It has been a bumper year for the SAWC!!! Graduation of their students has just taken place, the aerial unit is doing tireless but such necessary work, and the K9 unit has opened a new mobile unit within the Kruger National Park. We have some final updates for the year for the project that’s we are involved in. See below an infographic and overview on each project, as well as detailed information and what’s been happening…
Advanced Field Ranger Training Course
Kurisani Mhlongo and Ntiyiso Ngobeni have both completed their 2nd course and qualified with flying colours. The next step is finding employment for them both to utilise their new skills. Kurisani has secured employment as an instructor intern for Tracker Academy working from the College’s Protected Area Integrity Unit. We will assist Ntiyiso wherever possible to place him in a position so that he can grow and utilise what he has learned. We will continue to engage with him and provide feedback.
K9 Conservation Unit
The College provides comprehensive training to rangers across various priority landscapes in Africa and beyond. Notably, the SAWC K9 Unit Anti-Poaching team helps safeguard a staggering 93,000 hectares, primarily within Kruger National Park. This encompasses the Joint Protection Zone (JPZ) and the Intensive Protection Zone (IPZ), benefiting from the steadfast support of the K9 teams and the College’s dedicated Airwing unit.
The operations of the SAWC K9 Unit are conducted with the support of South African National Parks (SANParks)which is the lead national government conservation agency managing 23 national parks, including the Kruger National Park, and two world heritage sites. The consistent success of the SAWC’s K9 unit has resulted in the Kruger National Park amplifying its use of the SAWC’s K9 capacity.
More recently, as a learning-by-doing training institute, the SAWC is an extremely proud partner in the launch of the KNP/SAWC K9 satellite unit. The satellite unit has been established to increase the capacity of the K9 unit and to continue increasing the success rate of the anti-poaching operations using free-tracking hounds. Its location in the intensive protection zone (IPZ) within the Kruger National Park allows for faster response times when responding to poacher incursions. This will ultimately help combat wildlife crime.
Aerial Unit
We have committed to continuing the support the SAWC Aerial unit. This critical area of work relies on daily flights, and continues all year round. As such, it is vital that the aircrafts are in the air patrolling the Greater Kruger region, and work hand in hand with the ground teams. Some information from the team below:
“Thanks to the unwavering support provided by our valued donors, including Conserv Earth, the College has successfully sustained its crucial core operations and vital protected area integrity endeavors. These endeavors encompass comprehensive training programmes for conservation managers and field rangers from various regions, dissemination of industry best practices, and steadfast collaboration and support provided to the greater Kruger area through our dedicated counter-poaching units.
Donor funding plays a pivotal role in ensuring the continuity of ranger salaries and covering operational expenses for both the Protected Area Integrity department, specifically the esteemed Airwing Unit and K9 Unit. With these financial resources, the College has been able to further amplify its impact within the conservation sector.
Thanks to the funding we receive from our incredible donors and supporters, we have been able to achieve some remarkable milestones in conservation and anti-poaching efforts. Since its inception to date (end of November 2023), the Airwing Unit has taken flight for an impressive 4,384 hours. Out of these flight hours, 2,289 were dedicated to critical conservation initiatives, including rhino monitoring, dehorning, and research. Additionally, 948 hours were devoted to vital anti-poaching operations, which involved responding to 331 callouts and successfully rescuing ten (10) orphaned rhinos, a truly heartwarming achievement. Furthermore, 1,147 hours were diligently invested in student training, providing meticulous instruction to 44 aspiring pilots.”
