Photo by Andrew Cairncross

Despite the huge lobby to legalize rhino horn trade as a means to curb the poaching of endangered rhino and stop the wildlife trafficking and illegal trade, we at NIKELA remain opposed.

We are not wildlife conservationists, we do not own rhino, and we have no financial stake in whether rhino horn is traded or not. As citizens of our planet, as humans who care for wildlife and the protection of habitats and ecosystems we are fully committed to do all we can to stop the poaching and all other activities that compromise the preservation of wildlife and its environment.

So the sifting continues as organizations and individuals get off the fence and choose their side, pro or against legalizing the trade of rhino horn. Where do you stand?

No bones about it, saving the rhino from the relentless poaching (close to 300 this year to date) is no simple matter. With corruption, lack of training, apathy, limited equipment, organized crime syndicates find the rhino and other wildlife like the elephant easy targets.

Making selling rhino horn legal may seem a natural answer to some. However, they forget that wildlife traffickers have no interest in doing things legally. Why should they pay for something they can get for free? And, how can we begin to believe that a system that cannot stop the war on wildlife could possibly control and monitor the trading of rhino horn, a commodity with such a large price tag, about $30k per lb.?

Cutting off the horn of a rhino is not like sheering sheep. A sheep does not have to be tranquilized to be sheered, a rhino does. A sheep does not need its wool to assist or protect its new born, a rhino does. A sheep does not need its wool to forage for food, a rhino does. Sheep that are sheered for their wool are not wild animals, rhino are. Sheep have been farmed for eons (this is not a debate about whether this is good or bad) rhino are still classified and considered wild animals. Who or what gives us the right to farm them for their horn?

In South Africa rhino can be, and many are, privately owned. Some rhino owners are about conservation via eco-tourism or providing a safe haven for rhino. While others are about business, the farming business, betting on the future rhino horn business. Sure we can say the game ranches and game farms have contributed to the number of rhino and other wildlife species. But what about the quality of their lives? What about their natural habitat and ecosystems?

If wildlife conservation is purely about numbers then farming wildlife and trophy hunting outfits are conservationists, however, we at NIKELA join those who don’t see it this way. We are among the idealist who join the wildlife conservation biologists and others who see the big picture, who envision not only individual species, but entire ecosystems being preserved so that all (including humans) can live the way nature intended it.

In an ideal world wildlife does not come with a price tag for their horns, skin, fur or other body parts. In such a world we care enough as humans to assure them this ideal by supporting it via public funds. Privatizing wildlife, although this has quantitively saved several species, what has it done qualitatively? If we’re for the former at the expense of the latter, why not simply keep a sampling of every species in zoos?

So it appears that legalizing the rhino horn trade would only be good for the rhino owner who stands to make a big profit from cutting off and selling the horns of their rhino. Oh yes, and I forgot to mention, that it’s the stub, the part that cannot be removed when dehorning that has the most value to the poachers… so go figure!

Update: 7 dehorned rhino were killed in one day, all for their horn stub. Reported by the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation

Air Ranger on patrol – Designed by SPOTS

Only recently with the increase in military equipped poachers ravaging entire elephant herds and rhino crashes have the experts turned to drones.

Protecting endangered wildlife species from the sky with UAVs (unmanned aircraft vehicles) has the potential not only to apprehend poachers in the act, but deter their very presence in game parks and reserves where drones operate. Drones can be effective at protecting wildlife from poachers.

We might ask, so why aren’t there more UAVs taking to the skies? Well there are many of them in operation already, with some still in the design or testing phases.

 The Air Ranger…

Peter Milton and his team at SPOTS designed and developed The Air Ranger. The Air Ranger is as close to a military type drone you can get Peter tells us. Being fully equipped to operate both day and night, night being of course optimum as most poachers work under cover of darkness, in particular the full moon.

