Support Mounted Rangers Fighting Rhino Poaching

Dear Friends and Supporters

Thank you for your incredible support over the past quarter, which has helped to keep our anti-poaching units operational and effective. Your contributions continue to make a tremendous difference in the battle against wildlife crime. Here's a quick project update.

Rhino Poaching News

With 325 rhinos killed last year, our province, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), was the most severely affected by rhino poaching. Out of the total, our premier park, Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park, saw the tragic loss of 307 rhinos, and since the start of this year, another 109 rhinos have been lost. State custodian, Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife, has responded by taking the difficult choice to dehorn all rhinos in the reserve, to give them best possible chance of survival.

Project Rhino is supporting our major reserves in KZN with their dehorning programmes, which are a significant investment for reserves as they require the skills of a highly specialised team of people, including helicopter pilots, veterinarians, and game capture teams. The procedure does not hurt the rhino as their horn contains no nerves and is composed of keratin, which is also found in human hair and fingernails. The horn will grow again over time, usually in a few years.

From general patrols conducted by the Project Rhino anti-poaching units, it has been noted that vulture poisoning seems to be on the rise, as well as a significant increase in dog poachers and snaring. This further emphasizes the need to maintain a constant presence over our member reserves.

Supporting our Wildlife Rangers

In addition to protecting wildlife from poachers, our wildlife rangers fulfil several vital conservation roles: They patrol protected areas and fence lines, monitor wildlife, engage with local communities in conservation efforts, help communities resolve human-wildlife conflicts, and assist with tourism, to name a few. Globally, rangers protect 15% of all land services and 7% of all seas; over 45 million km² combined.

Thank you to all our GlobalGiving donors for helping to support their incredibly important work, as well as RCL Foods, for supporting the horses with nutritional feed.

It is a core priority of Project Rhino to assist our wildlife rangers wherever possible, including equipment, training, and ensuring their horses (or canines) are in the best possible condition. We have two major fundraisers planned later this year to support this work – the Run for Rangers taking place in Babanango Game Reserve in July, and the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, taking place throughout rhino month in September.

Other Events and Programmes

• Project Rhino has co-implemented an exciting Siyafunda Ngemvelo "We Learn In Nature" programme. Less than 2% of children in South Africa have ever visited a game reserve or National Park, despite many communities living in close proximity to these incredible places. Thanks to Dogs 4 Wildlife and Connected Planet, in collaboration with the IFPCP and K9-Unit, pupils will have the opportunity to visit a game reserve and experience wildlife for the first time.
• Working with Wildlife Act, our ZAP-Wing aerial patrol has started adding scheduled patrols directly focused on Areas of known Vulture Poisoning Activity. ZAP-Wing also supported a Pilot Project introducing the use of Collars incorporated with Artificial Intelligence Technology which is showing promising results.
• In February, we hosted a highly successful Masked Ball for Conservation, and in May, we organized a music festival to support fundraising efforts. For adrenaline seekers, we are also running a Skydive for Rhinos campaign until the end of the year. Additionally, we will be co-hosting the Oceans 8 Charity Swim next month, where participants swim 8 miles for conservation.

 Once again, our heartfelt thanks to all our supporters who have been so generous toward our cause by donating, and sharing our message. Please follow our social media pages for updates on our Project Rhino projects and events.

Links:

• Read the Daily Maverick article on dehorning efforts

We would like to extend a sincere thank you to all our generous donors and supporters who help us keep our teams on the ground. It would never be possible without your ongoing motivation and support.

The following is a brief update on what Project Rhino has accomplished over the past year in the ongoing fight against wildlife crime.

• From 01 January to September 30, 2023, our K9 team has been relentless in their efforts, removing 1412 snares on patrols, responding to 57 emergency call-outs, apprehending 5 criminals, assisting in the arrest of 10 illegal immigrants, and recovering various weapons, including an illegal firearm (.375), fourteen .375 rounds of ammunition, 4 knives, and a carpenter saw.
• Additionally, they retrieved stolen goods from two incidents and reclaimed poached rhino horns from two vehicles.
• Since July 2023, we’ve started documenting the animal carcasses we find during patrols, discovering 7 carcasses in three months (July, August, and September).
• Simultaneously, the Zululand Anti-Poaching Wing (ZAP-Wing) has logged a total of 475 hours, including 21 call-outs for reactions and 141 routine patrol flights. Operations uncovered one poached rhino and identified three vulture poisoning sites.
• The ZAP-Wing played a pivotal role in responding to dog poachers in a member reserve. Noteworthy is the contribution to rhino dehorning and collaring projects, significantly reducing helicopter time and ultimately lowering operational costs.

Rhino Poaching Statistics:

Devastatingly, KwaZulu-Natal continues to be a target for poachers. As of December 5th, a staggering 295 rhinos had been poached in the province’s reserves in 2023, with 29 rhinos falling victim in just 40 days. This marks a 20.9% increase from 2022 and a 189.2% surge from 2021.

Upcoming Events:

Fundraising and awareness continues to be a major focus for Project Rhino and we have a number of exciting events lined up in the next few months.

• We are pleased to be hosting our very first, “Masked Ball for Conservation,” on 24 February. It promises to be an unforgettable evening, filled with dancing, live music and performances and renowned guest speakers.
• We are also privileged to have former Olympic Bronze Medallist and three-time Olympic athlete, Bridgitte Hartley, alongside Hilary Bruss, taking on the Dusi Canoe Marathon in February in support of Project Rhino. The three-day event is one of the most popular canoeing events in Africa, covering a punishing +- 120km.

Please follow Project Rhino on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates on these projects and campaigns. Thank you once again for your ongoing support in protecting rhinos and combating poaching. Together, we can make a lasting impact on conservation efforts.