Thanks to a kind sponsor, helicopter pilot Jana Meyer was able to take wildlife vet Ben Muller on a patrol flight over a notoriously bad area for poaching and snaring incidents. During the patrol flight, the team managed to immobilise and desnare 2 zebra, 2 buffalo and 1 giraffe. They saw 3 elephant bulls with missing trunks from snares. Three other buffalo were seen with snare wounds, two of which did not have the snare in them any longer but their wounds were treated. Sadly, one buffalo had to be euthanised because it's left hind leg had been severed off by the snare.

The veterinary costs were covered by funds raised at the August 2024 art auction hosted by Warren Cary Gallery in Hoedspruit.

This area bordering the Kruger National Park in South Africa is host to a wide array of illicit activity, including illegal gold mining. Several conservation organisations are working to set up and execute large scale interventions to secure the area and restore it to a pristine reserve. Wild Wonderful World has committed to fund these operations in collaboration with partner organisations.

In the meantime, we are fundraising to keep covering helicopter flying hours and veterinary costs during patrol flights, which have been proven to be highly effective in locating poaching camps, snared animals and deterring poaching activity in the short term.

Here's how you can help:

1. Sponsor helicopter flying hours: R 13,000 or USD 750 / hour

2. Fund veterinary costs: from R 2,000 or USD 110 / snared animal