Mossel Bay, South Africa -- (SBWire) -- 06/25/2015 --Austrian photojournalist Angela Raab is on a mission to save one of the world's oldest creatures.
The rhinoceros.
"The rhino has been walking the earth since the dawn of time," explained Raab. "Long ago, these animals were widespread, roaming African and Asian rain forests in high numbers. Today rhinos are in danger of extinction because of human greed."
Poachers have been killing these proud beasts in large numbers as the horns are extremely valuable. In fact, the sales of rhino horns are a major funding mechanism for terrorist cells throughout the world.
Raab has teamed up with filmmaker Clare James to produce a documentary about this issue. The film, titled The Last Stand, seeks to raise awareness about rhino poaching and the work of Anti-Poaching Units (APU).
"Nighttime is a very vulnerable time for the rhinos and the poachers use very sophisticated equipment, like night vision and thermal goggles, to track them down," says Dr. William Fowlds, a South African veterinary surgeon and an advocate for the APU."
"I have an enormous amount of respect for the men and women in the APU. It's a tireless and stressful job. They're defending a wildlife heritage that belongs to all of us in the global community" says Dr. William Fowlds.
"Our main goal is to stay one step ahead of them and the technology they use. The APU is struggling to keep up with the technology that the poachers are using. It's like we are fighting a war in the dark" says Justin Fox, a private game reserve owner and rhino advocate as well as head of the APU we are working with and who supported us from day 1.
Raab and James need about $200,000 to complete this documentary. In order to generate funding, they have launched a Kickstarter campaign, which can be viewed at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1359303880/the-last-stand-support-africas-anti-poaching-units
The Kickstarter page includes clips from the film.
Donations of any amount are welcome. For a $100 contribution, backers will receive an autographed copy of The Last Stand. A $1,000 pledge is good for a copy of the film plus your name in the rolling credits.
"We have spent four months in Africa, traveling the rhino trails, building contacts and listening to all angles of the story," says Raab. "We have made so much progress, and invested so much time and money into this. We are determined not to give up.
"The men and women of the APU are also investing all their time and energy into protecting the remaining rhinos, mostly on a shoestring budget. Our goal with this film is to show the hardship, daily life, emotional strain, financial difficulties and commitment of these dedicated people."
For additional information, visit https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1359303880/the-last-stand-support-africas-anti-poaching-units or the film's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/rhinofoundation
Raab can be contacted directly at monkeysistersproductions@gmail.com
Contact Name: Angela Raab
Company Name: The Last Stand: Support Africa's Anti-Poaching Units
Email Address: monkeysistersproductions@gmail.com
Website URL: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1359303880/the-last-stand-support-africas-anti-poaching-units
City: Mossel Bay
State: Western Cape
Zip Code: 8943
Country: South Africa
Phone Number: 888-527-0509
