Dynamic alliance to bolster anti-poaching efforts

On the western boundary of the Kruger National Park (KNP), private and community owned game reserves - represented as the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Foundation (GKEPF) - have joined forces with conservation agencies, non-profit organisations and security service providers to bolster conservation management and realize increased environmental asset protection through integrated anti-poaching and security strategies across the region.

This strong public private partnership, that includes cooperation with South African National Park (SANParks), the Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Authority (MTPA), Peace Parks Foundation (PPF), and the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), aims to put an end to the often fragmented approach taken to protect wildlife species under threat. The activities of GKEPF and its partners also assist in securing the private and community owned game reserves as part of a Joint Protection Zone (JPZ) - the area demarcated as a cooperation-based conservation management block with KNP in the centre and including all private and community owned reserves on KNP’s borders.

“It is vital that we develop the capabilities that exist within the region for the protection of all species by enhancing the effectiveness of management authorities and resources,” said the GKEPF Director of Operations, Colonel (retired) Otch Otto. “We are actively trying to ensure collaborative conservation management and enhanced security as a result of the effective sharing and exchange of information, sharing of equipment and advanced technologies, skills, training, experience and moral support.

Monday, 26 June, marked the official declaration of these partnerships with the opening of the GKEPF ComCen. The ComCen, or command and communications centre, is situated at SAWC and forms the ‘central point of coordination’ as it were of activities as managed by GKEPF. With financial support from PPF, the ComCen has been staffed and equipped with technology, communications and data management systems, so as to allow for optimal execution of monitoring and response, as well as administrative and logistical functions. Funded by generous donors of SAWC, a hangar was erected as part of the ComCen, enabling rapid deployment of aerial assets within the Greater Kruger Environmental Protection Alliance (GKEPA) support area.

As part of efforts to truly invigorate joint anti-poaching and asset management efforts, Peace Parks Foundation funded the implementation of an extended digital communication system across the GKEPA operational area. This system, which was initially only operational within the Intensive Protection Zone of KNP, has now been extended to include the GKEPA reserves and integrated into the ComCen system – allowing for secure and seamless communication between security personnel in KNP and the private and community managed game reserves on both sides of KNP’s boundary.

“As we move forward step by step in our collective effort to combat wildlife crime, the forging of partnerships and the use of modern technologies is imperative so as to stay one step ahead of poaching syndicates. In this instance secure digital communications and smart monitoring systems with rapid response capabilities were vitally important for the development of effective protection strategies. The initial results are encouraging and within the first year that the centre has been operational, there has already been a 50% reduction in rhino poached in this particular region. No doubt these collective and structured efforts are contributing to this progress,” said Werner Myburgh, CEO of the PPF.

With the capability provided and the joint assets created, GKEPF is also able to respond to community support programmes, medical emergencies, and also support government agency initiatives such as the National Counter Poaching Strategy “Operation Rhino7”, which would otherwise not be possible.

News - Date: 06 July 2017

Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

Email: [email protected]