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SOUTH Africa is to be home to the first specialist, dedicated, non-commercial centre to care for baby

rhinos orphaned by the shocking trade in poached rhino horns.

The Wildlife & Cultural Centre at Legend Golf & Safari Resort in Limpopo Province is to be the site for

the centre which will take in baby rhinos whose mothers orphaned or injured by poaching across the

country to feed the illegal trade in horns which has seen record numbers of animals killed and

orphaned in the past 14 months.

A R4m campaign was launched today (Monday March 12) to fund the project which has already

gained the support of most of the major organisations involved in the war to save the rhino.

And the first donation has already been made by agricultural machine specialists New Holland who

have donated a new tractor to the project after hearing of the plans while conferencing at the

resort.

More than 400 rhino were butchered in South Africa last year and almost 100 have died in the first

two months of 2012.

South Africa is home to more than 90 percent of the rhinos on the planet, and the world’s first rhino

orphanage will be a major step forward in the battle to protect the species.

Arrie van Deventer runs the Wildlife & Cultural Centre and is confident the orphanage can be

opened soon and will be a safe haven for baby rhinos.

He said: “This is a war we cannot loose. The treatment of rhinos is something I can stomach no more

– especially the little ones. I have stood next to the bleeding carcass of a mother whose baby was

killed next to her because the baby refused to leave her after she was hacked to death.

“When a mother is killed the baby won’t leave her side so IF they survive the slaughter they are

often in a terrible state – traumatised, hungry, often beaten so badly that they can’t stand. It’s pitiful

and heart-breaking.

“Currently there are limited options for them to be cared for in the way they need – with the

ultimate aim of rehabilitating them to the wild. So we have decided to change all that.”

Van Deventer said the centre will not be open to the public so the rhinos can be protected by state

of the art security and can have the very best chance of survival and ultimately be released back into

the wild.

 

  “The orphanage will have all the specialist medical facilities to care for these often extremely young

and badly injured creatures, from an intensive care unit to, we hope, a special ambulance to

transport them under proper medical supervision from the place of the killing.

“Security will be extreme and it is vital we give the babies the very best chance of one day returning

to the wild where they belong so they will only be cared for by the medical and rehabilitation staff

and the public will only be allowed to view them via CCTV.”

The Rhino Orphanage has been established as a not-for-profit charity (Section 21 Company in South

Africa) with all donations going directly to fund the centre and the care and rehabilitation of the

rhinos.

It is a massive project needing urgent support.

Van Deventer said: “We are committed to starting to build now and we need help. The cost of the

milk alone to feed 10 babies is staggering – these little guys drink an awful lot of milk.

“The main cost, however, are the buildings and enclosures themselves, the security plus the

specialist medical equipment including incubators and supplies of drugs and also powering the

centre in the middle of the bush.

“But if this world is serious about doing something to help protect and care for orphaned baby

rhinos so our grandchildren can still see rhino in the wild then we will do all we can to raise the

funds and beg, steal or borrow the equipment and building materials.”

Karen Trendler has been instrumental in co-ordinating the Rhino Response Strategy and will provide

the rhino rearing and rehabilitation expertise, working alongside Arrie Van Deventer and his team.

The Rhino Orphanage will form a vital part of the Rhino Response Strategy National Rescue and

Response network.

Trendler started Wildcare from her kitchen in 1986, and has become an internationally

recognized expert on rehabilitation and crisis management, including rhinos and sea life

affected by oil spills.

She said: “Arrie and his dedicated team and I have the same passion and the same commitment

about doing something now about this abhorrent situation.

“With all the security issues, the care needed and the expense of such a project it was vital we had

the right place, the right people and the right philosophy. Arrie and I have spent many hours

planning this orphanage and now we need help from others who care as much as we do.

“I am delighted but also apprehensive about what lies ahead because we are really talking about is a

major war to save a very special species.

“But The Rhino Orphanage will help enormously and is so desperately needed.”

Van Deventer’s Wildlife Centre is already home to a range of endangered species and animals being

rehabilitated – including the once mythical white lions.

He has spent the past eight years building the centre as a conservation haven and is determined The

Rhino Orphanage will be it’s greatest contribution to rhino conservation animal given the dire need

for urgent action.

He said: “Too many people take too much time to act decisively. We cannot stop the slaughter at the

moment and demand for rhino horn, no matter how worthless it really is, is rising. So there is the

real danger that hundreds more baby rhino will be shot, maimed and left to die – but not on my

watch!”

Van Deventer is as committed as any man could be and is driven by a passionate desire to save the

lives of endangered animals; and has reared and rescued various orphans, giving them the chance of

the greatest gift of all – freedom.

