I just received this from PH Peter Fick. There is a desperate need here. Moderators please move this if need be, but I think that we all need to see this first on the main forum.
"Hi All

Unfortunately we have had a massive recent increase of rhino poaching and the situation is getting worse daily and we desperately need urgent help to combat the problem.
The BVC lost 5 rhino during 2013, 7 last year and so far 18 this year. (Umfolosi in South Africa lost 8 in one day recently !) Etosha (Namibia) have lost 36 this year !

I am reaching out to anyone that I think may be able to help us as our Rhino funds kitty is not healthy.
In priority we urgently require -

(1) Specially trained tracker dogs (we have located 2 in Holland) and these alone will end up costing approx. 20K to pay for them, plus fly them out, handlers, kennels etc. Four dogs would be best to start with. Recently we were hot on the trail of 3 rhino poachers who had gone into a rocky area where we lost the tracks and they spent the night up a kopje. In the morning the tracks revealed they were picked up on the main road to South Africa. No doubt we would have nailed them had we had the dogs. We believe having these dogs will have a massive positive effect on nailing the rhino and elephant poachers around the country as they often back track, cover footwear with grass etc. which makes it tougher for our scouts to catch up with them before they exit the wild life area. If we get the dogs we would also use them in other parts of Zimbabwe where the rhino and elephant are threatened, such as Matopos National Park, Save Valley Conservancy etc.
(2) Money for informers as a reward for exposing the poachers is working real well too but we have run out of funds for this. ($20K)
(3) A radio repeater in the south of the Conservancy (where we do not have good radio communications for our Scouts on the ground, which has resulted in poachers getting away) etc. ($3K).
(4) Equipment such as webbing, backpacks, water bottles, GPS `s, boots etc. ($10K)

There is obviously a lot more that could be used to help stop the rhino poaching such as helicopters/light aircraft to deploy scouts soonest when an infiltration is located + search for poachers, night vision (poachers often dropped off/collected from main tar road at night, satellite rhino collars where we know exactly where the rhinos are, drones, trail cameras/batteries etc. but this amounts to a huge pile of money so I have highlighted priorities above in order.)

The BVC alone spends in excess of 300K annually on the protection of the rhino, which do not even belong to us but we will always do everything we can to protect them. Although we have 80 armed scouts (their weapons/ammo alone cost the BVC nearly $200K) plus 90+ semi scouts/fence guards that check the entire boundary fence (350 kilometers) each morning (this is usually where first incursions are detected) but still very difficult to cover 850 000 acres thoroughly to protect the world`s 3rd largest Black Rhino population.

We would appreciate any help with funding/equipment, no matter how large or small the amount as every dollar helps. I would further appreciate it if you have any other contacts that I could get hold of that may help a very serious, urgent and important cause. We do have a US compliant tax deductible account (503) set up for the rhinos in the US.

How ironic that so many of the hunting critics never help out with our continuous fight against poaching and illegal trade in rhino horn and elephant ivory. For further information on the BVC look at the website - www.bubyevalleyconservancy.com

My best regards
Pete



www.peteficksafaris.com

“There’s no substitute for honesty, ethics and fair chase.”

c/o Mazunga Safaris
8 Norfolk Road
Hillside
Bulawayo
Zimbabwe

Office Telephone Number: +263-9-241425
Mobile Number: +263-772 278 779"

Wow I find really alarming the fact the bubye valley conservancy has lost so many rhinos, I thought that area was basically poacher free, I mean it has a double electrified fence, lots of people in field and even a big lion population, just goes to show rhinos are not truly safe anywhere, hope you guys get your funding and help in this noble cause.

quote:

Originally posted by ManuelM:
Wow I find really alarming the fact the bubye valley conservancy has lost so many rhinos, I thought that area was basically poacher free, I mean it has a double electrified fence, lots of people in field and even a big lion population, just goes to show rhinos are not truly safe anywhere, hope you guys get your funding and help in this noble cause.

Poaching is definitely a problem in BVC...see my post.

That's what shocked me too. I've been along the perimeter fences in a number of places during my hunts in the Bubye, seen their anti-poaching patrols in action, and even been close to a number of their white and black rhino. To hear about this is very alarming, to say the least! Ladies and Gentlemen, if you can help in any way please do so!

