LIMPOPO -South African Airlink has officially handed over a hangar for anti-poaching operations to South African National Parks (SANParks) at the Phalaborwa Gateway to Kruger Airport on Thursday.
“The hangar from South African Airlink is meant for anti-poaching operations in the north of the world famous Kruger National Park (KNP),” says the SANParks statement.
‘The company responded to a call for assistance from the SANParks Honorary Rangers and had to respond positively because of the importance of the relationship between the two organisations both on a business level and in promoting tourism in the area,” said the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airlink Rodger Foster at the handover.
CEO of SANParks Fundisile Mketeni expressed his gratitude to Airlink and other sponsors on the building of this facility.
“The existence of this hangar which will accommodate some of our anti-poaching assets from the air wing is going to cut the response time by almost an hour. This is important in our anti-poaching drive as it means the luxury of time will not be on the side of the poachers. We owe it to our forefathers and future generations to preserve this natural heritage. I am inspired by this gesture and many other, that we will overcome this scourge of poaching” concluded Mketeni.
The facility already houses the helicopter, bantam and a Cessna fixed wing.
On Thursday the helicopter and poaching reaction team at the hangar had to respond to a poaching incident outside the KNP.
The teams managed to assist in the arrest of a suspect and recovery of ivory from a poached elephant.
