At the end In 2021, a group of night hunters in a zoo in Mozambique—they use flashlights to help blind deer—suddenly find themselves stunned in the dark. Poachers, local opportunists who seek wild game in the forests, jungles and wetlands of the region, can often kill hundreds of animals in a single hunt with impunity, using dogs to track down and finish off their prey. They walk with confidence because they hear the sound of petrol motorcycles of patrolling soldiers in the long distance, which helps them not only to escape, but also to know where the park guards are and hunt near them – easy to do in this forest. thousands of square miles of land.
Not this time. A group of guards entered quietly on their road bikes, stopping the hunt immediately. The silent motorcycle engine, which would make them dangerous in a busy city, has become a wonderful tool to save the endangered species of the world.
“The petrol bikes we used before were noisy, heavy and expensive to continue traveling in these areas. “These bikes are silent, which makes us easy for poachers without being detected,” says Mfana Xaba, head of the anti-poaching team at the Southern African Wildlife College (SAWC), a non-profit organization based near the Kruger National Park. in South Africa. It provides trained rangers in 127 parks across Africa, including Mozambique. (The exact locations of the bikes are being kept secret, for fear of disrupting the project.)
Several poaching attempts have already been halted this year, saving a variety of animals, including antelopes—suni, red duiker, and blue duiker—that poachers kill in large numbers for their wild game. Although these species are not listed as “threatened,” says Alan Gardiner, professor of ecology and head of the Applied Learning Unit at SAWC. “Suni and other small apes make food for predators such as tigers, crowned eagles, and pythons, and they also promote plant growth. When any species is affected in a system it has an effect. “
50 Kalk Anti-Poaching bikes, made by the Swedish company CAKE, are now used in SAWC parks in Africa, after being tested in different areas of the continent, including plains, forests, and jungles. “The previous gasoline bikes were very difficult, not just because of the noise,” says Stefan Ytterborn, founder and CEO of CAKE. “Gasoline to power them has to be brought in using trucks or helicopters, which is not very efficient. Since you store gas in the forest, the gas can be stolen by people who kill the gas or the people of the community who want it.”
CAKE has already released an existing recreational motorcycle, and partnered with SAWC when the college realized that a quiet, stable bike could be a game changer in the diverse African community. After tweaks, Kalk AP was sent to Africa. It weighs 80 kilograms (176 pounds) and can run at 56 kilometers per hour, traveling for about five hours. CAKE changed its tires to 18-inch off-road tires like those used in motocross, and provided a software program that provides travel, communication, and location information, which enables CAKE to access vehicle data and continue to monitor and improve the condition of the bike. each is in progress.
