Almost 10 tons of anti-poaching equipment has been handed over to field rangers in the Kruger National Park to help them tackle a determined assault by international rhino horn syndicates.
The equipment, worth about R1.75 million, includes backpacks, compasses, camouflage equipment, first-aid kits, tents and a variety of other field equipment
The equipment was handed to park authorities earlier this month by the SANParks Honorary Rangers organisation, a group of volunteers dedicated to supporting conservation.
The Kruger Park is where most of South Africa’s rhinos have been slaughtered over the past two years. This year alone, more than 196 rhinos have been lost to horn poachers inside the country’s premier wildlife reserve.
The donation was part of the “Unite Against Poaching” collaboration between SANParks Honorary Rangers, Unitrans VW and Audi dealers.
Welcoming the contribution during the hand-over ceremony, Kruger National Park managing executive Abe Sibiya noted that horn poachers frequently changed tactics to evade detection.
“Sometimes they work at night and sometimes they prefer to keep very, very far from any other activity. So it’s important for us to make sure that the rangers have the necessary equipment.” - The Mercury