To help or for more information please contact pete@theazaleagroup.com or you can make a

donation direct to The Rhino Orphanage via:

VAN DEN HOVEN ATTORNEYS TRUST

Nedbank Mokopane

Acc: 1468 100 645

Branch: 146 805

Ref: H1466

We live in a great country with great people, and there are many honest, just and honorable members of the police force. However we need to stop the escalating police corruption in South Africa.

On May 11, 2012 I was hijacked and abducted by 2 Police Officers and 3 of their accomplices working for a crime syndicate in South Africa. Major-General Phumzo Gela of the SAPS has today admitted that Police were involved. See The Star Newspaper Page 2 Thursday 17th of May 2012

I was handcuffed, beaten, robbed and held at gunpoint for two hours, then dumped in the veld in an industrial area in Centurion. I am grateful to be alive, but it was an extremely traumatizing experience which I want to prevent happening to other law abiding citizens of South Africa.

In order to achieve this we need to change the dynamic that is prevalent and growing in South Africa, the police corruption, police harassment and police brutality.

South Africans have a great and strong spirit and the rampant corruption and abuse by the rogue policemen is breaking our spirit and tearing apart the fabric of our society. We’ve had ENOUGH!

We need to raise awareness of the mounting police corruption and empower the many victims that are too intimidated to speak out and report these atrocities for fear of retribution. The citizens of South Africa need to know that Justice will prevail if we stand together against this anarchy.

Our goal is to put up a reward for the arrest and prosecution of the corrupt cops and their accomplices of this crime syndicate so no-one else has to fall prey to them.

Any contributions to this cause would be greatly appreciated and will enable us to break the stronghold the syndicate holds on the northern suburbs of Johannesburg and start to make a difference.

We will challenge the State to match the total contributions we receive; they are responsible for the Police Force and should shoulder the responsibility for corruption and support citizens who are violated.

The funds will be held in a Trust Account and managed by Dessington de Beer Attorneys, and will be awarded to the source that results in the arrest and prosecution of these corrupt cops and their accomplices:

Bank: Standard Bank
Branch: Rivonia Branch
Account name: Dessington de Beer Attorneys
Account number: 420069224
Branch Code: 001255
Reference: ENOUGH! (Optional to include your name or company if you are comfortable)

Your help is greatly appreciated, and will help us make a difference for all.
On a personal note, for those of you who know me – “you know and can have confidence that I will vigorously pursue this matter”.

Yours sincerely

Ryan Pickford

Hi Ryan
I was interested saddened to hear about the SAPS
incident with you and from what I can gather with
many others. Over the past 6 months we have been
developing a website called Crime Stats SA. The
purpose of creating this site was to try and make
something meaningful from the crime stats that are
posted on the SAPS website. Although the SAPS
website has all the information you’d need it is
very difficult to navigate your way through it.
Crime Stats SA has created an easy to use app that
will enable you to explore all the reported crimes
that are meaningful to you. We display the latest
and historic South African crime statistics in an
easy-to-understand format. You don’t need to know
anything about police precincts or provincial
boundaries. You can search, by address, for your
area on a map of South Africa and immediately
access the information you need.  The Heatmap
displays all the precincts in South Africa to you.
Each precinct is colour coded. The number of total
crimes for the category or categories you have
chosen are sorted numerically and then divided
into 5 blocks, called quintiles. The first
quintile contains the precincts in the bottom 20%,
so they have the least crimes. They are shown in
green. The fifth quintile contains the precincts
that have are in the top 20% in terms of number of
crimes, in other words they have the most crimes.
They are shown in red. Therefore the colour of the
precinct, from green to orange to red, indicates
how many crimes it has in comparison to the
others.
I would like to created a username and password
for you. I would however need your email address.
The Crime Stats SA website
http://www.crimestatssa.com. This will allow you
access to the analytical application. You would
get a detailed picture for the whole of South
Africa, by province, precinct, crime type etc.
Here you will be able to view all the crime stats
since 2004. You will see why well over one hundred
and forty five thousand people have been murdered
during this period and many other very interesting
facts.
Regards

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We live in a great country with great people, and there are many honest, just and honorable members of the police force. However we need to stop the escalating police corruption in South Africa.

On May 11, 2012 I was hijacked and abducted by 2 Police Officers and 3 of their accomplices working for a crime syndicate in South Africa. Major-General Phumzo Gela of the SAPS has today admitted that Police were involved. See The Star Newspaper Page 2 Thursday 17th of May 2012

I was handcuffed, beaten, robbed and held at gunpoint for two hours, then dumped in the veld in an industrial area in Centurion. I am grateful to be alive, but it was an extremely traumatizing experience which I want to prevent happening to other law abiding citizens of South Africa.

In order to achieve this we need to change the dynamic that is prevalent and growing in South Africa, the police corruption, police harassment and police brutality.

South Africans have a great and strong spirit and the rampant corruption and abuse by the rogue policemen is breaking our spirit and tearing apart the fabric of our society. We’ve had ENOUGH!