 Peter, whose work (thanks to you) NIKELA helps support, recently told us:

 “We currently have 3 fully equipped Air Rangers…they can fly day and night. We would love to have around 10….and all the spares that go with that. We are also in the process of developing and testing a long range, petrol engine (as opposed to the electric on the rapid deployment Air Rangers we are currently flying) for deployment for long-distance surveillance requirements. We believe that both capabilities are needed…Air Ranger for rapid deployment shorter range pre/post event support and Air Marshall for long range surveillance and intelligence gathering.”

The more we learn about the use of the Air Ranger and other drones the more we realize how complex they need to be to do an effective job. Also, they aren’t cheap and thus their use is frequently limited due to funding. (Learn more about the Air Ranger and how you can help if you care to.)

Peter and his team work primarily in and around the beleaguered Kruger National Park where the majority of the rhino are targeted and poached. He also informed us that other African countries are requesting help from SPOTS and their Air Rangers.

UAVs used even in England…

ShadowView is a non-profit aerial surveillance and monitoring organization and their drones are being used in the UK “to gather evidence of hunts and individuals illegally hunting and committing other wildlife crimes such as hare coursing and badger baiting.

It has been illegal to use dogs to hunt most animals in England and Wales since 2005, and in Scotland since 2002”

We’re sure to hear more about this outfit and their UAVs as the interest, funding and strategies for their use take hold.

The University of Maryland’s drone experiment…

A daring experiment to use drone aircraft and intelligence tools against rhinoceros poachers in South Africa was previewed in a free public talk on April 11 2013 (video forth coming) at the university. This wildlife conservation experiment is one of many peaceful uses of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) being explored by governments, universities and the commercial sector. And it occurs as the FAA is beginning development of a comprehensive plan for integrating unmanned aerial vehicles into the national airspace.

Tom Snitch, Ph.D., an intelligence consultant expert has organized a May 25 field test of drones for anti-poaching surveillance on a game reserve near the Kruger National Park.

We were invited by Snitch to meet with him, but sadly no one from NIKELA will be in SA at that time, however members of the SPOTS team will be involved and we look forward to positive reports from the testing and hope for more collaborative efforts to extend the force for good to stop the poaching.

Despite the alarming numbers of rhino and elephants being poached in Africa and South Africa in particular we remain hopeful that as people like Peter and Tom, and conservationists and academia band together that good will prevail.

If you’d care to join the ranks to help Stop the Poachers please share this post, donate a few dollars or volunteer a bit of time.

Karen Trendler with rescued rhino calf – Photo Source: Construction Insight Magazine

Kirsten Everett takes us on a touching journey as she looks at the horrors of a poacher attack though the eyes of a young rhino calf.

My mother and I were contently filling our hungry stomachs when we heard a strange noise. I carried on eating but she smelt the air for unknown scents. I saw the terrified look in her eye before she managed to control it; the unnatural smell meant something. A few minutes later we heard the ‘whop, whop’ of a metal monster flying closer towards us. Just when my mother focussed on it the men crept out of the bushes with a crunch of sticks. Something seemed to hit her and she grunted in surprise. The birds abandoned their posts heading away from the danger. I stood helplessly as she tried to run but ended up falling to the ground. The men surrounded her and tried to chase me away. I ran forward scared enough to not care about the men as they had done something to my mother, I needed her and they must go away.

Out of nowhere one of the big men spun on me and hit me hard with something sharp. Blood oozed from my wound as my mother answered my cry for help with a weak beg, ‘Away, away’. I backed away nursing my wound, how could I get to her?? She grunted again so I didn’t give up. I ran forward again but this time the angry man was merciless, determined to get his message across. As quietly as possible I took the cuts to my poor head trying not to worry my mother even more.

Confused I backed away into the bushes calling to her to get up, but the eerie silence dragged on and she didn’t move a muscle. Fear glued me to the floor as I felt my young heart pulsing with anger and fear. A breeze blew, as I waited for the monsters to go so I could go to my poor mommy and find out what was wrong. My heart skipped a beat when I realised this was what my cousin had gone through only a full moon ago. It was terrible, my body couldn’t stop shaking and I couldn’t think clearly, I felt lightheaded from all my blood loss.

