Africa Travel Week

The Isibindi Foundation supports The HIP K9 Unit in an effort to combat Rhino poaching

Rhino poaching has been a problem for years, and anti-poaching professionals have been working day and night to ensure our precious rhinos’ safety from illegal horn trading.  

The Isibindi Foundation has jumped to the challenge and decided that something more needs to be done to save these beautiful animals.   

“Today, our African giants are once again under massive pressure due to poaching,” says Isibindi Foundation Manager, Luke Martin. “We are witnessing the wholesale slaughter of these magnificent creatures, threatening to wipe them off the planet forever. We cannot be the generation that loses the rhino.”  

The HIP K9 Unit was relaunched in September 2020 to combat poaching with the help of two tracking dogs and their handlers.   

“We had to do something to support those on the frontline of the battle and are thrilled to be involved in an initiative, together with the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife’s Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park and other partners in the area”, says Luke.   

The efforts of this unit have been effective, and the dogs have tracked down many poachers before they have done harm. Impressively, the dogs can detect a poacher’s scent up to eight hours after they have crossed the terrain. 

The Isibindi Foundation, alongside Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge, has launched a campaign to assist the Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife HIP K9 Unit in raising much-needed funds. The funds will be used for the expansion of the K9 unit.   

The goal is to add three more dogs and handlers to the team and build up sufficient funding to ensure the unit’s long-term sustainability. The Isibindi Foundation will work together with Wildlife ACT Fund Trust to ensure the funds are implemented effectively and for their intended purpose. Wildlife ACT, a South African based conservation NGO with a vision to save Africa’s iconic and endangered species from extinction, is a partner of Ezemvelo KZN Wildlife.  

Learn more here: https://youtu.be/oNNzTpTDV6g.

To DONATE towards this worthwhile cause, contact Luke Martin on (035) 474 1473 or e-mail luke@isibindi.co.za.

Visit the website http://www.isibindifoundation.org/.

Africa Travel Week

Africa Travel Week (ATW) focuses on inbound and outbound markets for general leisure tourism, luxury travel, LGBTQ+ travel and the MICE/business travel sector as well as travel technology. Shows include: ILTM Africa, WTM Africa, EQUAL Africa, ibtm AFRICA, Travel Forward, Sports & Events Tourism Exchange and African Tourism Investment Summit.