How can we protect rhinos from the sky?

Protecting rhinos from poachers within a 960km² Park is no easy feat. This means that aerial surveillance activities are crucial to supplement ground ranger patrols in order to counter the rising poaching threat.

Save the Rhino helps fund the ongoing running costs of the Bat Hawk aircraft, which is used by Section Ranger Dirk to carry out surveillance flights across Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park. We now need your support to allow the surveillance activities to continue into 2015 to Help a Ranger Save a Rhino.

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Hear from the rangers

Watch Dirk take to the skies in the Bat Hawk during a rhino monitoring flight, as he describes the importance of the plane.

The ongoing running of the Bat Hawk is reliant on external funding, and donations are essential to keep the plane in the air to protect rhinos from poachers.

Why is the Bat Hawk so important?

The Bat Hawk plane is an essential component of the anti-poaching strategy; it enables Dirk to get a spatial view of the Park while flying around, and is a strong deterrent to potential poachers. While flying, Dirk is able to communicate with rangers on the ground to aid their foot patrols.

The plane is a small, light aircraft and is very useful because it can fly low and slow. It is ideal for black rhino monitoring, because it can get close enough to take individual photos of the black rhino. It is also used to assist game-capture teams who translocate rhinos to new areas.

Learn more about the Bat Hawk and its role in the Zulu Anti-Poaching Wing (ZAP-Wing) >

Help keep rhinos on the ground and planes off the ground

With the ever-increasing threat of poaching in South Africa, aerial surveillance is a crucial component in the war against rhino poachers. Donations are urgently needed to ensure the ongoing operation of the plane. According to Dirk:

“We need funding for fuel running costs, funding for the maintenance of the plane, and other equipment such as cabinets and safes in the plane hangar.”

Donate now to support our Help a Ranger, Save a Rhino appeal and leave a message of support>

*UK donors: Donate £5 by text, simply text HARR14 £5 to 70070 to support our Help a Ranger, Save a Rhino appeal*

Photo credits: Save the Rhino International

Save the Rhino International – Registered Charity Number: 1035072 © 2014 Save The Rhino International. All rights reserved.