populations to qualify as being "wild", three conditions must be satisfied:

• They must be free-ranging within an area large enough to sustain a breeding group
• The area in question must consist of natural rhino habitat
• They must survive by feeding off natural vegetation in the area (i.e., without human intervention)

Primary objectives of Save the Rhino:

• To provide financial support for in situ projects focused on all five of the rhinoceros species
• To encourage and enable the sharing of information, experience and skills between rhino programmes, ex situ and conservation organisations
• To measure and improve the effectiveness of Save the Rhino's grant-making and charitable activities
• To raise awareness of the need for rhino conservation and communicate the work of Save the Rhino