Africa Wild

Very informative and objective!

If only they had not underestimated the situation for years, the situation would not be so desperate today

Spy cameras fitted to endangered by rhinos to stop them being butchered by poachers
00:00, 20 JULY 2015
BY JOHN VON RADOWITZ

The British system, which also uses a satellite tracking collar and heart-rate monitor, pin-points attacks so rangers can reach stricken animals by helicopter

Endangered rhinos are being fitted with spy cameras in their horns to stop poachers butchering them.

The British system, which also uses a satellite tracking collar and heart-rate monitor, pin-points attacks so rangers can reach stricken animals by helicopter.

Poachers will have no time to escape and video footage will help prosecutors to trap them in court.

The system, due to be trialled soon in South Africa, is being adapted for elephants and tigers too.

Chester University’s Dr Paul O’Donoghue, who developed the RAPID (Real-time Anti Poaching Intelligence Device), said: “A rhino is butchered every six hours in Africa.


Spy camera: Dr Paul O'Donoghue with a sedated rhino, as rhinos wearing satellite tracking collars with cameras implanted into their horns could help turn the tables on poachers

“The issues are many, but there’s far too much money at stake to believe that legislation alone can make the difference.

"You can’t outrun a helicopter – this renders poaching a pointless exercise.”

Since 2007, rhino poaching has increased by more than 9,000-fold in South Africa.

Patrolling every part of the vast landscapes where rhinos live is effectively impossible, meaning poachers often operate with no risk of being caught.

Protect director Steve Piper said: “We hope to have a fully functional control centre established early next year.”

South African ecologist Dean Peinke added the new devices “tipped the balance strongly in conservationists’ favour”.

He said: “We simply don’t know where or when the poachers might strike. So to effectively patrol these areas requires an army but they would still find a gap.”

Little by little, slowly, slowly, too slowly, they are getting there.............hopefully

I cross the fingers for all that stop at last

New hangar in Phalaborwa



The new hangar was donated by SA Airlink.

Media Release: SANParks receives a Hangar for Anti-poaching from Airlink

Date: 2015-07-24

South African National Parks (SANParks) received a Hangar from South African Airlink meant for anti-poaching operations in the north of the world famous Kruger National Park (KNP). The event to mark the official handover was held at the Phalaborwa Gateway to Kruger Airport on the 23rd of July 2015.

Speaking at the handover, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airlink Rodger Foster said the company responded to a call for assistance from the SANParks Honorary Rangers and had to respond positively because of the importance of the relationship between the two organisations both on a business level and in promoting tourism in the area.

In response, the CEO of SANParks Fundisile Mketeni expressed his gratitude to Airlink and other sponsors on the building of this facility. “The existence of this hangar which will accommodate some of our anti-poaching assets from the air wing is going to cut the response time by almost an hour. This is important in our anti-poaching drive as it means the luxury of time will not be on the side of the poachers. We owe it to our forefathers and future generations to preserve this natural heritage. I am inspired by this gesture and many other, that we will overcome this scourge of poaching” concluded Mketeni.

The facility is already housing the helicopter, bantam and a Cessna fixed wing. In a strange twist of fate yesterday, the helicopter and poaching reaction team at the hangar responded to a poaching incident outside the KNP and managed to assist in the arrest of a suspect and recovery of ivory from a poached elephant.


http://www.sanparks.org/about/news/?id=56423

Interesting documentary on the rangers dogs :

https://youtu.be/vpv-tnOJgSQ

thank you for the link

In summer they must be rather handicapped; bush dense = more poachers and on the other side too hot for the dogs.

Prince Harry part of Kruger poaching shoot-out
2015-08-09 10:31 - Selene Brophy

Cape Town - The Kruger National Park recently captured eight poachers in one day – turns out Britain’s very own Prince Harry was at the centre of one of the incidents.

The Daily Mail reports Prince Harry joined a military camp in South Africa and has been going on night patrols with an army unit in Kruger Park reserve. He was on patrol when the incident took place last Wednesday, as rangers confronted three poachers at Crocodile River. Known as "Operation Corona", it forms part of the government’s anti-poaching campaign.

http://traveller24.news24.com/Explore/B ... t-20150809