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Speaking at the handover, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airlink Rodger Foster said 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.

In response, the 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 is already housing the helicopter, bantam and a Cessna fixed wing. In a strange twist of fate yesterday, the helicopter and poaching reaction team at the hangar responded to a poaching incident outside the KNP and managed to assist in the arrest of a suspect and recovery of ivory from a poached elephant.

The CEO of SANParks, Mr Fundisile Mketeni (middle) cuts the ribbon to officially receive the hangar from CEO of Airlink, Mr Rodger Foster (left). Looking-on (right) is KNP”s Chief of Staff: Special Projects, Mr Ken Maggs

A mock-up poaching incident wherein the anti-poaching team, with the help of the sniffer dog and helicopter manage to catch a poacher

Issued by:
Communications & Marketing Department, Kruger National Park
Tel: 013 735 4262, cell: 082 807 1441
Email: [email protected]

Enquiries:
William Mabasa
GM: Communications & Marketing, Kruger National Park
Tel: 013 735 4363, cell: 082 807 3919
Email: [email protected]

Ike Phaahla
Media Specialist
Tel: 012 426 5315; cell: 083 673 6974
Email: [email protected]