Protect and Save the life of Our Rhinos

Dear Supporter, 

As a result of a fortunate chance meeting in a Kenyan coffee shop between GVI’s Limpopo Programs Coordinator and a wildlife tracking entrepreneur, one of the reserves where we work has since been the recipient of some very high tech rhino tracking implants, thanks to your donations!

These implants are GPS enabled; They have GSM, or cellular, communications onboard; Additionally they include a tri-axis accelerometer which senses the rhino’s head movement and can be programmed to send an alarm sms based on specific stationary time constraints and/or a specific unnatural head movement such as that resulting from a bullet’s impact. 

Obviously, our aim is to stop poaching before it happens but if a rhino is unfortunately killed and the horn removed and carried outside the reserve, there is a very good chance an alarm will be raised to enable a rapid response, possibly even before the horn has been separated from the animal’s head. This is important to try and stop the supply/demand chain for rhino horn. It also means we can catch those responsible!

There was one catch to the new tech implants:  The signal they transmit is Ultra-high Frequency (UHF), and not Very High Frequency (VHF) as is the case with all the other tracking devices on the reserve, so we required a new and totally different receiver and aerial in order to be able to track these implanted rhinos on the ground.  Thankfully the Charitable Trust's supporters were yet again, able to step up to the mark and we now have the UHF receiver and aerial to follow these animals. 

Thank you for continuing to support Rhinos in South Africa!

All the best

GVI Limpopo

Links:

• http://www.gvi.org

Dear Supporters,

We are happy to bring news that the brand new GVI Charitable Trust Mahindra (4x4), that was purchased thanks to your donations, have been put to good use already!

Unfortunately, the Limpopo region of South Africa receievd exceptionally heavy rains during the month of March, which in turn, destroyed a number of sections of the Karongwe reserve fence, especially near the rivers. This meant that a large proportion of the reserve was unprotected both with regards to stopping our wildlife leaving the reserve and become free roaming in a public area and also with stopping poachers enter the reserve easily.

As such, the Mahindra was put into action! It was used extensively for getting these breaches remedied quickly and new fences put into place. As a result, we kept our animals safe and protect.

This was all possible thanks to you and your donation that made purchasing the Mahindra a possibility. Thank you for continuing to support this project.

All the best

GVI Limpopo

Links:

• http://www.gvi.org