Sad...very sad!

The rhino truly belong to the Zim Fed govt. But they sure as hell don't send the military to patrol the outer perimeter. If anything...they are complicit in the poaching.

quote:

A radio repeater in the south of the Conservancy (where we do not have good radio communications for our Scouts on the ground, which has resulted in poachers getting away) etc. ($3K).

Probably cheaper and more effective to use sat-phones. Much quieter too.

This should be posted of Facebook noteing that it is a wildlife Concervancy. Would be interesting if the Antis would help out..

Exactly - the antis talk but that's all they do.Oh yeah, and pay themselves a lot.You first need the media focus, though. What are the parameters for some of these crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe?

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
This should be posted of Facebook noteing that it is a wildlife Concervancy. Would be interesting if the Antis would help out..

The Zim government has always been complicit.I hate to even mention the name, but the EIA's pamphlet Under Fire: Elephants in the Frontline gives a good overview of the murders of various personnel who got in the way. Another great book, very well worth reading is Kevin Thomas's Shadows in an African Twighlight. He was, I think, the only member of the Selous Scouts who was selected from National Parks and not a regular military unit, and - sadly - he gives probably the best account of the Selous Scouts poaching scandal that was the undoing of Col Reid-Daly.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Sad...very sad!

The rhino truly belong to the Zim Fed govt. But they sure as hell don't send the military to patrol the outer perimeter. If anything...they are complicit in the poaching.

Just had comms with PH Nigel Theisen who is hunting a mutual friend of our in BVC.

They bumped into Norman English on the way back to Nengo from hunting today and found out he was back from performing a necropsy on another poached rhino in BVC...5 AK slugs were found in the carcass.

Rhino Poaching in BVC

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Just had comms with PH Nigel Theisen who is hunting a mutual friend of our in BVC.

They bumped into Norman English on the way back to Nengo from hunting today and found out he was back from performing a necropsy on another poached rhino in BVC...5 AK slugs were found in the carcass.

Rhino Poaching in BVC

Did anyone hear of the enormous, SILENT, outcry from the antis that is emanating on all the social media and the MSM??

It is deafening!

Buy the Tracking dogs ( hounds , not shepherds , work better over long distances ) in South Africa. It will work out cheaper and you can send your handlers for training with the dogs.

Trust me, the LAST thing you want in any African national park is the army running around. They are underpaid, well-armed and many are a part of the poaching problem anyway.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Sad...very sad!

The rhino truly belong to the Zim Fed govt. But they sure as hell don't send the military to patrol the outer perimeter. If anything...they are complicit in the poaching.

None of the Cecil-loving armchair "conservationists" who went into full cry a couple of months ago will donate one cent to this problem. They have a perfect excuse: because hunting is allowed in the Bubye. Which means they can pocket more of their donor funds.

quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Just had comms with PH Nigel Theisen who is hunting a mutual friend of our in BVC.

They bumped into Norman English on the way back to Nengo from hunting today and found out he was back from performing a necropsy on another poached rhino in BVC...5 AK slugs were found in the carcass.

Rhino Poaching in BVC

Did anyone hear of the enormous, SILENT, outcry from the antis that is emanating on all the social media and the MSM??

It is deafening!

Look at the rhino poaching stats for the Kruger National Park from 2010-2014: 146, 252, 425, 606, 827. 2015 is likely to be in four figures. That is South Africa's flagship national park, a controlled area, and with access to whatever security forces input it needs (theoretically). Of course the tree-huggers are in (financial) control of SANParks, with their quaint don't-hurt-the-poor-animals-and-don't-lay-a-finger-on-the-heads-of-the-poor-impoverished-locals-who-want-to-kill-them-either philosophy. Places like the Bubye are truly the rhinos' last stand in Africa.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Just had comms with PH Nigel Theisen who is hunting a mutual friend of our in BVC.

They bumped into Norman English on the way back to Nengo from hunting today and found out he was back from performing a necropsy on another poached rhino in BVC...5 AK slugs were found in the carcass.

Rhino Poaching in BVC

Truly sad Barry.