Animal Welfare South Africa Project #33870

Support Mounted Rangers Fighting Rhino Poaching

by African Conservation Trust

Project Report | Oct 6, 2023
Supporting Rangers and Rhinos

By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust

A huge thank you to our GlobalGiving friends and donors for supporting the work of Project Rhino and those on the frontline of the rhino poaching crisis. Your contributions and support continue to make a tremendous difference in the battle against wildlife crime. We are pleased to share with you the latest update on rhino conservation efforts in South Africa. While challenges persist, there is encouraging news to report:

1. The current rhino poaching status:

In the first half of 2023 (01 Jan – 30 June), South Africa saw a decline in rhino poaching, with 231 rhinos killed, marking an 11% decrease compared to the same period in 2022. Notably, poaching continued to move away from the Kruger National Park towards provincial and private reserves. KwaZulu-Natal Province (KZN), where Project Rhino is based, has been severely affected, with 143 rhinos poached during this period, making up 62% of the national total. In the past decade, South Africa has lost a staggering 8,363 rhinos to poaching, with KZN alone accounting for 1,543 of these losses.

The Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) in KwaZulu-Natal remains a target for poachers and state conservation entities have implemented a number of measures to combat rhino poaching. Among these has been the establishment of a Tactical Operations Joint Control Centre, which now facilitates the SAPS deployments to HiP. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment also made available R40 million for the repair and replacement of the boundary fence around the game reserve which is regularly breached and through which wild animals can escape to nearby communities.

2. What is Project Rhino doing about it:

From January to June 30, 2023, our K9 team has made remarkable strides in conservation efforts, successfully removing 1035 snares during their patrols, responding to 32 emergency call-outs, apprehending 5 criminals, and confiscating 1 illegal firearm (.375), along with fourteen .375 rounds of ammunition, 4 knives, and one carpenter saw. Additionally, they have recovered stolen goods from 2 incidents.

During this same period, the Zululand Anti-Poaching Airwing has logged an impressive total of 300 flight hours. Notably, the Airwing's efforts led to the discovery of a poached rhino and the identification of a vulture poisoning site. Furthermore, the ZAP-Wing has played a pivotal role in locating rhinos during dehorning and collaring projects, resulting in reduced helicopter time and cost savings for these critical operations.

Meanwhile, our Rhino Art team has covered vast distances to deliver essential environmental education and outreach programs to eager learners from schools across northern KZN. Project Rhino has also facilitated the sharing of invaluable information and resources among our members and game reserves. This collaborative effort extends to working directly with recognised conservation entities such as the HAWKS, SA Police Services, local security companies, and reserve security and antipoaching units, cementing our commitment to protecting and preserving wildlife.

3. Supporting Rangers

Our wildlife rangers, including the mounted rangers your donations support, play an essential conservation role – not only are they the first line of defence against poachers, but they patrol protected areas, monitor wildlife, engage with local communities in conservation efforts, help communities resolve human-wildlife conflicts, and assist with tourism. A core function of Project Rhino is to support Rangers wherever we can – be it training, equipment, or food and veterinary care for horses. In September we once again participated in the Tusk Wildlife Ranger Challenge, and proudly co-hosted a 100 km Run for Rangers through Babanango Game Reserve to raise much needed funded and awareness for our rangers. More information on these is available on our social media channels.

Once again, thank you for being champions of wildlife conservation. With your continued support, we look forward to a brighter future for rangers, rhinos and the preservation of our natural heritage.

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Jun 4, 2023
An Integrated Approach to Tackling Wildlife Crime

By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust

Our sincere thanks and gratitude to all our amazing friends at GlobalGiving for generously supporting the Mounted Rangers Project this quarter. Every donation truly makes a difference to the rangers and ecosystems they work so hard to protect.

