Bidvest company, Konica Minolta South Africa has handed over the company’s Q4 2012/ 2013 contribution to the World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) rhino conservation work; demonstrating its continued commitment to the rhino’s cause for another year. This latest cheque for R364, 000 brings the total donated for the past two years to a whopping R2,412,500.
Funds donated by Konica Minolta South Africa are used to assist in the running and further development of the Africa-wide rhino horn DNA database (RhODIS) by the University of Pretoria’s Veterinary Genetics Laboratory. According to the head of WWF’s African Rhino Programme, Dr Joseph Okori: “Konica Minolta South Africa’s substantial financial contribution plays a critical role in sustaining RhODIS, which in turn contributes compelling evidence to rhino poaching cases and impacts the length of sentences handed down.”
Says Alan Griffith, MD of Konica Minolta South Africa: “We are delighted that the WWF-Konica Minolta South Africa relationship has played a role in broadening the RhODIS reach within South Africa, as well as the system’s introduction into Kenya, where a large percentage of the critically endangered East African black rhino population resides.”
Griffith continues: “Konica Minolta South Africa is serious about assisting in the preservation of the majestic rhino. We hope that the sponsorship provided can help towards the production and distribution of 600 forensic kits for up to five Africa rhino range states this year.”