A recent Stellenbosch graduate, 23-year-old Mike Wright decided to pose in nothing but a daring speedo and a wildlife ranger uniform and posted it to his Instagram. However, his antics were all for a good cause: for every like his photo got, he promised to donate R1 to an anti-poaching team protecting our precious rhinos in the Kruger National Park.
Calling himself a mixture of ‘Rambo and Faf de Klerk,’ Wright might have expected to get a few cheeky comments, but what he did not expect was over 11,500 likes on his photo! Thus, Wright turned to the generous broader public and started a funding campaign in order to keep his promise.
‘Since the post went up, the picture got 10,000 likes in the space of two days,’ Wright said in an interview, adding that he is extremely thankful for people’s wonderful response. ‘I wanted to not only contribute to the conservation of rhinos, but also actually do something for the people who fight for them. They go through a lot behind the scenes.’ To date, he has raised just over R11,000 and is aiming for R12,000.
Wright, who has always been passionate about nature conservation, got the idea from seeing his friend who is a game ranger and part of an anti-poaching unit in the Balule area near the Kruger wearing his protective gear. ‘The post came about after I watched a friend of mine dressed in full camouflage, wielding an AK-47 with a red-dot sight, and being weighed down by a bulletproof vest, set out on an evening patrol. It was this sight of a fully militarised game ranger friend that made my head spin, and I realised just how desperately these guys need any help they can get,’ he says on his funding page.
‘Whether the money goes towards training, aeroplane or helicopter scouting flights, or even just extra clean uniforms that will decrease the time pressures that they face in mundane daily routine, it will all go towards the protection of the rhino and, in turn, all other animals that live in the same area.
‘I know that my R12 000 isn’t a huge sum of money in the larger scheme of things (with regards to the funding that other anti-poaching programs receive), but it is the most that I can personally do with the help of those around me. Every bit of money helps in this war against poaching, whether it goes towards weaponry training, petrol for surveillance flights, or equipment for those on the ground.’
To read more about the campaign or make a donation, click here.
Image: Instagram
