uniteagainstpoaching.co.za -

News just in... The Unitrans Volkswagen Tracker hounds , Chico Jetta and Kombi have struck again and 3 armed poachers in the Kingfisher section of the Kruger National Park were apprehended this morning.

These 3 foxhounds are specialised in tracking off lead and we are so proud that they are another weapon to be used in the war against poaching. Thank you to the brave hounds and their fantastic handlers and support team.

The dogs are moved around the park in their customised Amarok vehicle. While in pursuit they are backed up by helicopter support and we applaud the whole team involved in this successful operation.

4 October 2014. This global awareness campaign is being celebrated in over 130 cities and towns around the world, including Africa, Europe, USA and Australasia.

In South Africa there will be marches being held in many of the major cities as well as in areas most affected by poaching.

Unite against Poaching will be marching in Pretoria. Our rhino Amarokie will be a key figure during the march and we are hoping that the Minister of Environmental Affairs and SANparks will also be a part of this march.

ARE YOU MARCHING????  MAKE your voice heard??

 for details of the march, visit www.march4elephantsandrhinos.com

26 September 2014

Bryanston Country Club Golf Captains took a huge stand against rhino poaching this year. The Golf Captain's charity is annually nominated by the Golf captains and their committees. This year the recipient of this hugely successful charity drive was Unite against Poaching.

Significantly September 22^nd is world Rhino Day and the week ended on a very high note for the charity drive of the Bryanston Country Club.

At the monthly lucky draw evening, the Men's and Ladies Golf Captains, handed over a cheque for a staggering R 220 000 to be used in the fight against poaching within SANParks. This very generous donation was the result of various charity drives held throughout the year and the response from all the members of the Bryanston Country Club has been overwhelming. Their generosity was encouraged by fundraising chairperson Romy Davis who was relentless in extricating funds from the always obliging Bryanston Club members and their guests.

At the handover, the cheque was received by Snowy Botha, Vice chairman of the Conservation Services of the SANParks Honorary Rangers. Unite against Poaching partner with the SANParks Honorary Rangers to ensure that 100% of the funds are used effectively and efficiently in anti poaching projects within SANParks.

Snowy Botha (SANParks Honorary Rangers), Francois van der Merwe (Men's Captain),Linda Joyce (Unite against Poaching), Helen Kirstein (Ladies' Captain), Romy Davis (Fundraising co ordinator), Andre Grobler (Strijdom Park VW)

Unite against Poaching are honoured and extremely grateful to the whole Bryanston Country Club for their very generous support in the war against poaching and the preservation of our national heritage.

The contribution the military makes to counter-poaching operations will not be improved by the current mission preparedness training employed by specifically the SA Army, according to the man in charge of SANParks special projects.

Retired Major General Johan Jooste told a border surveillance technology co-operation seminar that one of the biggest problems facing him in the ongoing campaign against rhino poachers was that of turning people trained as conservationists – rangers – into “operators”.

“I ask myself if it’s right to train people whose function is protection of species, from grass through to birds and animals to become almost like Special Forces operators.

“When rangers go on patrol in search of rhino poachers they are up against an enemy who comes into Kruger for one to four days at a time with the express intention of killing rhino. He has the bushcraft and skills to survive on very little for that period of time and I am putting people in harm’s way trying to stop and apprehend him.

“Sure their job is to protect species and anti-poaching operations are part of it but it is a worrying aspect of current operations in the Kruger National Park.”

On the military, particularly the SA Army, making a bigger contribution to stopping rhino poaching, Jooste said it wouldn’t happen until there was a shift of focus in training doctrine of the landward arm of the SA National Defence Force (SANDF).

Read more: Specialist training needed if Army is to contribute more to counter-poaching