Finally when the monsters left I ran to her side, ‘Mom wake up.’ My voice cracked with emotion but still she didn’t respond. I took a step back and saw the pool of blood. Her horn had been brutally cut off and she lay lifeless. Above me a crow flew over.

I turned to run then I asked myself some important questions… where would I go? I wasn’t old enough to know the way to the dam yet. Who would protect me from predators? The truth was that I wasn’t strong enough to survive by myself yet. Would I be with my mother in the sky sooner than I thought? The last question scared me the most; out in the wild without my mother I might just be able to survive a week.

I heard the snap of a twig, I wasn’t alone. This time I didn’t have the strength to care what these humans wanted with me. I collapsed and slept for a few hours. I was almost completely unconscious though I sensed kindness near me. Too traumatised to do anything I lay as they treated my wounds. The people who tried to comfort me planted a seed of hope. Hope that I could survive and hope that the rest of the human race would come to its senses and help my species and all the others out there.

Let’s stop the babies’ cries! Let’s save the last rhino!

Written by Kirsten Everett. Based loosely on the story of “Ntombi” who was rescued by Karen Trendler and her team.

 Karen Trendler’s Rhino Orphanage

Rhino! How many times a day do you see the rhino representing a business? Why did they chose the rhino as their icon and what might it mean to their business if the rhino is driven to extinction by poachers?

In our enquiry we found 21 businesses who use the rhino in their name. We invited each of them to share with us why they chose the rhino to represent their business. Being optimistic I expected a grand response with all kinds of accolades for and connections to the rhino.

After all, why would a business owner chose the rhino to represent his/her business? We at NIKELA chose the giraffe as our icon because it is so unique in its appearance, with its long neck and equally long legs. The giraffe stands heads above the rest of Africa’s wildlife yet is non aggressive, and is not a predator. All these are characteristics of NIKELA. Unique in the nonprofit world as we are totally volunteer ran, a bit gangly because we aren’t experts only wildlife lovers trying to help, yet with the objective of standing taller than most due to our values, principles as we help people saving wildlife.

Now I had no intention of rambling on about NIKELA, but it’s what I’d anticipated hearing from these business owners who use the rhino in their name and its image as their icon.

Of the 21, five responded and three actually shared with why the rhino represents their business:

Alex with the Raytones writes:

Ray the Rhino is the “Ray” in The Raytones! We love the rhino as our representation because it is powerful, and yet has a gentleness, especially in its eyes. It has immense strength and loves its babies. It’s huge and bulky yet has grace and a kind of tenderness. It’s durable and yet so fragile. The rhino is cool.

Todd with Reputation Rhino says:

Reputation Rhino is a leading online reputation management company in New York City. We selected the rhino as a symbol of our commitment to helping our clients “take charge” of their reputation online. The rhino is tough, resilient and powerful. The rhino has a “thick skin” essential for withstanding attacks of predators and enemies alike, a critical trait in today’s digital world where a single negative blog post or news article can live forever online. Leveraging the latest online public relations strategies we are able to enable our clients to stay one step ahead. It’s a jungle out there!

Kyle with Rhino Lacrosse told us:

Rhino Lacrosse was founded in 2005 in Portland, Oregon, by professional lacrosse player and instructor Ryan Powell. Rhino was the Ryan Powell’s nickname and thus became the name of the company. Determination. Discipline. Hard work. Confidence. Anticipation. Teamwork. Execution. This is what we bring to the field every day. This is what it takes to be the best.

Late addition after publishing

Scott from Rhino-Mat sent us this today:

At CWD, Inc, our “Rhino-Mat” mat cleaning system utilizes the Rhinoceros as our logo and brand name. We have chosen the Rhinoceros to represent our product, due to the Rhinoceros’ distinct features, including its rough and tough exterior, power and characteristics. Our “Rhino-Mat” is one of its own kind, distinguishing unique features, including power and a tough, built to last product. We take pride in our Rhino-Mat, and that it is a rare and unique equipment, just as the Rhinoceros is a rare creature of its own.

