Flying in the face of poachers
They don’t want to be seen from the air and the aircraft deters them from their mission
IN ORDER to win a war, it is paramount for the opponent to stay a step ahead and overwhelm resistance with speed and suddenness.
This “chess-like mentality” has been reinforced at the Kruger National Park in response to the rhino poaching crisis.
In a bid to strengthen the battle in the sky, the Honorary Rangers Conservation Services National Project has donated a Bat Hawk light aircraft to keep a bird’s-eye view over the conservation area.
Section ranger and pilot Andrew Decmet said aerial surveillance formed a key part of the fight against rhino and elephant poaching in most of the national parks and conservation areas.
However, the high running cost of traditional aeroplanes and helicopters meant they could not always be used in an efficient manner.
“We have been given a Bat Hawk light aircraft which has been refurbished with the latest motors and equipment. It is a fantastic tool to have,” he said.
Previously, they had sent the rangers to patrol on foot.
He said they flew with a tablet and recorded it on CyberTracker.
The new light aircraft brings the tally to three at the Kruger National Park, in addition to four helicopters and two other aircraft.
Yesterday, Decmet displayed the aircraft’s ability.
The aircraft buzzed loudly as it raced across a short bush runway before lifting quickly into the air.
The green and yellow hues were purposely chosen so the aircraft could be visible to poachers inside the park and deter them from their missions. “Although we don’t always arrest them, we mess up their poaching mission thanks to the visibility of the aircraft,” he said.
The aircraft flies at 60 metres above the ground with slow flying capability and a 90km/h take-off.
Decmet said that, after poachers had been identified, the aircraft would circle them while calling for backup on the ground.
He said it kept the number of poachers down because they did not want to be seen from the air, and it gave time for the dogs and rangers to get to their hideout.
The aircraft, bought at an estimated R1 million, covered more than 4 000 hectares during its operations and used 90 litres of petrol. “We try to fly it every day for about two to three hours because we have daily incursions,” he said.
The aircraft also worked for associated conservation work such as game counts, darting from the air and location of wounded animals.
Decmet said the air surveillance had proved to be fruitful in trimming down the number of attacks on rhinos.
“The aircraft have played a pivotal role in assisting with anti-poaching, but can’t necessarily take the full credit because it is a joint venture of other precautionary measures,” Decmet said.
Rangers had to apply for the pilot job, and those who applied underwent a flight medical followed by a psychometric test.
Decmet said future plans included having four ranger pilots in the park.
Last year, 504 rhinos were poached from the Kruger.
Historically, the national park has been a hot spot for rhino poaching. In January, the report on poaching for 2017 released by Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa indicated that 1 028 rhino were poached during the period in review, a decrease by 26 from the 1 054 recorded in 2016.