PROJECT KINDNESS
Project Kindness represents all of the projects VIRTU will be doing in the humanitarian, environmental and animal world. We aim to make a huge impact in all of these fields by joining those organizations and charities who are truly passionate and committed to making a difference. We believe that through our actions and projects we can inspire others to be kind and compassionate towards all living beings.
#SaveTheRhino
The first subproject of Project Kindness focused on the conservation of rhino in Africa. This project will be done in a multiple steps – chapters.
We partnered up with the amazing Imire Rhino and Wildlife Conservation to help the rhino and wildlife conservation in Zimbabwe. Imire has more than 40 years of experience in conservation and to this day is completely dedicated to protecting wildlife. They strongly believe that rural communities and conservation programmes can successfully thrive side by side, working together to ensure the protection of their natural heritage.
The vision of Imire is to enhance the relationships between tourism, conservation programmes and community areas through long-term, sustainable environmental management and positive community projects.
OUR PART
VIRTU helps Imire by raising funds necessary to further enhance the protection of Rhino and the rest of the wildlife as well as help educate people about the issue through social media and documentaries.
INVOLVING
During Chapter One of #SaveTheRhino, by purchasing yourself a VIRTU bracelet, you help raise the necessary funds to bring the most valuable projects at Imire come to life. In other words, you contribute to the conservation of Rhino and the rest of the wonderful wildlife in Zimbabwe.
Your contribution also helps in the production of a documentary series focused on spreading awareness about the poaching issue happening in Africa.
The most important goal at Imire is the breeding and protection of rhino.
In order to increase the protection of their rhino and other wildlife they are trying to raise funds to electrify their entire fence line to keep poachers out. Imire is reluctant to release any more rhino in wild areas until the poaching crisis, corruption and security issues abate.
Imire's goal is to equip the existing bonnox game fence with a highly secure, solar powered, electrification and maintain their community supported release sanctuary for rhino bred at Imire or orphaned by poaching elsewhere in the country.
A secure fence line will allow their rhino more opportunity to roam free and will reduce the impact of habituation from human contact by eliminating daily interactions and supplement feeding. Highly trained and armed guards will continue to monitor and protect the rhino, but the animals would not be herded or placed in enclosures at night.
MURWI
In 2018 Imire received a donation of an incredible anti-poaching canine named Murwi. She is the most wonderful animal. She is a massive asset in their fight against poaching and will also assist the local community with cattle stock theft cases etc.
Currently Imire is trying to raise funds to keep Murwi fed and cared for including her veterinary costs, her daily food, training, her handlers wages etc.
PROJECT KINDNESS TEASER
RHINO POACHING FACTS
Rhinos have no natural predators making poachers the only threat to their survival.
Illegal poaching accidents continue to happen to this day due to the large demand of rhino horn sold on the black market in Asia.
When rhinos are killed, their horns may be sold as trophies.
More frequently, they are ground into powder and sold for "medicinal purposes". There's no proof
that these "medications" are effective as rhino horns are made out of keratin, the same type of
protein that makes up hair and fingernails.
Rhino poaching has reached crisis point across the globe, shrinking the habitat of every rhino species.
In 2014, in South Africa, one rhino was poached every 8 hours.
Today, an average 2 – 5 rhinos are poached every single day in South Africa alone.
The last male Northern White Rhino passed away in March 2018.
There are only two Northern White Rhinos left.
Both are in captivity and both are females.
From the 70's up until the mid 90's, the population of the Black Rhino
dramatically declined from around 70,000 to only 2,410 individuals
in the wild due to massive poaching.
Thanks to the persistent efforts of conservation programmes across
Africa, Black Rhino numbers have doubled in recent years.
Less than 5000 Black Rhinos are left in the wild making it currently still
one of the most critically endangered species.