We need to raise awareness of the mounting police corruption and empower the many victims that are too intimidated to speak out and report these atrocities for fear of retribution. The citizens of South Africa need to know that Justice will prevail if we stand together against this anarchy.

Our goal is to put up a reward for the arrest and prosecution of the corrupt cops and their accomplices of this crime syndicate so no-one else has to fall prey to them.

Any contributions to this cause would be greatly appreciated and will enable us to break the stronghold the syndicate holds on the northern suburbs of Johannesburg and start to make a difference.

We will challenge the State to match the total contributions we receive; they are responsible for the Police Force and should shoulder the responsibility for corruption and support citizens who are violated.

The funds will be held in a Trust Account and managed by Dessington de Beer Attorneys, and will be awarded to the source that results in the arrest and prosecution of these corrupt cops and their accomplices:

Bank: Standard Bank
Branch: Rivonia Branch
Account name: Dessington de Beer Attorneys
Account number: 420069224
Branch Code: 001255
Reference: ENOUGH! (Optional to include your name or company if you are comfortable)

Your help is greatly appreciated, and will help us make a difference for all.
On a personal note, for those of you who know me – “you know and can have confidence that I will vigorously pursue this matter”.

Yours sincerely

Ryan Pickford

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Our Company strives at providing expert Risk Management and Insurance advice as well as arranging prompt & efficient settlement of your claims or queries.

Our Motto: The bitterness of poor advice will be remembered long after the joy of a low price. Advice at the right price.

BENEFIT FROM OUR SERVICES

We obtain competitive quotes and if accepted, ensure that your Insurer issues your policy as quickly and accurately as possible. In addition

Besides not having to deal directly with an Insurer over the phone, with us you are not a “number”, but a “VIP”

Join the forum discussion on this post

More than 150 Federal Agents led Raids on homes and businesses in a Dozen States last weekend.

Three of the alleged traffickers caught in Southern California were Jimmy Kha, Mai Nguyen and Felix Kha.

US Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe said Officials had shut down a Major source of Black Market Rhino Horns in the lucrative International Trade.

Officials seized more than $1-Million in cash, $1Million in Gold bars, Diamonds and 20 Rhino Horns in the Raids.

2010 the death of 333 rhinos by poachers was recorded, in 2011 the figure for the year was recorded at 443.

By the 10^th of January 2012, 11 rhino carcasses were found, at this rate of relentless killing by poachers these fantastic creatures will be extinct if non-existent in a few years.

Despite the deployment of soldiers in the Kruger National Park early in 2011 to patrol the parks borders with Mozambique and tighten up security, the Kruger Park lost 244 rhinos in poaching incidents in 2011.

Dr David Mabunda, CEO of SANS Parks was explicit in pointing a finger at Mozambicans saying that “in 95% of the cases- no even more are involved with the poaching” many are sent home in body bags but this does not deter them, they know the risk by now but the gangs keep multiplying and just keep coming.

The poachers enter the parks with rifles and assault weapons and it has become a war leaving 21 poachers dead and a number of the 78 who were arrested wounded, this is the value been put on the RHINO HORN.

The improved security operations at the Kruger National Park has caused these criminals to switch their attention to private game reserves and game farms, as the recent spate of killings around the country has shown.

Unfortunately there are still too many people who think of the target as just a rhino and therefore of such killings as simply another wildlife crime.

It is in fact Organized crime at its best and should get treated in the same way as drug dealing, armed robbery, heists and hijacking.

The syndicates involved with rhino horn smuggling are involved in all the above and more, with cut out points at each level of the syndicate.

It is a complex criminal network which tragically extends into wildlife-protection organisations and veterinary circles as recent arrests have once more shown.

Out of the 433 case dockets there were only about 10 convictions.

We are a great organization which has a networking capability second to none, many of us have dealt with such Syndicates and sent a large number of these criminals to prison for a very long period of time, and therefore I assume we have the expertise to take on any given syndicate at any given time, but we choose to be “boardroom warriors” who are very quick to criticize and blame those people doing the job.

Instead of taking on the Barry Trigwell 15 year old murder case at no cost and to no avail, we should get actively involved in assisting Ken Maggs who heads the National Wildlife Crime Reaction Unit and his people in any way we can.

Ken Maggs is a dynamic and fantastic person who has the right strategy to combat this smuggling scourge from all angles.

I would recommend you read the article ‘THE RHINO WAR CAN BE WON’ which was written by Leon Marshall and featured in the Star Newspaper on December 30^th 2011, (I have placed the article on the office notice board and have sent you all copies via email.)

Remember “for evil to succeed, all that’s needed is that good men do nothing”

Let’s see if you approve this posting for our website or not, I guess if it’s not posted by tomorrow morning one could say I chose a funny way to resign.