Rhino corps set to fight fire with fire
It’s not just protecting the wildlife: rangers are waging a war against poachers in Kruger
AIRWOLF: Helicopter pilot Brad Grafton says his aircraft is an easy target for poachers CHOPPER pilot Brad Grafton spotted a group of hostiles as he hovered overhead. Instantly, he knew he was in danger.
The airman had been trained by the military and also flown for the police, so could recognise the threat he and his crew faced.
Moments later the helicopter came under fire. He and his crew had to return fire as they executed evasive manoeuvres.
This scene could have played out on the battlefields of Iraq or Afghanistan, but happened in the Kruger National Park late in 2015. And, according to rangers and security personnel in the reserve, that exchange of fire and other encounters show the level the fight to save the country’s wildlife has reached.
Soon the Kruger pilots will wear R75 000 body armour in the cockpit. The aircraft will also be protected by R750 000 ceramic bulletproof plates fixed to the undersides.
Game rangers are now armed and wear bulletproof vests as the war on poaching becomes increasingly violent.
The rangers are putting their lives on the line in the battle against the poachers. For many, it was not the job they had signed up for.
Grafton said the danger of their missions could not be overstated.
“We saw the guy on the ground and they started bailing out from under a tree. I knew he was going to shoot. We had started to orbit and we heard the shot go off. We returned some suppressive fire and he ran.
“We put ourselves in dangerous situations because we go into a hover, we are low and slow and become exposed targets because we use minimum force,” Grafton said.
“These guys are not timid; if they are going to come in and do this, they are going to be aggressive.”
Grafton said the reality of what could have happened if the gunman had found his mark only dawned on him later.
He admitted that these kinds of attacks were nothing compared with the danger field rangers faced on the ground almost every day.
Figures provided by SA National Parks showed rangers were involved in gun battles at