A wildlife conservation non-profit organisation is seeking to raise enough money to launch and sustain drone-based efforts to serve the white rhinoceros species at a South African nature reserve.
Established 130 years ago, the Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park (HiP) in KwaZulu-Natal is the oldest proclaimed nature reserve in Africa; mainly famed for saving the white rhino back from near extinction in the early 20th century, when fewer than 100 individuals remained.
Today, the worldwide white rhino population is estimated at over 15,000, and mostly in South Africa. HiP hosts about 1,600 of them.
Sadly, the white rhino is under severe threat again from poachers, and in KwaZulu-Natal, HiP has been the worst hit.
About 222 rhinos were poached in the province in 2017, most of them in HiP. In 2022, 244 rhinos were poached in the province, with 228 taken from the park.
A year later, the reserve suffered its worst hit yet in South Africa; with the then Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Barbara Creecy, saying was concerned that almost every single day that year, a rhino was killed in Hluhluwe Imfolozi.
Authorities at the park implemented Smart Park which facilitates the integration of a variety of security systems, including drone technology, for early detection and rapid response of reaction units.
“Traditional anti-poaching measures – such as foot patrols and helicopter surveillance – can be costly and limited in terms of return on investment,” said a drone proprietor whose company has helped the park now and again.
“Helicopters, whilst highly effective in rapid ranger and K9 deployment scenarios, are expensive to operate, highly visible, and often alert poachers in advance. This creates an arms race that drains conservation budgets while yielding diminishing returns.
“It is drone technology that provides a transformative solution.
“Drones offer silent, real-time surveillance with thermal and infrared imaging, allowing rangers to monitor vast and difficult terrain both day and night without revealing their presence. Drones can be deployed quickly and cost efficiently, ensuring greater stealth, frequency and coverage.”
The drones have already proven their effectiveness in detecting poachers, as in 2020 they alerted park rangers to the presence of three poachers, which lead to a shootout that resulted in the death of two of the poachers.
“For the past several months, the WildSky Foundation – with limited budget and resource – has deployed drone operations in HiP achieving exceptional results – not only to disrupt poachers, but also enhanced conservation and wildlife protection,” the drone operator said.
“Our vision for WildSky is to continue providing the incredible HiP rangers with drone surveillance support, whilst also scaling and leveraging revolutionary new technologies to achieve even higher-impact conservation outcomes and help maintain HiP’s legacy of saving species from extinction.
“Rarely does funding deliver such a direct and tangible impact as a donation to the WildSky Foundation.”
Anybody willing to support this cause can do so by making their donation here.
WildSky Foundation was born out of the urgent need to support the frontline of conservation in Southern Africa — where dedicated teams work tirelessly to combat wildlife crime and protect endangered species, particularly in the face of devastating threats like rhino poaching.
While advanced technologies such as drones, sensors, and tracking systems have the power to transform conservation outcomes, most organisations in the region are severely under-resourced and unable to afford or deploy these tools.
WildSky Foundation was established to bridge this gap — connecting committed conservation teams with the funding and support they need to access critical technology.
The foundation’s mission is to ensure that every conservation effort, regardless of size or budget, has the opportunity to succeed — “because in this fight, technology can mean the difference between survival and extinction,” the foundation says.