Rhino Poop auction a great success

The International Rhino Foundation has been thanking everyone who bid on their wacky Rhino Poop auction on ebay.

We have just ended IRF’s Endangered Feces auction, ending with a total of 76 eBay bids, with a high bid of $1,075 for the white rhino specimen. We can’t wait to learn about the folks getting these special gifts.
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The Endangered Feces auction was easily one of the wackier projects IRF has ever undertaken. But it captured people’s imaginations and generated interest in rhinos all over the world. Media coverage reached at least 3.5 million people. There are more than 200,000 references to “rhino poop” on Google, and our YouTube video had more than 500 viewings – and a several 5-star ratings!

CBS 60 Minutes: Gorillas: Kings Of Congo

Not sure how I missed this, but CBS aired a 60 Minutes segment about the Mountain Gorillas recently. Here is the Video Link and the main webpage can be found at CBSNews.com.

It's hard to imagine a more magnificent animal than the mountain gorilla. There are only about 700 of them left on the planet and so far this year at least ten have been shot to death.

As CNN's Anderson Cooper reports, it's gotten so bad for many of the remaining gorillas that conservationists genuinely fear the entire species might become extinct. They live in east Africa, in a forest that straddles Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a family of gorillas was massacred last summer.

So last month 60 Minutes went to Congo, a desperately poor country, to see why those gorillas were slaughtered, why the surviving gorillas are in jeopardy, and what can be done to save them.

Rhino poop charity auction: $2000 so far, two days to go

Super-pooper. The International Rhino Foundation's ebay auction of rhino poop has received bids totalling nearly $2000. And there's still two days to go.

Stephen Fry talks 2008

Stephen Fry is currently filming a new BBC documentary in the United States in which he will visit all 50 states. He's travelling around in a London Black Cab.

He recently took time (via videolink from Miami), to talk to journalists in London about his weight loss, his smoking (no more), and his plans for 2008 which include the long-anticipated Last Chance To See TV series.

See this Manchester Evening News page for more on the busy busy life of Stephen Fry.

[Fry] plans to spend Christmas with House star Hugh Laurie and his family.

Stephen and Hugh are, of course, very old friends.

“It’s brilliant that he’s had this success and I’m, obviously, very proud,” remarked the ever-generous Mr Fry.
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Projects lined up for 2008 include filming of his screenplay Dambusters, an intriguing re-make of classic 1955 British war film The Dam Busters.

He’s also travelling to South America, Africa and China for a documentary on endangered species, inspired by Douglas Adams’ book Last Chance To See.
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And he’s written the script for Cinderella, which opened at London’s Old Vic Theatre this week, two new series of QI…

I'm looking forward to his new version of the The Dam Busters, however much I love the original. And it's high time that QI made an appearance on BBC America. With the writers strike bringing most US shows to a standstill soon (or already), it's heartening to know that I'll be able to turn to BBC America and get some decent entertainment. QI should be a part of that.

I can't wait for season 2 of the brilliant Life on Mars (starts December 11th), and Torchwood season 2 arrives at the end of January, shortly after the BBC's UK broadcast.

Rhino poop for sale on ebay

If you're looking for an unusual gift for that special someone, head over to ebay where the International Rhino Foundation are currently selling four piles of Rhino dung to raise money for the charity. Each specimen of rhino dung has been properly dried and sealed in an attractive container featuring the name of the rhino species that produced it. At time of writing, over $1000 has been bid, and the auctions still have four days to run.

Can you imagine the look on the face of the recipients when they unwrap their special gifts?

Any takers?