Jaco Muller, known for turning his son's idea into the Rhino Momma Project, has died at the age of 53. Muller was killed in a gyrocopter crash on September 19 while monitoring rhinos and wildfire flare-ups near Outjo, Namibia. The Rhino Momma Project, which Muller established in 2010, aimed to breed white rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) and replenish their populations across Africa. The initiative was inspired by a school project from his son when he was 15 years old.
In response to rising poaching incidents in Namibia, where 14 white rhinos were taken from private farms in six weeks in 2022, Muller and other farm owners began removing the animals' horns to deter poachers. Muller expressed his emotional conflict over dehorning, stating, "It is such a magnificent animal. But for the animal’s sake, it is for the best."
The project reported 197 rhino births since its first calf in 2013, making it one of Namibia’s larger privately run rhino-breeding operations by 2025. Muller also opened Kifaru Lodge in 2018, which generated income from tourism to support rhino care and security.
Muller advocated for the legalization of the rhino horn trade, arguing that it would allow farm owners and conservation groups to benefit financially while reducing profits for poachers. He compared the harvesting of rhino horns to shearing sheep, noting that the animals would survive and the horns would regrow.
In 2024, Muller controversially exported 42 white rhinos from Kifaru Lodge to Texas, citing the successful conservation of the Arabian oryx as a precedent. He often used a gyrocopter to survey the reserve and monitor the rhinos. His efforts in conservation and breeding have left a significant impact on the preservation of the species.