Join Our Online Casino & Help End Rhino Poaching – What You Can Do!

Yes, Springbok is an online casino and as such not involved in wild life preservation directly.  But....we are a proud South African casino and we take our South Africaness very seriously.  Don't miss the fascinating articles about our amazing country that you can find at the bottom-right of our site.   You'll find articles about sharks, dolphins, whales, the Big 5 and more and more - ENJOY!

Our Proudly South African Online Casino

As you all know, we love to brag about our beautiful country… and everything the southern tip of this continent has to offer.  Part of this, as you’re all well aware, is our glorious wildlife.  As proud as we are of Springbok online casino, we are just as proud of the spoils that our land has to offer!

In this particular instance we are – as we love to do – referring to our wildlife.  South Africa is the one country where people the world over can come to view the Big 5, be it at a private reserve, or the much-loved Kruger National Park.

Unfortunately, some of our endemic species are under constant threat.

Raising Rhino Poaching Awareness at Our Online Casino

According to the South African government department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, 259 rhinos were killed in the first six months of 2022.  They further state that this figure is 10 times more for the same period during 2021.

The plant-based megafauna are under constant threat for one thing – their horns.  At the current rate at which rhinos are killed and poached for their horns, our Big 5 might end up being a very sad Big 4.  The next generation of players at our online casino may never get to see these giants in real life.

Although the Kruger National Park has been a target for poachers, a shocking new trend of attacking private game reserves is on the rise.  “2022 Poaching statistics show a loss of 210 rhinos on state properties and 49 in privately-owned parks.”

Even sadder is that KwaZulu-Natal is now a hotspot for poachers, with a record loss of 133 rhinos in the first six months of 2022.  This figure is more than triple that of 2021, where a loss of 33 rhinos was recorded in the province.

Sophisticated Poaching Methods Supplied by International Crime Syndicates

Yes, rhinos are known to throw mega temper tantrums when they feel threatened, but they are no match for the sophisticated methods which are being used by poachers.  Rhinos sleep intermittently for at least 8 hours per day and when they do, they sleep very deeply, making them easy to approach.

According to Save the Rhino, “international criminal gangs with sophisticated equipment to track and kill rhinos” are supplying poachers.  They even use powerful tranquilizer guns on these deep-sleeping giants.  Once knocked out, their horns are hacked off and they awake to a slow and painful fate of bleeding to death.

When Mother Nature Fights Back

Knowing that these majestic beasts are being murdered to a point of extinction leaves little compassion when poachers come face-to-face with karma.  There is the age old saying ‘we live as we die’ – and in this instance, the poetic justice is, well, poetic.

As a South African based online casino, we keep tabs on news that affects out country and all her inhabitants.  When news breaks of poachers meeting their maker, and naturally at that, it is more of a feel good story than anything else.

• In April of 2019, an elephant killed a poacher in the Kruger National Park, after which the poacher was devoured by a pride of lions.  All that park rangers found were his skull – and bits of his trousers.  The poacher’s partners in crime were arrested shortly after and explained that they planned to poach a rhino when they were attacked by the elephant.

• In 2018, the beautiful privately-owned Sibuya Game Reserve, at least three poachers met their demise when they ran into a pride of lions before they could carry out their despicable poaching deed.  The reserve owner, Nick Fox, said at the time that he was grateful as they had lost three rhino to poaching in 2016.

• Also in 2018, an unidentified poacher was mauled to death by a pride of lions in Ingwelala Private Nature Reserve just outside the Kruger National Park.  He was, however, suspected to be a big cat hunter – although high-powered rifles suitable for rhino poaching were found near his remains.

These are just a few incidents that made international headlines... but we bet some stories are never reported as, well, there is literally nothing left to report!

How You Can Help Springbok Online Casino Protect Our Rhinos

What on earth can we, as an online casino, do to help curb the problem and to ensure that future generations will have an opportunity to see these beauts in the wild?  It is all about creating awareness surrounding conversation.  We often feature online casino promotions aimed at this very cause.

With the shocking rhino poaching stats revealed for 2022 thus far, we all need to take extra action.  As for what you can do, there is a lot!

1. Whenever you are fortunate enough to experience a rhino sighting, DO NOT disclose the location of the sighting on social media.
2. Whenever you share photos of your rhino sightings, ensure that your photos do not contain meta-data such as location data – in other words, disable geotagging of your photos.  Since the process of doing this depends on your device, Google for the correct steps.
3. Do not “check in” on social media when you are visiting a private or national game reserve – especially when your socials are public – as tempting as it might be to boast about where you are!
4. Resist the urge to post rhino pics until after your visit – and when you do so, keep the above in mind and never mention when or where it was and check for any geotagging.  There are apps that can remove geotags, or you can do it manually – Google is your friend here again.
5. Get involved in one of the many fabulous organisations dedicated to rhino conservation.  You can either donate to the organisation or become an ambassador to create awareness.
6. Join the fight in the frontline – yep, this one is for brave and fearless looking for a career change!
7. Spread the word that rhino horn is nothing more than keratin – the same stuff your fingernails are made of – and it has zero medicinal value at all!

As an online casino, we might keep track of a few minor things to maintain your Springbok Casino account, but poachers are always on the prowl to look for data on rhino sightings.  This is most often done by following people, wildlife photographers, game reserves and other social media groups.

This is where they sadly often find tips based on info disclosed.  Most, if not all nature and wildlife social media groups stipulate that you are not allowed to post sighting of rhinos, and if you are, the location is not allowed to be revealed.  Now you know why…  If geotagging is enabled, a single photo can reveal the precise location of our treasured rhino!

It is also known that more poaching of rhinos happen during clear skies on a full moon as the bright nights aid their endeavours.  So, during your late-night online casino sessions at Springbok Casino, spare a little thought for our rhinoceros...  Let’s all unite and do what we can to ensure that they remain a part of the Big 5, now and forever more!