Imagine walking among a 15 strong crash of rhinos…. For the 6 000 who attended Afrikaburn this was a reality!
Extinct made its debut appearance at the much anticipated Afrikaburn which took place over the long weekend. And as expected the impact it made was HUGE… Extinct is a crash of 15 life size rhino’s built for a single purpose: Create awareness of the impact the human race has on the environment by being the voice for beasts, birds, fish and conservation alike!
By using X-Board donated by Xanita, The Space Cowboys were able to build these majestic beasts. X-Board is an eco-friendly paper composite board alternative to MDF and chipboard. The Cowboys decided that this was a great material for them to work with as it was light weight, could be glued with Alcolin Wood Glue and could be easily flat packed for transportation. This eco-friendly product was also great because once their mission is accomplished the herd is 100% recyclable and won’t have an environmental footprint.
Using recycled and recyclable material shows not only the vulnerability of rhino’s as a species but also that we need to conserve what resources we have and change the mindset of the masses to “green thinking.”
The Cowboys in conjunction with the Frank Joubert Art Centre aims to create awareness by allowing the public to walk among these amazing beasts. Allowing a sense of fragility to enter their awareness and letting them feel for themselves the impact these animals have on the soul.
Leading up to World Rhino Day on 22 September 2012, The Cowboys aim to exhibit Extinct at various locations locally with the help of conservation groups and hopefully in the future move the herd abroad for even more exposure.
Rhino’s are being poached at an alarming rate and should be a concern for South Africans and the world alike because we are all citizens of one planet. We need to stand together and act now, before rhino’s too become EXTINCT…
Source: News24.com
Rhino Shepherd 