Anglo American Platinum donates Bat Hawk aircraft to SANParks

According to SANParks, this donation builds on 2022's donation of four Bat Hawk surveillance aircraft to SANParks to aid surveillance, conservation and anti-poaching efforts in the Kruger National Park. 

In addition, a Bat Hawk aircraft will be donated to Mapungubwe National Park, located on the border of South Africa, Botswana and Zimbabwe.

Prakashim Moodliar, Anglo American Platinum's executive head of projects, says, "I am pleased that our relationship with SANParks is growing from strength to strength with this donation. The Bat Hawks we have donated to Kruger National Park have been put to great use, assisting the SANParks team with rhino dehorning work, ongoing research, aerial visible policing and water point and soil erosion monitoring."

Moodliar adds, "This work speaks directly to the healthy environment pillar of our sustainable mining plan and our ambition to have a net positive biodiversity impact — an ambition we can only achieve in partnership with key stakeholders such as SANParks."

Addo Elephant National Park, which spans over 293 000 hectares, is home to one of the densest populations of African elephants in the world and is the only park in the world that can lay claim to the Big 7 (Elephant, Rhino, Buffalo, Lion, Leopard, Southern right whale and the Great white shark in the Addo Marine Protected Area). 

The Bat Hawk aircraft, assembled in Nelspruit, presents an affordable and safer alternative to helicopters and will assist with the Park's conservation objectives. Other benefits of the aircraft include the cockpit's excellent visibility, even during adverse weather conditions and its light undercarriage, which can easily manoeuvre through bush terrain.

SANParks managing executive of parks Property Mokoena says, "We are immensely grateful to Anglo American Platinum for yet another donation to SANParks and to Addo Elephant National Park and Mapungubwe National Park. They join several other international and local corporates and individuals working with SANParks to conserve and protect our natural and cultural heritage and threatened species."

These Bat Hawk aircraft will go a long way in being a visual deterrent to would-be poachers. These ultra-light aircraft will also assist us in carrying out aerial patrols and monitoring and effectively managing the environment, not just over our terrestrial footprint, but over the Addo Marine Protected Area," Mokoena adds. 

"We wish to thank Anglo American Platinum for their faith in us yet again to put their donated equipment to good use in protecting our country's rich and varied biodiversity," concludes Mokoena. 

For more information, visit www.sanparks.org. You can also follow SANParks on Facebook, X or on Instagram.