SABRINA DEAN – Hundreds of Bloemfontein residents added their voices to the likes of Sir Richard Branson and Dame Jane Goodall yesterday by participating in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos.
Local organizer Antoinette Ferreira says several hundred conservation enthusiasts filled the streets of Bloemfontein, chanting slogans like rhino horn is not medicine or save our rhinos and elephants. "The spirit there was awesome… I think we raised so much awareness for this cause," she says.
Ferreira says it was especially heartening to see so many names from the legal profession in attendance as these are people who work directly with poaching cases. "We had a magistrate, a senior prosecutor, a deputy director of public prosecutions, the chief clerk of the office of the DPP, three state advocates… We had so many legal people that actually work with rhino cases so it was really wonderful," she says.
Although a lot of awareness was created yesterday, Ferreira says the fight against poaching of endangered species continues on a daily basis. She has urged every individual to do their part by not using animal products and not turning a blind eye.
Visit Bloemfontein Facebook page of the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos at www.facebook.com/events/799060460119021/ to see more on yesterday’s march.
