Post Date: 23 March 2023
ANNUAL REPORT 2022
Photo credit: Les Weaver
STATISTICS STATE THE FACTS
ACCESS THE FULL ANNUAL REPORT HERE: ANNUAL REPORT 2022
There is nothing that paints a picture more clear then facts and statistics – The Project Rhino 2022 year in review:
PROJECT RHINO K9 UNIT
Photo credit: Anthony Kirkwood
A formidable team they are! From January 2022 to December 2022, the K9-Unit removed 885 snares on patrol, responded to 112 emergency call outs, apprehended 33 criminals, retrieved 3 illegal firearms, recovered stolen goods (including wildlife products and rhino carcasses) from 17 incidences, recovered 9 hi-jacked vehicles, responded to 10 armed robbery / burglary cases, dealt with 1 abduction case and successfully found the missing person, and, retrieved narcotics from 3 separate incidences where arrests were made (+/- 6kgs narcotics, 2x truckloads of counterfeit goods worth R15million).
THE ZULULAND ANTI-POACHING WING
Photo credit: Keaton Perkins
From February 2022, when our new dedicated pilot, Keaton Perkins started, until the end of August 2022, when the plane was grounded, a total of 368 hours were flown of which 325 were for patrol and reaction (Plus an additional 35 hours with the Bateleurs). 12 Poached rhinos were found by our air wing, 2 wounded rhinos were detected and successfully treated and 5 calves from poached adult females were located and successfully moved to a rhino orphanage to ensure their survival.
RHINO ART: COMMUNITY EDUCATION
Photo credit: Lundy Bredberg
Some 11,466 learners were reached at 42 different events in 2022, with a focus on schools adjacent to conservation areas, or near to poaching hotspots.
In addition to activations, outreach and judging, we co-facilitated two Kid’s Camps, involving a total of 74 learners and 8 teachers, and partnered with Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife in a corridor cleaning campaign with learners from the local surrounding schools.
Rhino Art is partnership between Project Rhino and the Kingsley Holgate Foundation. It was founded in 2013, as rhino poaching in South Africa reached crisis levels, and with the realisation that less than 2% of South Africa’s youth had seen a rhino in the wild.
EMPOWERING WILDLIFE COMMUNITIES
Photo credit: Richard Mabanga
The COVID-19 lockdown devastated Africa’s tourism and hospitality sectors – leading to loss of jobs and incomes for some of our most vulnerable communities. Project Rhino was part of a multi stakeholder initiative to relieve food insecurity by providing families, rangers, and wildlife communities with food parcels. Between 2020 and 2022, more than 2.6 million parcels were delivered to wildlife communities, issued alongside neighbouring reserves and with the assistance of the local Nkosi (community leader) to ensure they went to the families most in need. Each food parcel drop went hand in hand with a conservation message, as we used the opportunity to educate communities on conservation and the preservation of our wildlife and wild areas. The programme partners continue to support wildlife communities where possible, assisting with services such as boreholes, food garden support and school resources. The programme helps to build positive, healthy bridges with game reserve neighbours – showing that conservation cares for communities during difficult times.
RANGER TRAINING AND SUPPORT
Photo credit: Chris Galliers
Over the course of 2022, we conducted continuous training of teams and member reserve’s rangers. These trainings included PARCS Training, CMore Training, Crime Scene Management, K9 and ZAP-Wing simulator training, and Advanced Ranger Training. These training opportunities are enormous morale boosters for our rangers. In total we conducted and participated in 29 training workshops and awareness events over 12 months, this is an average of 2.5 per month, broken down as follows: 4 x Zululand security meetings 4 x Midlands security meetings 2 x Tree planting projects in Loziba 3 x K9 training workshops 3 x Community education and food drop projects with DoMore and Kingsley Holgate Foundation 1 x PARCS Training 2 x CMore Training 1 x Crime Scene Management Training 6 x K9 and ZAP-Wing simulator training 3 x Advanced Ranger Training.
THANK YOU
Photo credit: Mark Lautenbach
Our heartfelt thanks to all of our donors, no matter how big or small, for your kind support throughout uncertain times. Without you, our work would not be possible. A special thank you to Thanda Private and Weenen Game Reserves for hosting our bi-monthly member meetings. Thank you also to Mziki Private Reserve for hosting our friends, partners and donors. To everyone who has donated their time, knowledge, money or resources to the cause this past year – your efforts are truly appreciated.
ACCESS THE FULL ANNUAL REPORT HERE: ANNUAL REPORT 2022
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