$1,000 from the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation was sent to support anti-poaching efforts in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in South Africa. HiP has been hit hard by poaching in recent years, particularly as protection in Kruger National Park has improved.

Another $1,000 from the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation was sent to support anti-poaching efforts in uMkhuze Game Reserve in KZN, South Africa, which fortunately has not suffered any rhino-poaching losses since September 2019, when one white rhino bull was killed.

A repeat of March to the Top’s annual donation was sent to the ForRangers initiative. By improving rangers’ welfare, they will feel invested in their work; with their families looked after and better equipment to do their job, they will be safer, happier, more effective and ultimately less likely to help poaching syndicates out of desperation. ForRangers’ grants support the following areas: Medical (including clinic or hospital cover, life insurance); Uniforms and wellbeing (e.g. gym equipment, entertainment, motivational trips); Equipment (law enforcement and wildlife monitoring); Living standards (accommodation, ablutions blocks, solar power, mess and kitchen or canteen); Training (e.g. law enforcement, First Aid, fitness, financial literacy); and, very occasionally, other aspects (e.g. one-off emergency funding during the COVID19 crisis).

$25,000 from the Donald and Maureen Green Foundation was sent to the Association of Prviate and community Land Rhino Sanctuaries, for the Laikipia Rhino Range Expansion Program. A number of private and community conservancies in Laikipia have expressed an interest in becoming rhino guardians. In order to get “rhino ready”, they will need to undertake a series of assessments and build / expand where necessary, e.g. infrastructure, law-enforcement provision etc. The precise use for this grant has not yet been agreed, but will be defined during the coming months.

$1,155 raised by Gina Savastano and another $692.98 raised by Stacey Lai was sent to Save the Rhino International, which had provided Gina and Stacey with the much-sought-after charity places in the April 2023 London Marathon.

The second of three instalments of $4,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation was sent to the Lowveld Rhino Trust in Zimbabwe (see March).

$125,000, received from an anonymous donor, was sent to Lolldaiga Conservancy in Kenya, to cover the cost of the new mounted patrol unit: $59,500 for the horses and tack, and $12,000 for a stables manager to oversee ranger-rider training and the procurement of new horses. Another $33,500 from the same donor paid for Y1 operating expenditure. The remaining $20,000 is being used to build a camp for the unit. Lolldaiga has applied to become a guardian for some of Kenya’s rhinos; becoming ‘rhino-ready’ includes increasing its security patrols. With a large area and hilly terrain, vehicle and/or foot patrols would be difficult. Horseback patrols will be both cheaper and more effective, with the added bonus of generating income via horse-safari-based tourism.

$4,000, the first of three such instalments from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation, was sent to Lowveld Rhino Trust in Zimbabwe to help cover its rhino monitoring costs. LRT monitors the Key 1 (i.e. 100+) populations of black and of white rhinos hosted on Bubye Valley Conservancy.

$12,756, donated by Chris Richardson’s family and great friends, was sent to Borana Conservancy in Kenya to build a ranger outpost at Arijiju in Chris’s memory.

The second instalment of the Wildcat Foundation’s 2-year grant, worth, $674,575, was sent to the North Luangwa Conservation Program in Zambia. These funds are helping to cover the cost of law-enforcement activities in North Luangwa National Park: salaries for Village Game Scouts and the Strategic Law-Enforcement Technical Advisor; training; incentives for excellent performance; vehicle fuel maintenance; and aerial surveillance (Cessna fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter).

We sent $293.54 (originally $300, but charges had been deducted en route to us) received from Francis and Sandi Blake, in memory of Tony and Rose Dyer, to Borana Conservancy in Kenya for its Mobile Health Clinic (BMC). The BMC, fashioned out of an old Land Rover and staffed by two nurses, an invaluable pharmacist and a kiMaasai and kiTurkana translator, is, simply put, “All For Conservation”. Its goal is to provide the opportunity to access family planning, health lectures to school children and the community at large, HIV Aids awareness and testing, antenatal advice, child immunization programs and basic health care to all members of the local community, particularly those who do not otherwise have access to adequate healthcare services.

We sent $31,186 received from Wild Philanthropy to pay for the elephant fence round Lokusero Primary School. Given the location of the School within the forest, there is a pressing need for an electric fence in order to keep elephants and other wildlife out of the School compound, and thus keep the students and teachers safe. The beneficiary community around the School are Maasai pastoralists, with an average population of approximately 230 households. The fence length will be approximately 1.6km, and the total project will cost $33,836. The works will take place in the period January to May 2023. Once this fence has been built, Borana would like to establish a permaculture project at the School, providing fresh fruit and vegetables to the School kitchens: this will be phase 3 and is an extremely exciting project. However, in order for this to happen, the water storage systems and most importantly electric fence must be put in place first.

