- Environmental Conservation ·
Protect and Save the life of Our Rhinos
The Rhino is currently classed as ‘Near Threatened’ which means it is close to becoming extinct due to an increase of poaching for the illegal trade of their horns. Poaching has increased by 9,000% since 2007 and this project aims to protect and save our Rhino’s that are living in South Africa.
- South Africa
- hello@actionchange.org
Project Summary
Project Challenge
Project Solution
Impact
Reports
Project Summary
The Black Rhino is listed as critically endangered and the white are threatened. There is a belief that the horn of a Rhino will cure a number of illnesses but this has never been proven. Regardless horns are sold at a very high price making the illegal trade of sale highly attractive to poachers. These poachers will stop at nothing and easily kill hundreds of rhino’s just to get the horn and sell on then illegal trade market. We need to act NOW
Project Challenge
Rhino poaching is a devastating problem across both the public and private sectors. Everyday at least three rhino are poached in South Africa predominately due to lack of resources and intelligence. We are fighting a war with criminal masterminds who are forever 2 steps ahead of the protectors on the ground. The financial incentive to rhino poachers combined with very high unemployment figures in rural communities, mean that poachers will force entry into these reserves to get a shot at a Rhino.
Project Solution
This project has multiple elements to it;
1. Closed Rhino Rehab Centre – Our centre is closed to public because we really do reintroduce them into the wild and allowing too much human interaction can prevent this.
2. Anti poaching – we use K9’s, retired racehorses to help with reserve perimeter patrols to help keep the reserves safe from poachers (this also save on fuel)
3. Emergency Response to poacher alarms
4. Community Outreach – engaging children to be ambassadors for us in the community
Impact
The success of this project will significantly improve the security of the wildlife protected by this game reserve, deter illegal rhino poachers and enable a fast and effective reaction when any illegal activity on the reserve is reported. Protection of the rhino and other wildlife will ensure the sustainability of eco-tourism ventures on the reserve and thus survival of the reserve itself. Lodges on this reserve employ hundreds of people from surrounding communities, jobs that will be lost if these businesses are not able to secure their key assets – their wildlife.
Reports
Project Report Q1 | Mar 5, 2026
We got a little Wet in Limpopo
By Tyrone Bennett | CEO / Based in South Africa
Hello to all our wonderful and amazing supporters,
I am writing this to you from the heart of our operations, and I wanted to start by simply saying thank you. As we celebrate 20 years of Action Change in 2026, I’ve been reflecting on how it’s truly people like you who make this work possible. You aren’t just “donors” to us; you are the reason these rhinos still have a chance to roam free.
The last few months here in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, have been a bit of a whirlwind. If you saw the news in January, you know we were hit by massive floods. It was a really intense time and we had to help with evacuations, and the landscape changed overnight. While it was incredible to see how the rhinos adapted by moving to higher ground, the water wasn’t so kind to our infrastructure. We lost a significant amount of fencing, security equipment, and those vital motion-sensor cameras that act as our “eyes” in the bush.
But here is the good news: because of your previous support, we didn’t miss a beat. When the quads and trucks were stuck in the mud, our horses and K9 units stepped up. Our rangers have been incredible, working double shifts to cover the gaps where our technology went offline. Your donations have been keeping these teams fed, housed, and out on the front lines during some of the toughest conditions we’ve faced in years.
As the sun comes out and the bush starts to dry, we are now in a bit of a race. This is the time when poachers try to take advantage of weakened fences and offline cameras. We aren’t letting them. Our team is currently “all hands on deck” to accelerate our repairs and get our surveillance tech back online.
This is where I have some really exciting news. To help us with this recovery, we are participating in GlobalGiving’s “Little by Little” campaign from March 17th to the 20th. During these four days, every donation up to $50 will be matched at 50%!
This is a huge opportunity for us. If you’ve been thinking about helping us replace a camera or repair a section of fencing, this is the week to do it. That $50 becomes $75, and that extra bit goes a long way when we are rebuilding from the ground up. It’s the perfect way to make a “little” go a long way in keeping our rhinos safe.
We’ve proven that our strategy works as our dehorning program has already dropped the poaching risk by 95%, now we just need to get our “walls” back up. Thank you for being with us through 20 years of challenges. I know that with your help during the Little by Little week, we’ll come out of this flood season stronger than ever.
Thank you for being such a huge part of this journey. We are so grateful to have you in our corner!
