Rhino Momma Project

A nonprofit organization

Rhinoceroses are dying. This Namibian family, along with their Minnesota partner, is doing something about it, raising rhinos to repopulate the species and rescuing others. Today with more and more rhinos falling to poaching, we need your help. 


Meet Jaco. For the past 12 years he and his wife Cher have made raising and rescuing rhinoceroses their family business. Things were going OK until covid, when tourism dollars dropped off and the Namibian economy tanked. Rhinos are on the IUCN's red list, which means they are in serious danger of going extinct, which makes their work critically important. I'm their partner, James Dodds, a Minnesota anthropologist and film maker. We are asking for your help in feeding our orphans and equipping our anti-poaching teams, so more rhinos can live. And you'll get exciting updates from the field from our award-winning documentary crew.  Follow the Rhino Momma adventure!

Rhino poaching is up dramatically this year, with crime syndicates moving in from South Africa to shoot rhinos and hack their faces off to extract their horns, often while the animals are still alive. Due to the diligence of our anti-poaching units, Rhino Momma has never had a rhino poached. Your donation can help keep it that way.   


It all started 12 years ago when their son Tristan wrote a school paper about how rhinos in Africa are dying. Jaco was so impressed that he went out and bought one. "I remember the day I got my very first rhinoceros," he recalls fondly. (Most families just get their kids a dog.) They fell in love with the species, and from that day on they directed all their resources and energy, including converting their successful antelope breeding business, into saving rhinos. It's a family enterprise with a big impact. Here's what Rhino Momma does.


We repopulate the species. Rhino Momma has raised 133 rhino calves for wildlife parks and reserves all over southern and central Africa, and also to help other breeders.


We run a rhino orphanage. Your donation will help keep this little girl and others like her alive. She'll consume 3000 gallons of milk and rack up lots of vet bills before she is weaned after 18 months, at a cost of $10,000.


We save rhinos from poachers.  One reserve in South Africa had nine rhinos shot and mutilated for their horns, all over a single weekend. At the manager's urging Jaco quickly and secretly transported the remaining ten rhinos to the Rhino Momma sanctuary, 1200 miles away, where they have been safe ever since. 


How you can help.

Sadly, this is turning out to be a record year for rhino poaching in Namibia. Your donation will help purchase new camera traps, electronic surveillance equipment, and basic field gear for our anti-poaching units so they can stay ahead of the killers. Help us maintain our perfect record of never having had a rhino poached! 


How we are different. No big offices, no pricey campaigns, no corporate salaries. 100% of your donation (after crowdfunding fees) goes directly to purchase supplies for our rhinos and to employ Africans to care for and protect them. 100%!  

And it's not just about the rhinos...

Besides raising, rescuing, and protecting these beautiful animals, the entire Rhino Momma facility sets an example by being fully solar powered, and by holding workshops to promote renewable energy and sustainable farming practices. We also provide jobs and support for neighboring farmers, in addition to restoring the reserve, previously an over-grazed cattle ranch, to its natural state.    


Don't miss out! Get exciting updates from the field

Hi, I’m James Dodds.  I’m an award-winning documentary filmmaker and anthropologist who has worked with nonprofits all over the world, from small ones (I've formed four myself), to big organizations like IUCN and USAID. I look for four things: cost effectiveness, sustainability, integrity, and community involvement. I started this fundraiser because Rhino Momma ticks all the boxes, and Jaco and Cheryl are genuinely good people.  Help keep their dream alive!














Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Rhino Momma Project

Tax id (EIN)

88-0941538

Categories

Environment Animals International

Address

3220 Grand ave so
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55408