The past 18 months have been tough, with 448 rhinos poached in our game reserves across South Africa, and more than half of these in KwaZulu-Natal. However, this did not stop the dedicated Project Rhino team from working around the clock to fight the onslaught. Last year, the Zululand Anti-Poaching Wing (ZAP-Wing) flew 403 hours on patrol and reaction across member reserves (spanning some 800,000 Ha). The ZAP-Wing were able to locate 12 poached rhinos, and an additional two wounded rhinos who were successfully treated. Five calves from poached adult females were also located and moved to rhino orphanages to ensure their survival.

In just 12 months, our Project Rhino K9 team removed a staggering 885 snares during their patrols. That's potentially 885 animals saved from a cruel fate. They also responded to 112 emergency call outs, assisted in the apprehension of 33 criminals, recovered three illegal firearms, helped to solve 17 theft cases, retrieved nine stolen vehicles, dealt with ten armed robberies, and seized narcotics worth a jaw-dropping R15 million in three separate incidents.

In 2022, the Rhino Art team reached 11,466 school children through 42 different events, delivering their conservation education message to communities near to conservation areas and poaching hotspots.

Furthermore, we helped to organize 29 training workshops covering various topics such as K9 training, advanced rifle training, and ranger training. These workshops empower the rangers on the ground, ensuring they can perform their jobs competently and confidently.

The fight against wildlife crime is a complex issue which we are tackling through a comprehensive approach. Thank you for supporting our dedicated teams in their relentless efforts to protect wildlife, educate communities, and conserve our precious natural heritage. Together, we can make a real difference and ensure a brighter future for our magnificent rhinos and the game reserves they call home.

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Feb 6, 2023
Fighting wildlife crime - an update from Project Rhino

By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust

A huge thank you, to our GlobalGiving family, for supporting the work of Project Rhino and those on the frontline of the rhino poaching crisis. Your contributions and support continue to make a tremendous difference in the battle against wildlife crime – we couldn’t do it without you! Here is a brief update on the situation here in Africa.

Firstly, the bad news: In case you missed our last report, rhino poaching has unfortunately escalated here in KwaZulu-Natal province, with the latest available figures for 2022 showing an increase of more than three times the 2021 equivalent. Equally concerning is that poaching syndicates are also focusing their attention north and south – as the Namibian ministry of environment, forestry and tourism reported a 93% increase in rhino poaching in 2022 (87 rhino deaths). 61 of these were critically endangered black rhinos.

The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa has also reported an increase in poaching activity. Tragically, two of the rhino casualties, known to us as “Bonnie and Clyde,” were survivors of a previous poaching incident in 2012.

But also, the good news: Thanks to the generosity of our members, friends and supporters, our “eyes in the sky”, the Zululand aerial patrol is back in the air. The fixed-wing aircraft had to be grounded in the last quarter of 2022 after we discovered severe wear inside the engine during a routine maintenance check. This was not foreseen, or budgeted for, and we are most grateful to everyone for helping to get it back in the air so quickly. The wonderful volunteer pilots of The Bateleurs also supported us with scheduled patrols and air support during most of this downtime, so that a visible, constant presence over our game reserves was maintained.

One of our members, Bonamanzi Game Reserve, is in the process of establishing a new K9-Unit and will soon have additional boots and noses on the ground. The K9 rangers are already on site and have been training with the Project Rhino K9 team since December. Together, they have already removed countless snares from the reserve. The handlers will soon be joined by the formidable K9 pair of Dan & Nkosi – who are being trained and deployed by the Dogs4Wildlife team, based in the UK.

Finally, in addition to our local community engagement activities, our Project Rhino director and Rhino Art coordinator is heading to the USA this month to share our work and insights on the current poaching crisis. Wildlife crime is such a complex issue, that it is so important we reach as many people as possible to help build understanding and awareness and fight rhino poaching from all levels.

A huge thank you once again for your support in 2022, as we have been able to continue to support our horse units with training, equipment, veterinary bills and food (horse pellets and hay) when and where needed. Please follow our social media pages for more updates.

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