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.
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Standing in a riverbed looking like a mixture between Faf de Klerk and Rambo, with the sun just glinting off The Snake (the name of the AK-47 in my hands), I simply cannot deny that this is an incredible picture; however, while incredible, I am so very nonchalantly posing with this specific equipment to raise a bit of awareness (and hopefully some funds). I stand with the gun that is normally gripped by a close friend of mine, and the vest that would hang from his shoulders.. a friend who has now committed his life to a mini (not so mini) war against poaching in South Africa. He has chosen to protect the bush and the animals that live in it, specifically rhinos. Sure, I am taking the piss by wearing a Budgy Smuggler (and I realise the irony of the name RE: animal smuggling), but I know that these items are carried by this particular friend everyday, and will one day save his life, and that me wearing his gear in this fashion would truly harpoon a riveting image into the eyes of the beholder. I have decided to support his team, his anti-poaching unit, by sending through R1 for every like this post gets. If the post somehow gets picked up by those outside of my following, leading to me being in a charitable debt of a million ronds, then I’d happily fundraise aggressively to achieve the target (so feel free to share). Additionally, if anyone else would like to donate to his team of whom directly protects the Balule area, and indirectly protects the surrounding Klaserie and greater Kruger areas due to natural animal migration, then please send me through a message and I’ll give you the relevant details needed to make an informed donation (probably through me). 🦁📈🦏 it seems as though it is safer to be known as a poacher amongst civilians in this country than an anti-poacher, so his exact unit and name will he kept private 🤝 the joys of organised crime. Power. 📸: @jessmakesyourday https://www.backabuddy.co.za/mike-wright
A post shared by Mike Wright (@mikeyiswright) on
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
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