Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Australian Rhino Project Announces New Direction: Announces RFP to Fund Rhino Conservation Projects
The Australian Rhino Project (TARP) today announced it will wind down operations after more than a decade of working to establish a breeding population of rhinos in Australia.
The Board has reluctantly concluded that the goal of importing a population of southern white rhino to Australia and New Zealand was unlikely to be achieved in the foreseeable future term. This is primarily due to proposed changes in South Africa to prohibit the export of rhinos to countries outside of Africa. The Board believes that the most impactful course of action is to redirect funds as quickly as possible to other rhino conservation projects that can deliver measurable and immediate outcomes for rhino survival.
With exports of South Africa losing 420 white rhinos to poaching last year, more than one every single day, the need for urgent, targeted investment in rhino protection is clear.
To ensure donor contributions have the greatest possible impact, TARP will be launching an Request for Proposal (RFP) process in late January 2026 to fund hands-on conservation projects with proven potential to protect rhinos and support their recovery.
“This decision ensures that every dollar donated by our supporters will continue to make a measurable difference,” said Allan Davies, Chairman. “By funding projects that are actively protecting rhinos now, we can deliver immediate impact at a time when poaching continues to threaten their survival. We believe this approach allows our mission to endure, even though the form of our work is changing.”
Details of the RFP, including eligibility criteria and application timelines, will be released on the TARP website by the end of January 2026. Organisations interested in responding to the RFP may register their expression of interest to receive the RFP documentation when it is released on the TARP website here: https://forms.gle/UMFhivwDLtnETn1HA
Media Enquiries
sarah@theaustralianrhinoproject.org
+61 418 653 863
