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.
By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust
By Kira Macdougall | Project Rhino & African Conservation Trust
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
Support this important cause by creating a personalized fundraising page.
Start a Fundraiser