Boots Are On Their Way To The Anti-Poaching Unit Rangers!

We're really excited to share that we delivered the boots to the rangers after our successful fundraiser all because you cared!  We're working on an edited piece to bring to you of the whole day, but for now - to experience how happy a day it was for the rangers to receive the boots, just click on the boots below for our short Facebook live video! 

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Here are some of the rangers modeling their boots!  

Boots-For-Rangers Fundraiser - We Succeeded!

We are delighted to share that we just reached our goal of raising $5,000 to give new boots, night vision binoculars and flak jackets to the rangers at Nambiti (Kwa-Zulu-Natel) and we will be sending the items to the rangers in the first of the year and filming them receiving the goods!

They have no idea that we came home to support them this way, and we can't wait to watch their reactions when they realize that friends from the other side of the world cared enough to support them and bring them comfort in 2017.    

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!   This was our first campaign raise for Over and Above Africa and we raised the funds with a week to spare!  

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy Chanukah to all of our friends, we look forward to a very exciting 2017 with you! 

Kerry and the Over and Above Africa team.

Our Innaugural Anti-Poaching Mission!

After a whirlwind trip to South Africa, where we met with several private game reserve owners and rangers to discuss the state of the poaching crisis in Africa, we're now back and with our first goal. To raise $5,000 to purchase boots, night vision cameras, flak jackets and camel packs for the rangers.  These courageous men work long, dangerous hours, hiking over the worst terrain just to keep a visual on the endangered rhino and elephants, lions and cheetah that live on their property.  They do it willingly and without complaint, but what lifted their spirits visibly was our sharing with them how much the rest of the world supports what they are doing, and cares for them!  How exciting it will be if we are successful in our raise and we present them with a gift from the other side of the world!

If you'd like to know more about these brave men, and join the crowd back home helping us provide some basic comforts, here's our @GoFundMe campaign: http://bit.ly/2gfyGh6  (we're currently trending so it's a good time to join us!) We'd love to send these items to them for Christmas or the New Year, we've another 4 weeks on the campaign so it will be tight, but if not, then it'll be a great gift to welcome the New Year! 

While in South Africa, we were DELIGHTED to be invited to an unveiling of a new technology by techno giants @DimensionData and @CiscoSystems who together have created a comprehensive solution to poaching they are calling, "Connected Conservation." CC includes CCTV biometric scanning, sensors, cameras, thermal imaging, drones and even a helicopter standing by - not to mention trained dogs and a squad of rangers armed and ready to be deployed at the first signs of any poachers!  What's most unique about their solution is that it's pro-active, not reactive.  Using all of the tech available to them to apprehend the poachers, emphasis is on catching the suspects BEFORE the act, and not after when the animal is dead and the horn/tusks are gone.  

It's to be used as a multi-pronged effort in conjunction with several initiatives currently in place that are known to work, such as trained dogs to sniff out weapons hidden in vehicles and monitors that keep a visual on game reserve perimeters.  We were extremely impressed with the demonstration that had actually captured and arrested two poachers earlier that morning.  

For more on our trip, here's an accounting of the day we were invited to go out on FOOT patrol with the rangers from the Zulu community @Nambiti, tracking rhino.