Former NBA basketball player Yao Ming is in Kenya in his
role as WildAid Ambassador, to bring attention to poachers threatening rhinos
and elephants. Yao is also expected to shoot an anti-poaching documentary in
the country.
On Saturday, the former Houston Rockets star visited the Ol
Pejeta Conservancy in Nanyuki. The conservancy serves as a sanctuary for four
of the world’s remaining seven northern white rhinos, and in spite of increased
security in the conservancy, 5 of its 88 rhinos have been poached in the past
one year.
The documentary titled “The End of the Wild” is expected to
show the beauty and economic importance of wildlife, and the extent of the poaching
crisis.
About WildAid
WorldAid’s mission is to end the illegal wildlife trade in
our lifetimes by reducing demand through public awareness campaigns and
providing comprehensive marine protection. The illegal trade is estimated to be
worthy over $10 billion per year and has drastically reduced many wildlife populations
around the world. Just like the drug trade, law and enforcement efforts have
not been able to resolve the problem.
Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent
protecting animals in the wild, yet virtually nothing is spent on stemming the
demand for wildlife parts and products. WildAid is the only organization
focused on reducing the demand for these products, with the strong and simple
message: when the buying stops, the killing can too.
Photos courtesy of Yao Ming’s blog Yao's Journey to Africa
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