Limpopo – South Africa
SUPPORT FOCUS: Rhino Conservation & Law Enforcement
gamereservesunited.co.za IAPF has been supplying new and second-hand specialist electrical equipment to Wessa’s initiative – Game Reserves United – and the individuals working on the ground to combat rhino poaching in the region. This equipment value totaled $6000 in 2013 & 2014. The reserves to the west of the KNP are strategically important as a western buffer zone and they themselves protect a high proportion of the country’s rhino. Since 2012 the key “western” reserves have been working collabouratively to establish a coordinated effort to proactively combat rhino poaching. This effort has been termed “Game Reserves United”. The purpose of GRU is primarily to establish a reliable intelligence capability that is well supported by individuals with experience in counter-insurgency tactics and counter-intelligence that is closely aligned with all the relevant law enforcement agencies. In the current situation, this approach to tackle rhino poaching is unique and could form the blue print for other large conservation areas where there is good landowner collabouration.