Saving Endangered Animals with The Rhino Man of Yorkshire

By Kevin Pilley

“The illegal wildlife trade is worth $20 billion a year. Rhino hunting is the fourth most lucrative illegal trade in the world.  After drugs, arms and human trafficking. There are just 18,000 white rhinos and 4,000 black left on the planet. Eighty per cent live in South Africa. The rhino population is at tipping point.  Over 11000 rhinos have been poached since 2008 and 296 rangers gunned down.  Gin and whisky can help.”

Former crime reporter, beer writer for the Evening Press, Pete Richardson is a proud Yorkshireman who supports York City and baby rhinos.

Halifax-born Richardson founded golf specialist PR, marketing and sales company Azalea in 2000 before moving to South Africa in 2009 to launch the Legend Golf & Safari Resort. He became co-founder of the South African Golf Tourism Association as well as co-founder and a director of The Rhino Orphanage – a “world-first” conservation project  at Mokopane in The Waterberg, Limpopo, 300 miles north of Johannesburg in the country’s northernmost Province and home of one of the largest rhino populations on earth. The wilderness area was awarded the status of a World Biosphere reserve by UNESCO as the only savannah biosphere in the world.

“Waterberg Rhino UK has three pillars of action,” says 57-year-old Richardson. “Security and protection, education, community and conservation. Our central aim is to help fund the prevention of rhino poaching. Our objective is to strengthen the links between the Waterberg region in South Africa and the UK by working directly with the local community, established Non-Profit Organisations and game reserves. Urban Rhino help spread the word and find the causes. 20% of sales go to protect rhinos and look after orphans.”

“Collaborating with wildlife”

Urban Rhino is one of an increasing number of spirits brands collaborating with wildlife conservation projects around the world. Glenmorangie supports giraffes. Whales, snow leopards, pangolins, Tarsiers, lions, bees and even dormice, sloths are being supported by drinkers around the world.  And just not London dry gin drinkers. There is also Rhino single malt Speyside whisky.

Continues Richardson : “I always wanted to be an archaeologist and in 1986 I started my degree at The University of York. “ says the  57-year-old former Hipperholme Grammar School student. “As a skint student, I joined a busking band playing punk Cajun music. It went quite well, so much so that on graduation we turned fully professional – as the Butter Mountain Boys with me as the world’s only professional washboard player. We toured Europe and produced a few albums with the Guardian calling us “The best post-modernist Cajun band in the world”.  We were also crowned International Musicians of the Year in 1989 at Ronnie Scotts. I played washboard at Ronnie Scotts!

“Due to musical differences – they were musical I wasn’t –  I joined the Yorkshire Evening Press in York and became news editor with Tyne Tees before becoming deputy news editor at the Daily Record in Scotland. I founded Pete Richardson Communications as a specialist golf PR and marketing company and a couple of years later rebranded it as The Azalea Group.  I am proud to say that although I sold in 2013 it remains the largest and most successful specialist golf PR, marketing and sales operation outside of the US.”

But Peter’s proudest achievement, he says, is co-founding The Rhino Ophanage (TRO) with Arrie van Deventer. “Early one morning in 2012, Arrie received an urgent phone call from one of his neighbours. Greatly distressed, the neighbour informed Arrie that two female rhinos, as well as a young baby rhino, had been shot only 400 metres from his house. Both female had calves.The neighbour asked whether Arrie could organize a helicopter to assist with locating the orphaned rhino. They eventually managed to corral the baby.”

“Job well done”

On hearing that there were no facilities for rhino orphans, Arrie simply said, “Don’t worry. You’ve got one. I’ll build one.” Money was the biggest challenge.

“And that’s where I came in,” says Richardson. “We hounded, cajoled and begged for funds. And it worked. It takes substantial capital to set up a wildlife sanctuary of any kind – especially a rhino orphanage. It costs even more to keep such a facility running. While there is a great sense of urgent action required to save this critically endangered species, many people worldwide remain oblivious of the fact that we’re on the verge of losing an entire species.”

The orphanage costs well in excess of Rand 1m per annum to run. There are a few full time staff – managers, carers and security. Plus a volunteer programme. Generally, abandoned or orphaned rhinos are ready for release at around 4-5 years of age when strong enough to defend themselves against predators as well as other rhinos.

“In 2019, two of the hand-reared rhinos that had been with the orphanage since they were 6 weeks old, intuitively knew how to handle a pride of 8 lions. Instinctively they knew how to create a star formation, their horns facing outwards as they backed way. This indicated a job well-done on our behalf, and the rhinos gained a valuable life-lesson in self-preservation.”

Once a rhino has been returned to where it belongs, the nature reserve continues to monitor, protect and track the rhinos. Pete believes that wildlife rescue in South Africa is absolutely essential for preventing the extinction of endangered species – “especially our treasured rhinos”.

“It is our life’s work and greatest honour to be of service to the magnificent baby rhinos in our care.”

Pete Richardson’s Urban Rhino drinks help support endangered rhinos – more info at: urban-rhino.com

TRY A RUBY RHINO

Recipe:

• 50 ml Urban Rhino
• 20 ml Lime Juice
• 20 ml Grapefruit Juice
• 20 ml Sugar Syrup
• 2 Muddled Raspberries (Gently mash at the bottom of the glass! That’s muddling!)

Preparation:

Take a cocktail shaker or mixing glass and add the following ingredients:

• • 50 ml Urban Rhino
  • 20 ml Lime Juice
  • 20 ml Grapefruit Juice
  • 20 ml Sugar Syrup

Take two raspberries and place them in the bottom of a glass. Use a muddler or the back of a spoon to gently mash the raspberries. This process is called muddling, and it helps release the flavours and juices from the raspberries.

Once the raspberries are muddled, add ice to the glass. You can fill the glass with ice cubes or use crushed ice, depending on your preference.

Now, take the cocktail shaker or mixing glass with the other ingredients and shake vigorously for about 10-15 seconds. This will thoroughly mix the ingredients and chill the cocktail.

Strain the contents of the shaker or mixing glass into the glass with the muddled raspberries and ice. Use a cocktail strainer or a fine-mesh sieve to remove any ice shards or fruit pulp.

Optionally, you can garnish the cocktail with a fresh raspberry or a slice of lime or grapefruit. This will add a nice visual touch to your drink.

Serve and enjoy your Ruby Rhino cocktail with the vibrant flavours of lime, grapefruit, and muddled raspberries.