Meet JoJo Tanks’ latest addition, The Real Makoya

The newest addition to the JoJo Tanks range is a 25-year old endangered black rhino, appropriately named “The Real Makoya”.  

Says JoJo Tanks managing director, Rod Cairns, “We are passionate about the role companies such as ours, which operates in the green business area, should play in the conservation of our planet’s future and resources.  Whether we work with communities directly or with NGOs, our main aim is to educate South Africans about the urgent need to conserve water and the personal and community benefits of rainwater harvesting.  Adopting this endangered black rhino, further illustrates our commitment to greening our world and playing an active role in the protection thereof.”

Through poaching, black rhino numbers have declined dramatically over the last century, from several hundred thousand in 1900 to below 2500 in 2004. Says Cairns, “Rhinos are as threatened as our natural water resources and if each of us can save one drop of water or make a difference to one rhino’s life, we can secure the future of our planet. 

“Adopting a rhino also speaks to our brand. Rhinos have a thick skin that protects it from injury (so do our tanks) and they will drink up to 80 liters of water a day but if necessary can go without water for many days (similarly, our tanks need only one good downpour of rain to fill up and the water can safely be stored until required).”

JoJo’s Real Makoya was born on the uMfolozi Game Reserve and now lives on the Somkhanda Game Reserve, the Black Rhino Range Expansion Program. He favours the eastern section of the reserve and is frequently seen accompanying a female within his range. “This female is yet to calf at Somkhanda, and it is hoped that their close association will result in them breeding and producing offspring in the not too distant future. Concludes Cairns, “With the difference JoJo’s adoption has already made to The Real Makoya’s life, imagine the difference we can make to our world if we all made a contribution – either to adopt an endangered species or to change our wasteful water habits.” 

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Background on the Somkhanda Reserve

Somkhanda is a 16 000 ha community-owned game reserve in northern KwaZulu-Natal, situated between the Pongola Game Reserve and Zululand Rhino Reserve, where it forms part of an important conservation corridor, particularly for Black Rhino and Wild Dogs. Somkhanda Game Reserve is owned by the Gumbi community, whose community leaders, rather than settling the land, decided to zone it for economic sustainability, including wildlife conservation and tourism activities. The reserve is currently supervised jointly by the Gumbi community, the Wildlands Conservation Trust and Zululand Hunters.