Some of these companies have already stepped forward and made donations to help protect the Rhino, thank you.

We hope to encourage the others to do so also, either via NIKELA’s Save the Last Rhino or Stop the Rhino Poacher projects or the rhino organization of their choosing.

It just makes sense for these “rhino businesses” to protect their name sake, their icon, and their hero which is so desperately in need of their assistance for its survival. After all, what might their customers say if the rhino ceases to exist? Hopefully we’ll never have to tell that story.

“I want to help save rhino. What can I do?” Questions like this arrive at NIKELA quite frequently. This last week we responded to Kirsten, a high school student in South Africa, and invited her to write for us.

Kirsten’s plea to save the rhino…

Currently people from all over the world come to South Africa to see “The Big 5” (the lion, elephant, leopard, buffalo and the rhino.) But soon there may only be a Big 4.

The rhino is being hunted by poachers and its numbers are decreasing every 11 hours in South Africa alone. If this carries on then this majestic animal that has already roamed the Earth for approximately 30 million years will be extinct in a very short time.

If we as the people of Southern Africa cannot find it within ourselves to help and save a species that is so much a part of our very own heritage, then how can we expect other countries to help us to fight the poaching that is stripping this land of these wonderful beings.

What are we going to say to our descendants when they point to a picture of a rhino and ask what happened to it?

What are we going to say when they ask us what we did in order to try and prevent this?

It is our generation’s responsibility to find a way to stop this merciless and greedy killing. We shouldn’t want to bare the blame for the extinction of this majestic species.

It is our responsibility to stand up and educate the people out there on the reality rather than perceived value of these horns which are cruelly sawn off. They have no medicinal properties whatsoever!

We need to make sure that all Southern Africans as well as “the Asian market” know that the rhino horns are made up of keratin which is the same substance that makes up our fingernails and hair. We are in charge of protecting our animals!!! We need to reduce the demand for rhino horns and SAVE the White rhino and Black rhino.

If these animals have roamed the Earth for so much longer than us then what gives us the right to torture and steal from them?

The truth is nothing gives us the right to harm these wonderful beings for such a stupid reason!

We as the people of the world need to stop being on the side-lines of this problem.

We must realize that if we do not show these poachers that we will not tolerate them maltreating our animals without a fight. Because, when, there are no rhino left they could begin to target another species in South Africa, like our largest land mammal, the elephant.

We all need to show the poachers out there that we have the power with collective action and determination to put them behind bars. We must set out a proper example for our generation then we may just have the opportunity to free ourselves of them and save the rhinos.

We have the power to stand up and use all our resources, as every little snippet of information counts.

We cannot do it alone. We need your help.

We do not want the world to watch as the big 5 loses one of its treasures.

Every success starts with a single step. Let that be yours.

If you care to join Kirsten in her quest to help save the rhino click the donation button and give what you can. 100% of your gift will go to our Save the Last Rhino project.

Black Rhino cow with calf – by Andrew Cairncross

Where is the concern?

With the huge rhino losses being experienced in the Kruger National Park and other public and private game reserves (2,400 since 2006 : 668 in 2012) South Africa appears not to have submitted any proposals to CITES.  All the while trophy hunting and poaching put Black Rhino and White Rhino at ever increasing risk. This seems incomprehensible!

Black Rhino CITES status: Critically Endangered

White Rhino CITES status: Lower Risk

What is CITES

CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union).

The conference included representatives from 80 countries, today there are 177 Parties.

How CITES works

CITES works by subjecting international trade in specimens of selected species to certain controls.

The species covered by CITES are listed in three Appendices, according to the degree of protection they need.

Appendices I and II

Appendix I includes species threatened with extinction. Trade in specimens of these species is permitted only in exceptional circumstances.

Appendix II includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival.