We sent the final instalment of $4,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation for John Gitonga’s Master’s degree (see January).

The Board of Directors awarded $65,000 from its core funds for the organization and facilitation of a fourth canine workshop, to be held later this year. The workshop will involve participants from a wide range of rhino programs across southern and eastern Africa and expert speakers from all over the world. This workshop would include practical training, detection, and tracking sessions, veterinary care, welfare, husbandry, conditioning and fitness and law-enforcement. The proven effectiveness of both detection and tracking dogs in the fight against the illegal wildlife trade (IWT) has led to a marked increase in canine units in a number of countries across Africa. However, many of these units continue to operate in isolation, with little or no communication or cooperation with other units. The need for networking was identified in a report entitled ‘Assessment of detection and tracking dog programs in Africa’ produced by Dr. Megan Parker (from Working Dogs for Conservation) following two workshops held in 2015. Save the Rhino has previously been involved in the organization and facilitation of three successful canine workshops, at which canine handlers were able to upskill and share valuable information and expertise.

We sent $8,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation for the APLRS’s Administrator, John Gitonga, to study for a 2-year part-time Master’s of Science in Data Science and Analytics (MSc DSA) at Strathmore University in Nairobi. This will not only be a critical step in sharpening John’s skills to undertake his work but will also make a great contribution in the conservation and management of Kenyan rhino. The funds will cover tuition fees, various documents / licenses, and data collection, analysis and fieldwork expenses.

A $50,000 grant from Conservation Nation was sent to the North Luangwa Conservation Program for the project entitled “Breaking barriers to create female participation in natural resource management”, which will run from Dec 2022 to Nov 2023 inc. Specifically, this project seeks to increase female representation in the wildlife protection sector in North Luangwa by focusing on: Training for female staff and spouses ($20,000); Training for male staff and, where applicable, spouses ($20,000); Spousal visits to field program to increase understanding of spouses’ work ($2,000); and buy essential female-related equipment, kit and resources to cater to women’s needs in the field ($8,000)

$20,000 from the Woodtiger Fund (the Y1 instalment of 3-year grant totaling $97,000) was sent for a project entitled: “Increasing the effectiveness of Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park’s K9 Unit”. These funds will be used to pay for: recruiting K9 Unit Coordinator and helping to pay the salary; recruit an additional handler and paying their salary; provide ongoing training of dogs and handlers; maintaining the K9 unit vehicle; replace vehicle tires as necessary; maintaining the K9 unit’s camp; purchasing veterinary supplies as needed; providing and replacing equipment; and administering and reporting on the project.

A grant of $4,000 was made to SRI Inc.’s sister organization, Save the Rhino International, from funds donated by Indasa, with a request that they be directed to the charity for its ongoing rhino conservation work.

$250,000.00 from an anonymous donor to help pay for a follow-the-money investigation into a rhino-poaching and rhino-horn-trafficking syndicate operating in sub-Saharan Africa.

$4,000.00 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation for the ‘Changing China’ project, as described in October.

$694.20 to our sister charity, Save the Rhino International in the UK, from the Wildcat Foundation.

$800,000.00 from an anonymous donor towards the AgWild project in Laikipia, Kenya. AgWild was established in February 2021 as a company with the fundamental objective of preserving and enhancing the ecosystem integrity of the Laikipia landscape through enabling an economically, ecologically and social sustainable land use model. AgWild was created by four founder Members (Ol Maisor Ranch, Sosian Ranch, Suyian and Mugie Conservancy). Since incorporation, an additional four Members have joined (Borana Conservancy, Lolldaiga Conservancy, Mogwooni Ranch and Kifuku Ranch) bringing the total number of Members to eight. This grant, enabled by an anonymous donor via the ForRangers initiative, will be used to create: an efficient, direct route to market for livestock produced on AgWild Member properties with integrated logistics, high animal welfare standards and high standards of management, reporting and accountability throughout the chain; the ability to add value through processing and therefore offer better pricing to AgWild Members and community livestock owners engaged in the trading scheme; the development and launch of a new marketing and branding strategy for AgWild producers, with an emphasis on promoting Laikipia and the unique attributes of conservation, sustainability and quality to the marketplace; and, ultimately, increased employment and revenue generation linked to conservation land use, driving improvements in the economic sustainability of large scale private and community-led conservation efforts in the region.

