Mount Vernon’s Rhino Tears wines are now available for purchase through a newly launched e-commerce site – www.rhinotears.co.za.

All proceeds from the sale of the wines are given to the Unite Against Poaching trust. The funds are handed over to SANParks Honorary Rangers who continuously and at great risk protect South Africa’s endangered rhinos in their habitat.

According to statistics, the poaching rate in South Africa is about 6 percent of the country’s population each year, which is equal to the country’s birth rate. “The reality facing Honorary Rangers is akin to that of UN Peacekeepers, they are the very people that defend against the slaughter of innocents every single day. The work they do involves long hours with little support and the risk of danger, and yet, without much praise they continue protecting South Africa’s heritage,”says Bradley Elliott, MD of Platinum Seed, the digital agency responsible for the creation of the e-commerce site.

Costing around R55 per bottle, the goal is to reach R1 million, which would go a long way to strengthening the efforts of the Honorary Rangers. This especially as the first quarter of the year already saw 393 rhinos being killed across the country. “Our team who travelled to the Mokhohlolo camp for Honorary Rangers were bowled over by the level of skill and dedication required from both the rangers and their trained dog-unit – who take the brunt of the responsibility in identifying possible dangers,” adds Elliott.