Appendix III

Appendix III contains species that are protected in at least one country, which has asked other CITES Parties for assistance in controlling the trade. Changes to Appendix III follow a distinct procedure from changes to Appendices I and II, as each Party’s is entitled to make unilateral amendments to it.

What’s at Stake at the March 3-14 Meeting in Bangkok, Thailand?

There are 71 proposals on the table to be discussed at the upcoming meeting of the Conference impacting wildlife, flora and fauna species that are at risk on our planet.

Proposals that impact the rhino in Africa:

It appears that Kenya is the only African nation to submitt a proposal that impacts Rhino, in particular the White Rhino.

From Kenya: To amend the annotation for Ceratotherium simum simum as follows:

“Ceratotherium simum simum (Only the populations of South Africa and Swaziland; all other populations are included in Appendix I. For the exclusive purpose of allowing international trade in live animals to appropriate and acceptable destinations and hunting trophies. Hunting trophies from South Africa and Swaziland shall be subject to a zero export quota until at least CoP18. All other specimens shall be deemed to be specimens of species included in Appendix I and the trade in them shall be regulated accordingly)”

The proposed amendment would result in a trade regime for hunting trophies from the Appendix-II listed Ceratotherium simum simum populations of South African and Swaziland that is more restrictive than that for range States whose populations are included in Appendix I (noting that the populations of South Africa and Swaziland do not meet Appendix-I criteria).

It would prevent South Africa and Swaziland from a using a management option that can be sustainable and beneficial for the conservation of the species; discourage the involvement of private landowners in the conservation of white rhinoceroses and undermine national and local rhino management strategies. South Africa has recently taken significant steps to improve its management of rhino hunting and the supporting statement does not show that trophy hunting, as currently regulated and enforced in South Africa, is negatively impacting the populations of C. s. simum in that country.

The available information suggests the contrary. A precautionary approach that acts in the best interest of the conservation of the species therefore consists in keeping those management options in place that have successfully contributed to the restoration of C. s. simum in South Africa and Swaziland, ensuring that abuses are minimized and effective regulatory provisions strictly adhered to.

Based on the information available at the time of writing (late January 2013), the Secretariat recommends that this proposal be rejected.

It’s hard to believe that South Africa, home to over 90% of the world’s surviving rhino, has not availed itself to address this in some shape or form at the CITES conference. The rhino is a member of the BIG FIVE, along with the lion, elephant, buffalo and leopard.

Isn’t it these magnificent animals that attract tourists to South Africa?

Leopard, buffalo, rhino, elephant, lion – Source: mnepostcards.blogspot

What will happen if one of these iconic species is lost?

What will that say about South Africa and its commitment to its stewardship?

Sadly this whole situation with the rhino makes it blatantly obvious that wildlife no longer matters for wildlife’s sake. “If it doesn’t pay it doesn’t stay” I recall how I cringed in disbelieve when I first heard that phrase. My homeland showing such disrespect to the very creatures who make it what it is…. Africa!

However, before we all throw in the towel… we cannot give up, because there are many dedicate folks who do care, who do fight for the rhino and all endangered and threatened wildlife species in South Africa. One of them is Peter. Peter Milton and his team from SPOTS are passionate, committed and devote their time and resources to curb the killing. That’s why we support their work via Stop the Rhino Poachers and Save the Last Rhinos. Feel free to join us.

ADDITION!

This just brought to our attention! Cited in “The Independent” a UK Online News Service…

At the Bangkok conference, which begins on Monday, Vietnam will be offered a comprehensive demand-reduction strategy for illegal rhino horn, which has been drawn up by a group from the Cites Standing Committee, chaired by Britain, and which focuses on public awareness. Similar suggestions will be offered to China about reducing the size of the massive illegal ivory market (made more complicated by the fact that there is also a legal ivory market in the country).

Many thanks to the folks outside of Africa who are working hard to save the rhino.

[Added March 1]

With the CITES convention on two days away South Africa finally takes a position on the rhino poaching crisis.

