Two Grahamstown pupils will be attending the World Rhino Youth Summit in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend.
Two Grahamstown pupils will be attending the World Rhino Youth Summit in KwaZulu-Natal this weekend.
Graeme College's Sive Vena and Dylan Pullen, both in Grade 11, were selected to represent the school at the first-ever World Rhino Summit.
International wildlife crime is now rated the fourth-most profitable illegal trade in the world.
As young people and future leaders, the boys look forward to helping find ways to deal with the crime that is having a growing impact in South Africa.
In an in interview with Grocott's Mail, Vena said, "I'm excited to go – not only because of the fact that we'll get to see rhinos and get to experience this whole summit, but because of the fact that we know other countries and people internationally are also attending this event.
"It shows that the rest of the world is concerned about rhino conservation in South Africa."
150 young people from nine African states, Vietnam, China, the US, Britain, New Zealand, Europe and South America will be converging on the Hluhluwe-Mfolozi Game Reserve in northern KZN for a three-day high-level summit, culminating in the unveiling of a World Youth Wildlife Declaration.
Pullen said he was happy to be selected and was looking forward to learning about rhinos and their importance to South Africa.
"Most of all what I want to take out from this experience is how to raise awareness among the youth about this big problem facing our country," he said.
According to its mission statement, the Summit aims to foster understanding and cooperation amongst young people around conservation; involve political leaders; gain youth perspectives on rhino-poaching and wildlife crime and develop an international movement against wildlife crime and the indiscriminate slaughter of endangered species.
