Projects to Support

Rhino
Conservation

SOUTH AFRICA & NAMIBIA

Direct action to protect white and black rhinos from poaching.

location:
South Africa & Namibia

Endangered species:
white rhino & black rhino

Our action: Preventive dehorning across South Africa and Namibia, orphan rhino rehabilitation in partnership with Rhino Connect, horn tracking, veterinary care, and anti-poaching support.

Donate to Rhino Conservation

Projects to Support

Rhino Conservation

SOUTH AFRICA & NAMIBIA

Direct action to protect white and black rhinos from poaching.

location:
South Africa & Namibia

Endangered species:
white rhino & black rhino

Our action: Preventive dehorning across South Africa and Namibia, orphan rhino rehabilitation in partnership with Rhino Connect, horn tracking, veterinary care, and anti-poaching support.

Donate to Rhino Conservation

At the start of the 20th century, around 500,000 rhinos roamed across Africa and Asia. Today, fewer than 28,000 remain worldwide. In just over a century, rhinos have lost more than 94% of their global population. The greatest threat is poaching, fuelled by the illegal demand for rhino horn.
In Africa, the white rhino is classified as Near Threatened, while the black rhino remains Critically Endangered.

The northern white rhinoceros is functionally extinct, and several black rhino subspecies have already disappeared.
South Africa is home to the world’s largest rhino population, but also faces the highest levels of poaching. Since 2010, more than 10,850 rhinos have been killed by poachers across the country.
Wild Spirit Foundation® works on the front line of this crisis.
In 2025, a rhino was killed every single day in South Africa. In 2026, that number is being surpassed. This is not a past crisis. It is happening now.

Africa’s Most Targeted Icon

What We Do

Every rhino saved depends on science, technology, veterinary expertise, and long-term commitment.
Wild Spirit Foundation® works on the front line of rhino conservation alongside dedicated wildlife veterinarians and reserve teams. Our team brings decades of combined field experience in wildlife veterinary medicine, implementing practical actions that protect rhinos today while helping secure their future.

Horn Trackers | South Africa

In 2025, Wild Spirit Foundation® supported the installation of horn trackers in eight rhinos in Dinokeng Game Reserve. These devices allow real-time monitoring and, in the event of poaching, help track the horn once removed, increasing the chances of intercepting traffickers and recovering critical evidence.

Preventive Dehorning | South Africa & Namibia

Dehorning is one of the most controversial yet effective anti-poaching measures. By safely removing the horn, which naturally regrows, rhinos become far less attractive to poachers.
In 2025, Wild Spirit Foundation® participated in the preventive dehorning of 24 rhinos: four in South Africa and twenty in Namibia.

Orphan Rhino Rescue Support

Poaching does not only kill adults. When a mother is killed, her calf is left with almost no chance of survival without human intervention.
Wild Spirit Foundation® supports rhino orphan rescue centres in South Africa in partnership with Rhino Connect, providing technical support for the rehabilitation of calves that have lost their mothers to poaching.

Scientific Research | Rhino Health & One Health

Wild Spirit Foundation® supports doctoral research on antimicrobial resistance genes in white rhinos, in collaboration with Universidad Europea de Madrid.
In 2025, 50 biological samples were collected and analysed from rhinos in South Africa. This research forms part of the Foundation’s One Health approach, connecting rhino health with ecosystem health and the communities living alongside wildlife.

International Awareness

Rhino protection also depends on public awareness and global support. Dr. Fabiola Quesada, founder of Wild Spirit®, has brought rhino conservation to an international audience through Dra. Fabiola Jones (RTVE / Warner Bros., 2025), featuring field interventions in Namibia and highlighting the veterinary work behind anti-poaching efforts.

Where We Work

Wild Spirit® works across South Africa and Namibia, supporting conservation efforts for both white and black rhinos

Our expert team plays an active role in rhino veterinary work, field protection, and conservation operations. This work is strengthened by leading wildlife veterinarians, including Dr. Brendan Tindall, whose lifetime of field experience has been key to rhino medicine and conservation.

The Numbers Behind the Impact

Project Results

Explore All News

Throughout 2025, Wild Spirit Foundation® contributed to rhino conservation across South Africa and Namibia through direct field interventions, scientific research, and support for orphan rehabilitation programmes.

Rhinos fitted with horn trackers

Dinokeng, South Africa

Rhinos preventively dehorned

South Africa

Rhinos preventively dehorned

Namibia

Biological samples analysed

for antimicrobial resistance research

Orphan rescue centres

supported with equipment and medication

Next Conservation Targets

Protect 50 rhinos through direct conservation action by 2027

Donations Open

How You Can Help?

Donate to Protect Rhinos

Every contribution directly supports the veterinary interventions, protection technologies, and rehabilitation efforts that are essential to safeguarding rhinos across southern Africa.

In the media

Wild Spirit®'s work with rhinos in South Africa and Namibia was one of the central storylines of the documentary series Dra. Fabiola Jones (RTVE / Warner Bros., 2025).

Several episodes documented dehorning interventions, orphan calf rescues, and the context of the poaching crisis in South Africa — bringing this reality to more than 750,000 viewers in prime time on La 1 de TVE.

View the Show (Spain)