The SANParks Honorary Rangers and Unitrans Volkswagen and Audi Division have entered into an on-going sponsorship agreement through which each vehicle retailed by the 13 participating Unitrans dealerships will donate R500 to the Anti-Rhino poaching Trust. The initiative was launched at Strijdom Park VW on September 21 with a donation of R500 000.
The agreement was signed by SANParks’ head of business development Giju Varghese, CEO of Unitrans Automotive Steve Keys, and Chairman National Executive Committee of the SANParks Honorary Rangers Janssen Davies. Unitrans Volkswagen will also make two Amarok 4X4 vehicles available for anti-poaching activities.
It has been estimated that average monthly sponsorship could amount to between R400 000 and R450 000 per month. The aim of the trust is to provide more than R5 million to anti-poaching efforts.
According to SANParks Senior General Manager of Environmental Crime Investigation & Air Services Ken Maggs, rhino poaching has increased from 13 in 2007 to an expected 400 plus fatalities in 2011. This year 68 poachers have been caught in Kruger National Park.