For more information on CITES and the rhino…

Full IUCN Species Survival Commission Report on the Rhino

The CITES Secretariat and the Rhino, the full report

Statement by Margot Stewart from Rhino SOS on the Secretariat’s Report

Simon Bloch’s recent piece “African Governments Failing the Rhinos” a concise report on the status of the rhino, where the poachers come from, wildlife trade, crime syndicates and what needs to be done now.

In times of war UAVs have been strategically used to gain an advantage over the enemy. Maybe the Air Ranger can do the same in our war to save the rhino from the sophisticated efforts of the modern day crime syndicate poacher!

1 – How is the Air Ranger different than other drones?

2 – How can and does it stop poachers before they make a kill?

3 – Why aren’t there more Air Rangers in the sky?

ONE:

Peter Milton (SPOTS – Strategic Protection of Threatened Species) and his team of experts are on the cutting edge of stopping the poachers before they make the kill. Close to 100 rhino have already fallen (to date this year) and their horns whipped off to Asia via the illegal trade, crime syndicates, wildlife trafficking networks.

The Air Ranger, a customized unmanned aerial vehicle, was designed and developed by SPOTS specifically to be effective in the South African bush to apprehend poachers.

NIKELA is asking for donations to fund an Air Ranger, to stop the poachers. We’ve had folks ask why they are so expensive. Fully equipped an Air Ranger can cost up to $65,000, while other conservation drones range between $1,500 and $3,500.

The big difference is in the technology. The Air Ranger is equipped with technology 100 times more effective than the cheaper drones. Peter tells us that the basic frame of the Air Ranger costs as little as $500, it’s the hi-tech computerized surveillance, imaging and automated equipment that is expensive.

The basic drone like the WWF uses flies during daylight hours for around 30 minutes and has a range of about 2 to 3 kilometers (1.2 to 1.8 miles.) Now if that’s all you need that’s fine, however, when do poachers do their damage? At night! How much ground needs to be covered? A whole lot more than a couple of miles!

The Air Ranger uses “very sophisticated flight computers and auto-pilots because we need to fly pre-programmed grids (and be able to alter those simply by touching a point on Google earth. We also need to fly for extended time frames and ranges. Our ground station equipment to handle communications with the aircraft, live video streaming etc. has to be very sophisticated,” Peter informs us.

Undoubtedly the most pricy piece of equipment on the Air Ranger is the thermal imaging camera ($12,000). The specific type of camera used is of military grade.

Why so sophisticated? Peter tells us, “Sure there are very basic thermal imaging cameras for much less….but we need to know, at night, who of the people we pick up on thermal are armed – and even with what rifle. We will obviously need to be more concerned with a guy carrying an AK47 than a hunting rifle.”

Not only is the Air Ranger equipped with hi-tech cameras to apprehend rhino poachers, but also to save anti-poaching rangers’ lives.

According to Peter, the Air Ranger is the top dog when it comes to wildlife conservation UAVs. “There is nothing in comparison in terms of sophistication and capability other than military systems…and any one of them is around 3 to 4 times the price. We have evaluated most, if not all of them, out there.”

TWO:

With the Air Ranger being capable of so much more, what impact can it have to stop the poachers before they kill? We might ask, how well is anything working right now to curb the poachers, after all we keep hearing the horrible death count. What about those that are saved?

Peter tells us, “We unfortunately don’t have a good idea of what the poaching rate would be without all the effort going into rhino protection and conservation…but it would undoubtedly be way, way higher.”

What exactly can and does the Air Ranger do?

It can fly high and quiet, “seeing” poachers without being seen as it can ascertain the difference between four and two legged forms.

The Air Ranger can determine the poachers‘ position, number and weaponry which provides the rangers with important INTEL to move in.

The Air Ranger can also fly low and “loud” with LED lights on to show a presence and deter poachers.

We asked Peter what about helicopters, and he told us that the Air Ranger is able to detect them and ground vehicles both day and night.

