The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi park in KwaZulu-Natal became the southern white rhinos’ last refuge after it was hunted to near extinction in the 1890s. Now the high demand for rhino horns – fueled by Vietnamese and Chinese markets – has led to huge incentives to poach and a dramatic increase in rhino killings – over 1,000 last year alone.
The proposed mine, to be located just 40 meters from the boundary of this protected wilderness, would turn its pristine rolling savannah into a wasteland of dumps. Relied on for generations by the nearby Zulu community for grazing cattle, the landscape would be pock-marked with black cavities. Mines a bit further away have already polluted their air and water, and the toxic water is killing their cattle.
There is little doubt that if this mine goes forward, it will destroy this wilderness and put the rhino once again on the brink of extinction. Don’t let Ibutho Coal build this mine in South Africa! It would not only give poachers easier access to the animals, but the mine’s toxic byproducts would threaten their health.
“The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi park in KwaZulu-Natal became the southern white rhinos’ last refuge after it was hunted to near extinction in the 1890s. Now the high demand for rhino horns – fueled by Vietnamese and Chinese markets – has led to huge incentives to poach and a dramatic increase in rhino killings – over 1,000 last year alone.
“The proposed mine, to be located just 40 meters from the boundary of this protected wilderness, would turn its pristine rolling savannah into a wasteland of dumps. Relied on for generations by the nearby Zulu community for grazing cattle, the landscape would be pock-marked with black cavities. Mines a bit further away have already polluted their air and water, and the toxic water is killing their cattle.
“There is little doubt that if this mine goes forward, it will destroy this wilderness and put the rhino once again on the brink of extinction. Don’t let Ibutho Coal build this mine in South Africa!”
Source: www.thepetitionsite.com
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