Unsung Heroes In The Poaching War

By Christopher de Wet

The question that is beginning to be asked is, how much worse would the situation have been if not for the countless fund-raisers, anti-poaching initiatives and organisations that have mushroomed all over the globe in recent years in aid of rhino conservation?

A local follow-up to the first question, would be how much of the intended funds that actually are raised under the banner of anti-poaching actually make its way to the frontline and the people who need it most?

If you have to ask the senior operational manager of the SANParks Honorary Rangers Support Services, Mr John Turner, what he thinks, he would tell you in no uncertain terms that the real heroes in this regard are the personnel of Unitrans Volkswagen.

If you take into account that the honorary rangers have received over R3.7 million in only a year and a half since the inception of the Unite Against Poaching (UAP) initiative, you could understand Turners answer.

In fact, with the acquisition of R2.3 million’s worth of ranger equipment, R1.5 million for ranger training and R540 000 for Dr Cindy Harper’s RhODIS project, you could even agree with him on his answer.

The story of the single largest contribution in SANParks history started in March 2011 with discussions around a conference table at the Unitrans offices in Johannesburg.

The goal of the corporation was to make a real sustainable investment and Turners plan as to provide the support that SANParks needed in order to conduct a modern bush war against relentless rhino poachers and greedy oriental buyers.

One of the architects of the initiative, Mr Brent Wilkins, general manager of Srijdom Park VW, was under no illusion of the immense task they had set for themselves. “This is a war. And we can only control what we can control.

“For us, its a short-term investment in order to get a long-term solution,” Wilkins said.
The first contribution from UAP came as early as September 2011, less than a month after the official launch of the initiative, when it forked out nearly R300 000 for the payment of Harpers staff salaries.

It was the same woman who in 2012 discovered a ay to extract rhino DNA from severed rhino horn, which could be used to convict suspected poaches by matching horns to carcasses. In November of 2011, UAP made a payment of 1.2 million in order to fit the entire KNP ranger section with standard kits. Many more payments were made since then, aiding in clandestine ranger training, the training and acquisition of fox hounds to aid in tracking, and with the acquisition of advanced kits for rangers. The way in which it spends its funds is what is key, according to Wilkins, as all money spent is on equipment or training only and is not just banked into an account from which funds could be diverted elsewhere.

The funds raised also comes directly from the bottom line of Unitrans VW.

According to Wilkins, a sliding scale is used whenever a vehicle is purchased from the participating dealers and money from that sale goes towards the initiative. Wilkins added with the introduction of Gen Maj Jooste to the top ranks of the SANParks anti-poaching unit, the channelling of funds from UAP had also become more specific and needs orientated. Despite its contribution, the numbers of poaching incidents seem oblivious to the efforts that are placed and keep increasing – a tendency that Wilkins hopes will change in the next 18 months.

“UAP has become a worldwide brand and we have set up funds to attract foreign donations and we will expand.

“we hope to see a real reduction in poaching incidents and more arrests and convictions over the next year,” Wilkins said.

Although the numbers aren’t reflecting the work that is being done on the ground, he is adamant in his belief in an old saying that “all the world needs for evil to overcome, is for good men to do nothing”.

“This is a war where we are transforming conservationists into soldiers. UAP’s money eases this transition,” he concluded.


SANParks Times Newspaper June 2013