THREE:

The Air Ranger to date has been funded by Peter and his team at SPOTS. There is no huge foundation or grant to get more of these drones into the sky to stop the poachers. It’s an opportunity for us, ordinary folk who care, to help.

Although it is depressing when the poaching numbers keep climbing… “we have to give these technologies and other efforts and systems a chance to work and gain momentum. We believe, that in a way, the sydicates are trying to max their efforts and stockpiling horn before all the counter- measures, UAV included, become truly effective,” says Peter.

We invite you to join us stop the poachers via the use of Air Rangers. Your donation of any size will help… thank you.

Not even a week into 2013 and rangers at Kruger National Park already found their first casualty of the New Year. Near the South African border with Mozambique, the rangers found the carcass of an endangered white rhino. Not far away, the rangers found a high-caliber hunting rifle and a bag full of rhino horns.

South Africa’s largest, and best-known safari destinations, Kruger National Park, covers more than 7500miles. The game reserve (an area of land set aside for conservation purposes) is home to 12,000 white rhino and black rhino, representing some 93% of the species’ world population.

However, these numbers are falling fast…as fast as the rhino hit by poachers’ bullet.

The only hope for the rhino is to catch the poachers before they strike.

Ground surveillance with armed anti-poachers is nearly impossible because of the thick African brush.

A better option?

Aerial surveillance and the use of helicopters. While it covers more area and can see ‘what’s hiding in the brush’ they are noisy.

The best option?

Hoping to push the odds back in favor of the rhino, Peter Milton and his team at SPOTS (Strategic Protection Of Threatened Species), created and developed The Air Ranger.

Created specifically to apprehend rhino poachers, The Air Ranger is a UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) or drone that acts as a “virtual game ranger in the sky.” The Air Ranger’s best asset is its dual functionality. Equipped with thermal imaging cameras, The Ranger works just as well at night (when most poaching occurs) as it does during the day.

Operating by the light of a full moon, poachers armed with night vision equipment and large, high-caliber rifles, play no favorites when comes to killing rhino. With rhino horns fetching up $82,000 per kilogram, poachers slaughtered 668 (425 at Kruger) rhinos in 2012, up nearly 50% from 2011. In comparison, 200 poachers were caught and, about 30 were killed in skirmishes in 2012.

Score one for the rhinos.

However, it takes a “team” to score.

We invite you to join us in the purchasing of an Air Ranger (around $65,000) to help the rhinos and those fighting to save them, score one over the poachers.

Consider making a donation by clicking on the rhino icon below.

Post by Nikela Volunteer Wendy Sotos

UPDATE: Urgent need for Thermal Imaging Camera.

Immediate donations are going to purchase a thermal imaging camera for Peter and team’s existing Air Ranger.

Thank you to those of you who have already contributed towards the $12,000 needed.

On December 4th, 2012 “WWF received a $5 million grant as part of Google’s new Global Impact Awards, which provides support to organizations using technology and innovative approaches to address some of the toughest human challenges.” Reportedly WWF (World Wildlife Fund) will use the funds to develop their already tested use of drones (in Nepal’s national parks) as a way to curb the wildlife trade globally.

This grant “is going to have a huge impact,” says Ian Morrison, another WWF spokesman. “The poachers and the crime syndicates that fund them are getting more and more sophisticated, and it’s time for us to step up our game too, and level the playing field.”

So what is a drone and how might they be THE solution to protect the world’s wildlife from poachers?

According to Wikipedia, “Unmanned aerial vehicles, known variously as UAVs, drones, and remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), have been a feature of aviation for much of its history.” In other words, some form of remote airplanes have been around forever, well almost.

UAVs were initially developed for warfare. Supposedly as early as 1849 Austria used unmanned balloons, loaded with explosives, to attack Venice in Italy. Since then each war brought with it new innovative drones that primarily carried bombs of some variety.

