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The organising committee of the LRSG. From left to right are Yana Mockford, Lorraine Adendorff, Sylvia Fick, Carmela Lattanzi and Kathryn Straughan.

Cutting edge technology to help secure Limpopo’s rhinos

 

Rhino conservation in Limpopo recently received a boost during a gala event of the  Limpopo Rhino Security Group (LRSG), which is made up of private rhino owners from the province.

The event took place in Polokwane and LRSG was also the beneficiary of new cutting-edge technology that will empower them in the fight against rhino poaching. The singing duo DZL, together with local and international role-players, has combined efforts in what is said to be one of the biggest fundraising drives in South Africa to protect the rhino.

Cambium Networks, a leading global provider of wireless broadband solutions, and associated organisations have made available technology to the tune of R9 million to LRSG, which also includes the establishment of their own private communications network. This will  help in preventative rather than reactive responses to poaching, among other things.

The LRSG was established in November 2014, following the poaching of a rhino owned by one of the members. This incident was the catalyst in uniting fellow rhino owners in the area to work as a team against poaching. LRSG is made up of several farms in the Limpopo region and covers an area of approximately 100 000 ha. White and black rhinos form part of this particular group.

Currently, private rhino owners in South Africa have a quarter of the global rhino population (about 5 000) and the LRSG members are custodians of almost 6% of these rhinos.

According to a statement by LRSG, the South African government is pro-active in the fight against rhino poaching, with their efforts being focused on the Kruger National Park, where severe poaching is taking place. As a result, the government is not in a position to assist private rhino owners in anti-poaching efforts. These rhino owners are spending more than R100 000 per month per property on security measures.

LRSG, with the support the local South African Police Service Rhino Task Team, K9 Unit, and EMIs, and legal representatives from the government have taken hands to fight poaching in the Limpopo region. As a result of their combined efforts, they have managed to decrease poaching in the area by 30%.

 

The singing due DZL (Wiaan Fourie and Andries Hendrik Potgieter), official ambassadors of LRSG, performed during the event.



 

 

Date:22 April 2016

By: Wikus Lee

Read: 2623

 

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