Bike riders support gruelling challenge for rhinos

BRAVE bike riders gathered in Hillcrest for a gruelling 340km non-stop mountain bike ride for the fight against rhino poaching.

The uBhejane Xtreme Mountain Bike Challenge from Hillcrest to Hilltop Camp in Hluhluwe, in the height of KwaZulu-Natal’s summer, and with a 16-hour cut-off time, is arguably the toughest one-day MTB rides in South Africa.

The uBhejane Xtreme is a self-funded ride that does not have an entry but does require participants to cover their own expenses as well as raise a minimum of R5 000 to be donated to rhino conservation in the province.

ALSO READ: Help Taine reach his R40 000 target to save the rhinos

The 2016 participants raised more than R250 000 for the project that helps maintain the aerial support of the Zululand Anti-Poaching Wing (ZAP-Wing) to 26 game reserves in northern KZN.

The funds also help to provide anti-poaching training, resources to field rangers and game reserves as well and hosted community-based education and awareness initiatives.

In December 2017, the bike riders raised R400 000 and the cheque was handed over on Friday, 16 February at the Makaranga Lodge to Grant Fowlds and Project Rhino.

Bikers raised R395 000 and the R5 000 was raised on the night of the handover during an auction of a rhino painting. The next challenge will be held on Saturday, 8 December.

Cadence Cycling Performance Centre and co-founder of the uBhejaneX MTB ride, Mark Caroll, thanked everyone who made the ‘fighting for the rhino’ project a success and Makaranga Lodge for allowing them the use of the venue for the handover free of charge.

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