Standing With Kariega: Continuing the Fight for Rhino Protection

Global Conservation Force stands in solidarity with our longtime partners, friends, and conservation family at Kariega Game Reserve and the Kariega Foundation following a devastating rhino poaching incident.

Kariega has announced the loss of a dehorned rhino cow and her two-year-old calf following a poaching attack.

Their statement reads:

“We are devastated to let our Kariega community know that we have suffered a poaching attack and have lost a dehorned rhino cow and her two year old calf. Due to the ongoing investigation we cannot share any more information. Needless to say we will use our anger to fuel the fight and to rise as a community to save this endangered species from further brutality and death.”

For everyone who has dedicated themselves to protecting these animals, losses like this are incredibly difficult.

For GCF, this one is deeply personal.

Standing Arm in Arm With Kariega

Kariega Game Reserve and the Kariega Foundation are among Global Conservation Force’s core and longest-standing conservation partners.

For years, our teams have worked side by side to strengthen frontline wildlife protection. That partnership has included ranger and anti-poaching training, tactical and medical development, equipment support, operational readiness, field exercises, and continued investment in the people responsible for protecting wildlife across this landscape.

We have trained together, planned together, adapted together, and continued building capabilities in response to an ever-changing threat. That work was happening before this attack. It is happening now. And it will continue.

We already had additional training and support plans in development with Kariega before this incident. In response to what has happened, we are also working together to identify additional needs, training opportunities, equipment, and measures that can further support the teams on the ground.

Because there is an active investigation, there are details surrounding the incident and response that we cannot and will not share publicly. Protecting the investigation, the reserve, and the people working on the frontlines must come first.

What we can say is simple: We will continue standing arm in arm with Kariega.

Rhino Protection Requires Continued Support

There is no single solution to rhino poaching. Dehorning is one important component used by many reserves to reduce risk, but this tragedy is a painful reminder that dehorned rhinos can still be targeted.

Effective rhino protection requires multiple layers working together: trained rangers, equipment, intelligence, investigations, monitoring, veterinary support, communications, medical capabilities, technology, rapid response, community engagement, and continued professional development.

Those needs also change as threats change. That is why our partnership with Kariega has never been about a single training course, equipment donation, or intervention. It is about continuing to work together, identifying needs, strengthening capabilities, and supporting the people who show up every day to protect wildlife.

How You Can Help

Many people see an incident like this and immediately ask, “What can I do?” There are tangible ways to help.

Donate directly to our frontline conservation efforts. Financial contributions give us the flexibility to respond to priority needs, support training, purchase equipment, move personnel and resources, and continue strengthening wildlife protection programs.

Sponsor training. Individuals, businesses, organizations, and foundations can directly help fund upcoming ranger and anti-poaching training. Training requires instructors, transportation, equipment, medical supplies, accommodations, training materials, and other logistical resources.

Fulfill items from our wishlists. Our wishlists contain specific equipment and supplies needed for training and frontline conservation programs. Purchasing an item allows supporters to put something tangible directly behind the mission.

Sponsor equipment and needs that are not on our public wishlists. Not every operational need can be listed online. There are additional pieces of equipment, training expenses, logistical requirements, and program needs that individuals or companies can sponsor directly. Supporters interested in funding larger equipment purchases or specific needs can contact GCF so we can connect that support with current priorities.

Corporate and organizational support matters, too. Businesses and organizations can sponsor training programs, equipment, logistics, or broader frontline conservation initiatives. These partnerships can make it possible to accomplish projects that individual donations alone may not cover.

Whether someone gives $5, purchases a wishlist item, helps cover a piece of specialized equipment, or sponsors an entire training initiative, there is a way to contribute.

We Keep Moving Forward

Right now, our thoughts are with everyone at Kariega who knew, monitored, protected, and cared for these rhinos. We share their loss. We share their anger. And we share their determination to continue the fight. There will be more work ahead.

There will be more training, more preparation, more equipment, more adaptation, and continued support for the people standing on the frontlines. This partnership did not begin because of a crisis, and our commitment does not appear only when tragedy strikes.

We were standing alongside Kariega before this attack. We stand alongside them today. And we will continue standing arm in arm with Kariega Game Reserve and the Kariega Foundation in the fight to protect and conserve rhinos.

If you want to stand with us, you can donate, fulfill a wishlist need, sponsor equipment or other priority items, or help fund the training that keeps frontline teams prepared.

For the rhinos we have lost, the rhinos that remain, and the people who protect them, we continue the fight.

Standing With Kariega: Continuing the Fight for Rhino Protection