$8,000.00 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation for the Environmental Investigation Agency’s ‘Changing China’ project. This aims to strengthen the legal regime in China pertaining to wildlife protection, through support of local actors, direct advocacy and provision of expertise, with the eventual aim of stopping all trade in rhino and tiger parts in China. Its objectives are: to advocate for the adoption of a new State Council order and/or amendments to China’s wildlife laws; to encourage and amplify diverse voices calling for an end to trade in threatened wildlife; and to undertake research and produce analysis to support policy recommendations

$250.00 to the ForRangers’ initiative, raised by Jeffrey DeLorey, as described in August.

$4,000.00 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation was sent to uMkhuze Game Reserve in South Africa, as described in June.

$500 raised by Jeffrey DeLorey, who took part in the postponed ForRangers Ultra in Kenya, was sent to the ForRangers initiative, which supports ranger welfare initiatives, primarily rangers working in Kenya.

$4,000.00 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation was sent to uMkhuze Game Reserve in South Africa, as described in June.

$20,000 from Untamed Planet via WildArk, and another $10,000 from Illuminarium in partnership with WildArk, was sent to help cover the Year 1 costs of Mazingira Yetu. This Conservation Education Programme (CEP) has made incredible progress since 1 January 2022: a CE Officer and CE Assistant have been recruited, an Education Centre built, a special bus (the Mazingira Express) bought and adapted, and a curriculum developed with the assistance of consultant Richard Hennery and in consultation with local Headteachers and the Ministry of Education. The first group, from a local primary school, visited Borana on 29 July 2022.

$648,675 from the Wildcat Foundation to the North Luangwa Conservation Program in Zambia, towards law-enforcement activities in North Luangwa National Park: salaries for Village Game Scouts and the Strategic Law-Enforcement Technical Advisor; training; incentives for excellent performance; vehicle fuel maintenance; and aerial surveillance (Cessna fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter).

$25,900.00 from the Wildcat Foundation was awarded to Save the Rhino International in the UK to manage its 2-year grant.

$4,000 (the first of three installments) from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation was sent to uMkhuze Game Reserve in South Africa, to help pay for: 60 tactical overalls for law-enforcement staff; 60 pairs of strong canvas boots for law-enforcement staff; one biting sleeve for K9 training; and 20 solar-power banks.

$4,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation (the second of three installments) was awarded to the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Tourism for the expansion and operating costs of the Conservancy Rhino Ranger Program (CRRP) in Nyae Nyae Conservancy, as described in March.

$27,550.00 was allocated from core funds to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in South Africa, to help buy a new Toyota Hilux. The superior quality of the Toyota Hilux is important to handle the relatively hard conditions under which that it will need to work, e.g. crossing rivers, or driving off-road or on badly maintained tracks. Providing a new vehicle would: allow consistent and reliable vehicle support for patrol teams operating on foot during reactions and medical emergencies; reduce maintenance costs; and allow vehicle access to a larger proportion of the Wilderness Area. Vehicles are the lifeline in HiP, and can often mean the difference between success and failure, or between life and death.

$9,899.00 from core funds was allocated to uMkhuze Game Reserve in South Africa, to pay for the rhino monitor’s salary for the last 2.5 months of 2022, and for the purchase and installation of lithium-ion batteries for ranger camps @ ZAR 35,000 each plus ZAR 10,000 for installation. This was a critical need for the continued supply of power to remote field ranger camps, where the system was upgraded from an old, and now redundant, two-battery system to a state-of-the-art solar system that allows camps to run more efficiently on solar power and replace expensive LP gas systems. The initial system opted for the supply of 8 x 105 Ah deep-cycle batteries, since the lithium-ion batteries were too expensive for the funder at the time. However, these deep-cycle battery systems have a limited lifecycle of c. three years depending on the number of cycles, and they now need replacing. The proposed lithium-ion batteries are more expensive but have more capacity and a guarantee of 10 years, making them far more cost effective.

$4,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation (the second of three installments) was awarded to the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Tourism for the expansion and operating costs of the Conservancy Rhino Ranger Program (CRRP) in Nyae Nyae Conservancy.

$1,000 from The Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation was allocated to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park in South Africa, to help pay for thermal-imaging binoculars and an Infrared pointer, to be used from a helicopter during emergency responses.