With massive gratitude,
Ty
_____________________________________________________
Nov 3, 2025
Strategic Shift for Rhino Survival
By Andre | Program Science Lead (Newly Appointed Volunteer)
Hello Suppoers, friiends and Conservationists, This report outlines the innovative and data-driven approach on securing the future of rhinos through strategic conservation methods and community empowerment, Rhino Protection: Beyond the ‘Losing Battle’ Our strategy is driven by a commitment to evidence based solutions over pure sentiment. While anti-poaching measures are essential and continuously funded, a landmark study shows that the most impactful results come from strategically diminishing the incentive for poaching itself. The Power of Horn Trimming: Concrete Results A multi-year study across 11 southern African reserves (2017–2023) has provided compelling data on the effectiveness of horn trimming:
- Reduction in Poaching: Dehorning rhinos was found to achieve a 78% reduction in poaching incidents.
- Cost-Effectiveness: This significant result was achieved by allocating only 1.2% of the overall anti-poaching budget to horn trimming operations.
- Reduced Risk: The annual risk of a horned rhino being poached was 13%, but this dropped to just 0.6% for a dehorned rhino—a 95% decrease in risk.
- Our Commitment: Rhino Revolution has been funding these evidence-based horn trimming operations for over a decade and will continue to do so, recognizing it as a critical strategy to buy time for long-term solutions.
- Ranger Support: We fund the basic salary, food, and accommodation of our dedicated rangers, ensuring they are equipped and supported for their high-risk work.
- K9 Units: Donations cover the training and food for our fast-response K9 units.
- Rapid Response Fleet:
- Racehorses: Funding Racehorses cuts down on our carbon footprint and petrol bills. Horses integrate well with wild animals, allowing for effective and eco-friendly patrols. Donations cover their care and food.
- Quadbikes: We fund the upkeep of quadbikes, allowing rangers quick access across vast reserve areas.
- Surveillance Technology: We fund the purchase and upkeep of Motion Cameras which send text messages to rangers immediately if unauthorized people access the reserves, enabling fast intervention.
- The Problem with Protectionism Alone: A system focused almost entirely on protectionism often sells an illusion of safety that is not feasible across vast landscapes. Traditional measures like patrols and cameras, while necessary, did not show a statistically significant reduction in poaching rates in the multi-year study mentioned above, despite millions spent.
- The Economic Solution: The rhinoceros is one of the very few species that can potentially pay for its own survival and the survival of so many others. We advocate for turning the current illegal product (horn) into a legal, ethical revenue stream that benefits the rhino and the people who protect them.
- Community Empowerment (The Ubuntu Project): We are committed to an integrated approach, like our Ubuntu Project, which directly links rhino protection to rural community development, ethical revenue sharing, and long-term resilience, ensuring that the people who live alongside rhinos become their greatest custodians.
The Black Rhino is listed as critically endangered and the white are threatened. There is a belief that the horn of a Rhino will cure a number of illnesses but this has never been proven. Regardless horns are sold at a very high price making the illegal trade of sale highly attractive to poachers. These poachers will stop at nothing and easily kill hundreds of rhino’s just to get the horn and sell on then illegal trade market. We need to act NOW
Rhino poaching is a devastating problem across both the public and private sectors. Everyday at least three rhino are poached in South Africa predominately due to lack of resources and intelligence. We are fighting a war with criminal masterminds who are forever 2 steps ahead of the protectors on the ground. The financial incentive to rhino poachers combined with very high unemployment figures in rural communities, mean that poachers will force entry into these reserves to get a shot at a Rhino.
This project has multiple elements to it;
1. Closed Rhino Rehab Centre – Our centre is closed to public because we really do reintroduce them into the wild and allowing too much human interaction can prevent this.
2. Anti poaching – we use K9’s, retired racehorses to help with reserve perimeter patrols to help keep the reserves safe from poachers (this also save on fuel)
3. Emergency Response to poacher alarms
4. Community Outreach – engaging children to be ambassadors for us in the community
The success of this project will significantly improve the security of the wildlife protected by this game reserve, deter illegal rhino poachers and enable a fast and effective reaction when any illegal activity on the reserve is reported. Protection of the rhino and other wildlife will ensure the sustainability of eco-tourism ventures on the reserve and thus survival of the reserve itself. Lodges on this reserve employ hundreds of people from surrounding communities, jobs that will be lost if these businesses are not able to secure their key assets – their wildlife.
Project Report Q1 | Mar 5, 2026
We got a little Wet in Limpopo
By Tyrone Bennett | CEO / Based in South Africa
Hello to all our wonderful and amazing supporters,
I am writing this to you from the heart of our operations, and I wanted to start by simply saying thank you. As we celebrate 20 years of Action Change in 2026, I’ve been reflecting on how it’s truly people like you who make this work possible. You aren’t just “donors” to us; you are the reason these rhinos still have a chance to roam free.
