Wildlife Conservation Group Seeks to Increase Air Patrol Fleet

Elephants, Rhinos & People (ERP), a nonprofit dedicated to wildlife preservation, is calling on the public to contribute to the expansion of its operations across Southern Africa. In a statement released on Wednesday, the organization revealed that multinational technology and services company Group Elephant has launched a matching grant challenge: if ERP secures $250,000 in donations from external supporters by February 28, the company will match that amount with an equal contribution.

"Successfully meeting this challenge will fast-track the expansion of the ERP Air Wing, enhancing efforts to safeguard elephants and rhinos throughout Southern Africa," said Quintin Smith, a director at ERP. "We need to raise $250,000 from the aviation and conservation sectors to unlock Group Elephant's matching funds."

If the fundraising target is achieved, ERP plans to purchase additional aircraft for use in aerial wildlife patrols in Namibia. The organization manages extensive conservation lands in the region, providing critical habitat for elephants and some of the last remaining free-roaming, desert-adapted black rhinos. ERP reports that the black rhino population has declined by 97 percent over the past six decades.

In July, at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, ERP received a CubCrafters NXCub, the first plane to officially join the newly formed ERP Air Wing. Previously, the organization relied on a fleet of drones, known as the "ERP Air Force," for monitoring wildlife areas. This initiative has significantly reduced poaching incidents, including white elephant poaching at South Africa's Dinokeng Reserve, and has helped detect elephant movements that could result in dangerous human-wildlife conflicts.

ERP emphasizes that aerial patrols are a vital supplement to on-the-ground conservation efforts. "This matching grant will double the value of every donation and provide crucial resources for aerial anti-poaching operations and herd tracking in Namibia," said Tom Haines, ERP Air Wing Project lead. All donations to ERP are directed entirely to field projects.

Author: Jackson Miller