Another $1,000 from The Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation was allocated to uMkhuze Game Reserve in South Africa, to help pay for 5kVa lithium-ion batteries for ranger camps @ ZAR 35,000 each plus ZAR 10,000 for installation. This is a critical need for the continued supply of power to remote field ranger camps, where the system was upgraded from an old, and now redundant, two-battery system to a state-of-the-art solar system that allows camps to run more efficiently on solar power and replace expensive LP gas systems. The initial system opted for the supply of 8 x 105 Ah deep-cycle batteries, since the lithium-ion batteries were too expensive for the funder at the time. However, these deep-cycle battery systems have a limited lifecycle of c. three years depending on the number of cycles, and they now need replacing. The proposed lithium-ion batteries are more expensive but have more capacity and a guarantee of 10 years, making them far more cost effective.

$10,000 from March to the Top and $400 from Ken Hooker were awarded to the ForRangers initiative, which in turn prioritizes ranger welfare (as described in January 2022).

$4,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation was awarded to the Namibian Ministry of Environment, Forests and Tourism; the first part of a $12,000 grant. MEFT in turn allocated this to the expansion and operating costs of the Conservancy Rhino Ranger Program (CRRP) in Nyae Nyae Conservancy during 2022. The Nyae Nyae Conservancy in northeastern Namibia is the first and only community-owned Conservancy in the country to have populations of both black and white rhinos. White rhinos were introduced in March 2021 with the translocation of two males and two females. The Conservancy offers ideal habitat conditions with a mixture of woodlands, hills, and flat landscape. It has provided black rhinos the opportunity to thrive and multiply, and holds lions, buffalos, leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, and elephants. Specifically, this includes the purchase of 15 camera traps and their protective cases, which will allow the rangers to obtain information on poaching hot-spot areas and ensure patrols can be deployed urgently to protect rhinos. Funds will also allow the acquisition of five pairs of binoculars, five GPS devices and five digital cameras. In addition, the necessary equipment to introduce SMART, such as Blackview devices will be purchased.

Another $4,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation was awarded to pay for satellite phones and radio telecommunications for the operational needs of the patrol teams in Gunung Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra.

$10,000 from EJF Philanthropies (Kindy French) was allocated to Save the Rhino Trust in Namibia, to pay for: camping equipment for Nyae Nyae Conservancy’s rangers (five bedrolls and tents); a contribution to borehole drilling for the new mounted unit’s camp; a traditional authority exposure trip to see rhinos in the Kunene Region; Eroku security operations; and upgrades at Maigoha! Camp

$7,500 was donated in honor of Sam Taylor’s participation in the 2022 Gaucho Derby, to raise funds for the ForRangers initiative, which in turn prioritizes ranger welfare (as described in January 2022).

$4,000 from the Scott and Jessica McClintock Foundation was awarded to pay for satellite phones and radio telecommunications for the operational needs of the patrol teams in Gunung Leuser National Park in northern Sumatra.

$65,300 from Ardea Cares was sent to help cover the Y1 (2022) costs of a new conservation education program at Borana, “Connecting Conservancies and Communities Project (CCCP): Securing the future of black rhino conservation in Laikipia, Kenya”. This Project proposes an expansion of the existing Borana Education Support Program to address the unsustainable utilization of natural resources in the Ewaso Nyiro ecosystem. The CCCP will engage with Borana’s neighbors to broaden, deepen and inspire their understanding of conservation and its importance for the health of all those, human, faunal and floral, in the landscape. Specifically, the funds will be allocated as follows: $33,000 towards the purchase & conversion of a bus, and then for Y1 fuel and maintenance; $32,000 for the construction of a classroom and kitting it out; and $300 for stationery supplies.

$2,000 from Francis & Sandi Blake, in memory of Tony and Rose Dyer, was also donated to Borana Conservancy for its Mobile Health Clinic, that serves the communities and villages surrounding Borana.

$500 from Christina Lui was allocated Save the Rhino Trust in Namibia, to pay for upgrades to Maigoha! camp

$13 was donated in honor of Sam Taylor’s Gaucho Derby, to raise funds for the ForRangers initiative, which in turn prioritizes ranger welfare: medical and life insurance; uniforms and well-being; equipment, improved living standards, training, and emergency needs (e.g. rations during Covid-19 lockdowns that so damaged tourism income).

$44,231 from Ardea Cares was awarded for a project entitled “Security equipment to support uMkhuze’s law-enforcement operations”. uMkhuze aims to build up its technological law-enforcement capability, to act as a force-multiplier for its hard-pressed rangers. Specifically, the grant will help pay for 2 x repeater back-up systems for the Victron 3kVa systems, a Kestrel Dual Stream Optical software for the Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) Remote Monitoring System, FLIR PT 606 HD Camera, and an interactive 65″ screen.