The last few months here in Hoedspruit, Limpopo, have been a bit of a whirlwind. If you saw the news in January, you know we were hit by massive floods. It was a really intense time and we had to help with evacuations, and the landscape changed overnight. While it was incredible to see how the rhinos adapted by moving to higher ground, the water wasn’t so kind to our infrastructure. We lost a significant amount of fencing, security equipment, and those vital motion-sensor cameras that act as our “eyes” in the bush.
But here is the good news: because of your previous support, we didn’t miss a beat. When the quads and trucks were stuck in the mud, our horses and K9 units stepped up. Our rangers have been incredible, working double shifts to cover the gaps where our technology went offline. Your donations have been keeping these teams fed, housed, and out on the front lines during some of the toughest conditions we’ve faced in years.
As the sun comes out and the bush starts to dry, we are now in a bit of a race. This is the time when poachers try to take advantage of weakened fences and offline cameras. We aren’t letting them. Our team is currently “all hands on deck” to accelerate our repairs and get our surveillance tech back online.
This is where I have some really exciting news. To help us with this recovery, we are participating in GlobalGiving’s “Little by Little” campaign from March 17th to the 20th. During these four days, every donation up to $50 will be matched at 50%!
This is a huge opportunity for us. If you’ve been thinking about helping us replace a camera or repair a section of fencing, this is the week to do it. That $50 becomes $75, and that extra bit goes a long way when we are rebuilding from the ground up. It’s the perfect way to make a “little” go a long way in keeping our rhinos safe.
We’ve proven that our strategy works as our dehorning program has already dropped the poaching risk by 95%, now we just need to get our “walls” back up. Thank you for being with us through 20 years of challenges. I know that with your help during the Little by Little week, we’ll come out of this flood season stronger than ever.
Thank you for being such a huge part of this journey. We are so grateful to have you in our corner!
With massive gratitude,
Ty
_____________________________________________________
Nov 3, 2025
Strategic Shift for Rhino Survival
By Andre | Program Science Lead (Newly Appointed Volunteer)
Hello Suppoers, friiends and Conservationists, This report outlines the innovative and data-driven approach on securing the future of rhinos through strategic conservation methods and community empowerment, Rhino Protection: Beyond the ‘Losing Battle’ Our strategy is driven by a commitment to evidence based solutions over pure sentiment. While anti-poaching measures are essential and continuously funded, a landmark study shows that the most impactful results come from strategically diminishing the incentive for poaching itself. The Power of Horn Trimming: Concrete Results A multi-year study across 11 southern African reserves (2017–2023) has provided compelling data on the effectiveness of horn trimming:
- Reduction in Poaching: Dehorning rhinos was found to achieve a 78% reduction in poaching incidents.
- Cost-Effectiveness: This significant result was achieved by allocating only 1.2% of the overall anti-poaching budget to horn trimming operations.
- Reduced Risk: The annual risk of a horned rhino being poached was 13%, but this dropped to just 0.6% for a dehorned rhino—a 95% decrease in risk.
- Our Commitment: Rhino Revolution has been funding these evidence-based horn trimming operations for over a decade and will continue to do so, recognizing it as a critical strategy to buy time for long-term solutions.
- Ranger Support: We fund the basic salary, food, and accommodation of our dedicated rangers, ensuring they are equipped and supported for their high-risk work.
- K9 Units: Donations cover the training and food for our fast-response K9 units.
- Rapid Response Fleet:
- Racehorses: Funding Racehorses cuts down on our carbon footprint and petrol bills. Horses integrate well with wild animals, allowing for effective and eco-friendly patrols. Donations cover their care and food.
- Quadbikes: We fund the upkeep of quadbikes, allowing rangers quick access across vast reserve areas.
- Surveillance Technology: We fund the purchase and upkeep of Motion Cameras which send text messages to rangers immediately if unauthorized people access the reserves, enabling fast intervention.
- The Problem with Protectionism Alone: A system focused almost entirely on protectionism often sells an illusion of safety that is not feasible across vast landscapes. Traditional measures like patrols and cameras, while necessary, did not show a statistically significant reduction in poaching rates in the multi-year study mentioned above, despite millions spent.
- The Economic Solution: The rhinoceros is one of the very few species that can potentially pay for its own survival and the survival of so many others. We advocate for turning the current illegal product (horn) into a legal, ethical revenue stream that benefits the rhino and the people who protect them.
- Community Empowerment (The Ubuntu Project): We are committed to an integrated approach, like our Ubuntu Project, which directly links rhino protection to rural community development, ethical revenue sharing, and long-term resilience, ensuring that the people who live alongside rhinos become their greatest custodians.
Related posts
- Environmental Conservation ·