Stop poaching - geotagging in Africa


I use twitter a lot to talk about travelling, countries, experiences, social media, to simply deepen my knowledge, and to see what is going on in the oh ever so glitzi world of travel.

Somebody somewhere posted a pic of rhinos in South Africa, what an attention grabber, and I asked where it was taken. Rhinos in South Africa … it is not that they roam the streets of Durban, Cape Town or Johannesburg you know. I expected an answer like xxx Game Reserve or something, naturally, since a quarter or so of the South African rhino population is privately owned. Poaching has unfortunately soared in recent years and experts discuss how to best solve the issue before it is too late. There is even Army personnel along boarders to help combat poaching.

The black rhino is threatened to be distinct soon, figures by IUCN show that it is a critically endangered species and there are still people who book hunting trips, or even worse, there are people who offer trophy hunting trips. In 2014 alone 860 rhinos have been illegally killed.

Back to what happened on twitter

Going back to what happened on twitter. It so beautifully shows that every little bit helps. I asked where the rhino pic was taken and the other side asked: “Can you verify that you aren't a poacher?” I loved the excellent response and these are the moments when I think we are all in this world together, and when I imagine loud fanfare players around me ... we are the cavalry on our way to make the world a better place and nothing can stop us.


Why should I disable geotagging when in the bush?

Poachers use all sorts of things to locate their prey. Most people love to show the world, their auntie and friends where they are and what an utterly stellar and fantastic life they have. Who wouldn’t be proud about hanging out with rhinos? Please switch off the geotagging options when you take a pic of an animal in the wild to post it on Instagram. You might safe a rhino when on vacation. Please share this and tell everyone who plans to travel to Africa to disable geotagging.

Have you ever been on safari? Do you plan to go on safari? Can’t wait to hear from you.

From Berlin with love