Green Scorpions bring home national award for saving Eastern Cape rhinos and cycads

The Eastern Cape Green Scorpions were named second runner-up  in the Best Conservation Practitioner category in this year's Rhino Conservation Awards.

SANParks Kruger National Park Airwing won the category. The awards were held virtually on July 31.

Andrew Campbell, CEO of the Game Rangers’ Association of Africa (GRAA), said this year's  Rhino Conservation Awards broadened their focus to include those working in endangered species conservation.

Since rhino poaching got going in the Eastern Cape in 2008, 100 rhinos have been slaughtered by the horn robbers, with the crime peaking in 2019 when 19 were killed.

However, this death toll has been brought down to two in 2020 since the province, working under the co-ordinated leadership of the Green Scorpions, started fighting back.

The unit, under the leadership of director Div de Villiers, has activated a network of honorary conservationists over the past few years which has worked together to bring down at least three poaching syndicates,  resulting in a massive decline in destruction of rhino and theft and dislocation of ancient cycads.

The Green Scorpions work as environmental management inspectors  for the department of economic development, environmental affairs and tourism (Dedeat).

De Villiers said they were honoured to be nominated, and being second runner-up was unexpected.

“There were many law enforcement units out there contesting for the same award,” he said.

De Villiers shared some of the challenges they face as conservation practitioners.

“The vastness of province means there are many different environmental crimes taking place, and being in a position to tackle all of that is quite a daunting task because we don't have enough resources to get to all the crimes  brought to our attention."   

International Ranger Federation president Chris Galliers, a judge of the 2020 Awards, said: “This category has been the hardest to adjudicate so far. Thanks to all those who took the time to write up the nominations of these special people, who all deserve recognition as in most cases, they themselves would not have done so as the work they do is passion-driven and for a greater good.”

The winners were selected by evaluation of the work done over the 12 months starting in July 2019.