KWAZULU-NATAL - HOME OF THE SOUTHERN WHITE RHINO
KwaZulu-Natal is renowned for bringing the Southern White rhino back from the brink of extinction. Today, it is home to the second-largest population of white rhinos left in the world, and 25% of South Africa’s population of the critically endangered black rhino.
This province has a proud history of saving the rhino: We did it once and we need to fight to do it again. It is an international wildlife crisis that needs us to all work together to save a species that has been with us for more than 50 million years.
ABOUT
Responding to today’s escalating rhino poaching threats and other wildlife crimes requires a new approach: one that breaks through the traditional hierarchical, ‘silo’ ways of conservation operations and builds relationships between state, private and civil society, to effectively counter the adaptable, well-resourced, international criminal syndicates driving the poaching of rhinos in South Africa, and other wildlife crimes.
Formed in 2011, Project Rhino KZN unites the provincial government body (Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife), well-known conservation NGOs and private rhino owners. It has pioneered an ethos of collaboration on 5 Key Priorities and has become the conservation conscience of the province in the fight against rhino poaching.
24 private game reserves and 8 Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife provincial game reserves benefit directly. Project Rhino KZN also tackles macro-level issues that affect all rhino stakeholders in the province and initiates anti-poaching strategies that benefit all rhino, regardless of whether they are to be found in provincial or private game reserves.
The 5 Priorities of Project Rhino KZN are as follows:
1 Rhino Security
2. Community Engagement, Education & Awareness
3. Legislation & Judiciary
4. Lobbying & Strategic Relationships (Government and International)
5. Fundraising, Public Awareness & Accountability
Visit www.projectrhinokzn.org for more information.
YOU CAN HELP!
1. The Zululand Anti-Poaching Wing (ZAP-Wing): Established in 2012, ZAP-Wing is a public-private partnership that provides helicopter and fixed-wing aerial surveillance and reaction support to 26 game reserves in northern KZN, as well as aerial support to law enforcement rhino security operations. Fixed wing surveillance support is also provided to 2 Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife game reserves in the Midlands region.
ZAP-Wing relies entirely on donations - please visit the ZAP-Wing website for more information: www.zapwing.org. Please indicate ‘ZAP-Wing’ in the ‘Message to the African Conservation Trust’ section on the Donate Now page.
2. Anti-Poaching Equipment & Resources: Rhino poaching comes in the form of planned, furtive raids by poachers armed with high-calibre weapons, night-vision equipment, getaway vehicles, and backed by vast, well-funded and organised international criminal networks. Rangers are increasingly being targeted – evidenced by the growing number of AK47s found in the possession of poachers, which are carried alongside hunting rifles and axes, in case of interception by anti-poaching units. We have a responsibility to ensure the brave men and women fighting day and night to protect KZN's rhinos are adequately equipped to effectively fight back against poaching incursions.
Anti-Poaching Resources: provision of additional equipment & technology to KZN game reserves, rangers and APU members;
Ranger Training: Combat Human Tracking and Use of Force training to game reserve personnel engaging armed poaching gangs;
Every donation helps. Please indicate ‘APU Equipment’ in the Message to the African Conservation Trust’ section on the Donate Now page.
Please contact us for more information:
Secretariat: Carlien Esterhuizen
Email: info@projectrhinokzn.org
