Between January and August,, the Eastern Cape lost 13 rhinos to poaching – compared to four killed during the same period in 2017.
As the scourge of rhino poaching continues to increase, StopRhinoPoaching.com remains actively involved in the fight against it.
Founding director Elise Serfontein was in East London on Wednesday to share some of the latest developments with regards to rhino poaching.
“Our rhinos are in trouble and our job is to support and safeguard the reserves and rangers who protect our rhinos,” said Serfontein, speaking at a Hudson Park Primary School assembly dedicated to rhinos and Serfontein’s project.
Established in 2010, the project raises awareness and funds, and with the support of companies, individuals and schools, is able to offer reserves and rangers anything from first aid and specialised training, to specialised vehicles and equipment.
Chatting to the Daily Dispatch, Serfontein emphasised how an escalation in poacher activity and aggression by poachers towards rangers had resulted in an increased need for ranger support and training.
“Over the last 10 years, we’ve lost more than 7,600 rhinos to poaching and a ranger’s job has become increasingly difficult and dangerous – they have to know how to treat gunshot wounds, how to react within the law, be mobile and able to see situations and react as quickly as possible.
“People often don’t think about the rangers, but essentially if you lose a ranger out in the bush, it means you could lose a rhino,” said Serfontein.
According to the StopRhino-Poaching.com website, 508 rhinos were lost to poaching in SA between January and August, while 691 were lost during the same time period in 2017. Serfontein said public support and the dedication of rangers and reserve management were to thank for the notable decrease.
According to a press release issued by the department of environmental affairs in September, 1,873 incidents of poacher sightings, camps and incursions were recorded in the Kruger National Park between January and August, compared to the 1,073 recorded incidents in 2017.
The latest gadgets that StopRhinoPoaching.com has been able to purchase for rangers at the Addo Elephant National Park – thanks to R22,000 raised by Hudson Park Primary – are six specialised headsets.
These headsets allow rangers to transmit real-time and in-time data to a central data base for the game reserve management teams, using a shared awareness platform or app called CMore.
Developed by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, CMore is a secure system which allows for quicker reaction time by management and rangers.
“Essentially, the app allows management to make faster and more informed decisions when reacting to a poaching incident or poacher sightings,” said Serfontein.
“Rangers can also log rhino sightings on the system so it allows management to see where on the reserve their rhinos are.”
She said that without the support from schools such as Hudson Park Primary, the notable victories against poaching would not be possible...