One of SORAI’s major conservation partners is Care for Wild, the largest rhino sanctuary in the world, where the extraordinary teams work tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate, rewild, and protect orphaned and injured rhinos.
In May this year, SORAI provided the urgent funding needed to cover the costs of the enhanced security equipment that the CFW team needed to install, to protect their rhinos from the poaching threats in the area. This was a key project and SORAI is proud to be able to continue to support Petronel and the Care for Wild team in the incredible conservation work they undertake.
Here, Petronel the founder of Care for Wild, has provided an update on the implementation of this recent conservation project.
“Thanks to the continued support of SORAI, we have been able to purchase the essential equipment we needed. SORAI’s dedication to this cause has been instrumental in our efforts to safeguard these magnificent creatures, and we cannot thank you enough, without your support this would not have been possible.
Recent events at the sanctuary have highlighted the urgent need for increased security measures at Care for Wild. The sanctuary recently experienced multiple sightings of drones conducting reconnaissance missions over its grounds. This concerning activity has highlighted the ever-present threat to the rhinos and the importance of proactive measures to ensure their safety.
In response to these challenges, we've taken decisive action to bolster Care for Wild's defences by providing crucial surveillance equipment. Through your support, we've been able to contribute significantly to the acquisition of essential tools such as red-filtered spotlights, night vision binoculars, AI-enabled tracking collars, and thermal optics, plus a new tower to be installed to boost coverage on the reserve.
Here is a CFW female ranger utilising the thermal optics in the field.
Thermal optics make such an amazing difference, as it allows the rangers to track and monitor the rhinos without turning lights on, hence not attracting unwanted attention to the rhinos.
The second part of the technology upgrade project is the installation of a new network tower to give wider coverage to the Ranger teams on the ground.
It took the CFW team 11 hours to transport and install the tower. The first task was for the team to climb one of the tallest mountains here on the reserve, carrying all the heavy equipment, the next job was to construct the tower itself at the top of the mountain.
The final stage was to install repeaters on the tower, giving a larger network coverage for the radios, as well as the AI enabled tracking collars. It is on this tower which one of the new cameras will also be installed, providing increased surveillance capabilities here at the sanctuary.
These investments are more than just technological upgrades; they're a testament to our collective commitment to protecting wildlife and preserving our planet's biodiversity and SORAI’s latest contribution has already had a significant impact at the reserve in protecting our rhinos.”