It wasn’t until the modern era that technology allowed the making of smaller or miniature UAVs. These small drones, small enough to be carried by one person, were first deemed to have practical military use as late as the 1990s.

The purpose of the miniature UAV also began to shift, to be more of reconnaissance and intelligence gathering instead of attack and destroy. Up until recently this technology has been quite tightly held by the military. Of course civilians have flown remote control airplanes for recreation for years, however, these are not equipped with cameras and other high tech information gathering devices.

As these miniature UAVs (sometimes referred to as MAVs) are small, very stealth, can cover several miles, are equipped with video camera and thermal imaging devices they can, according to Peter with SPOTS, do the work of 40 rangers in the field. Not only that, they can do it faster and with far less risk to human life.

Each day (or better said, night) as anti-poaching rangers go into the bush to protect rhino they put their lives on the line. Being on the ground they cannot see very far, unlike the drone that gets a bird’s eye view with a far greater scope.

Patrolling reserves and game parks with UAVs seems to be the answer to curb the poaching and wildlife trade. Not only because poachers are apprehended before they make the kill, but by their mere presence poachers will be deterred.

How effective they will be we have yet to discover, however, what we do know is they have the huge potential to stop the poachers BEFORE they make the kill and that is paramount in saving the rhino of Africa as well as other endangered and threatened wildlife species.

Peter and his team at SPOTS have developed a customized drone they call the Air Ranger designed specifically for the African bush. NIKELA, with your help, is assisting with funding an Air Ranger, along with the equipment needed.

Your donation is of course much appreciated as this technology is costly, however, without it we have everything to lose.

Watching Shannon fly her ambassador raptors in the clear South African sky was magical. Seeing her flinch as kids told stories of trapping and killing birds was painful. Hearing her dispel myths, open students’ eyes and touch their very souls was powerful. This experience at Shannon’s raptor center was the tipping point that triggered the founding of NIKELA, now close to three years ago.

Since the beginning NIKELA’s mission has been to do our small part by supporting passionate wildlife experts like Shannon to Protect Now and Educate for the Future so as to help preserve Africa’s unique wildlife.

Last year a record number of rhino and elephants were killed at the hand of organized wildlife crime syndicates in Africa… a total of 668 black rhino and white rhino, not including the many traumatized calves that died or are now being cared for in rescue centers.

In 2012 you made donations to help Shannon, Karin and Peter with their important work with birds of prey, primates (vervet monkeys and baboons) and protecting rhino. In 2013 NIKELA will focus even more specifically as Peter said, “If we can’t stop the rhino poaching what chance does the rest of the wildlife have!”

Nikela’s Three Focus Areas for 2013

ONE: Support legitimate, effective on the ground anti-poaching efforts.

Drones or unmanned aircrafts are proving to be a most useful deterrent and can significantly increase the capacity of one ranger to protect rhino. Peter, by partnering with others, designed and created a unique drone they’ve called Air Ranger. This year our goal is to entirely fund or at least contribute majorly to an Air Ranger to be used in the Kruger National Park area where much of the rhino poaching occurs (425 or 64%.)

TWO: Run targeted online awareness campaigns to stop the demand

During 2012 our World Rhino Month campaign in September alone reached over 100,000 on Facebook. Besides Facebook we will run campaigns via the social networks and other media to reach people in Asia and the USA (according to Secretary Clinton the US ranks second in consuming wildlife products.)

THREE: Host activities to reduce the purchasing of products made from wildlife body parts.

One of our volunteers, Nicole held a successful event called Graze for Rhinos to raise money to translate the ebook POACHED! into Cantonese.  We will build on this party model for both adults and children. Wendy (another NIKELA Volunteer) is already working on a Party Kit for Kids introducing them to the rhino. “Stories from Africa” a presentation that Russ and I have done will be fine-tuned for larger groups.

To make these happen we will continue to work with existing partners and volunteers as well as involve new friends with innovative ideas, expertise and time.   

With us all pulling together we are convinced we can begin to make The Rhino’s Song a reality.