Bisley Nature Reserve in KZN has taken a significant step forward in combating poaching and criminal activity with the launch of its dedicated 24/7 response call centre.

According to an article published by The Witness, this initiative aims to curb the bushmeat trade and strengthen security within the reserve.

The call centre is managed by Remington Risk Management, a key ally that has been patrolling the reserve and securing its fence lines since last year.

Their commitment stems from a deep passion for protecting wildlife and preserving South Africa’s natural heritage, says Ralton Dickason, head of Remington Risk Management.

“If we don’t assist when we can, there won’t be anything left. It is imperative to save the animals and keep the game numbers for the next generation and the community.

“It’s that passion, the love for wildlife, and the want to save our natural heritage that brought us to Friends of Bisley Nature Reserve (FoBNR),” Dickason says.

The partnership is already yielding positive results. Both FoBNR chairperson Peter West and Dickason have reported successes in snare patrols, rescuing distressed animals and ensuring consistent monitoring of fence lines.

Remington Risk Management also provides armed response teams and sniffer dogs that have already been deployed twice. Dickason actively participates in tracking operations whenever possible, even joining a tracking group when he can.

West expressed his appreciation for the team’s commitment to anti-poaching efforts.

“Remington’s daily patrols – both along the fence lines and within the reserve – have made an enormous difference.

“We’ve managed to curb opportunistic poaching and are now implementing a long-term strategy to install the highest-grade game fencing around the reserve,” he says.

West praised the team’s expertise, emphasising that their skills go beyond security – they specialise in anti-poaching tactics and conservation.

However, while progress has been made, new challenges continue to emerge.

West highlighted the increasing threat posed by organised poaching groups that operate with far more sophistication than individual poachers.

Based on patterns of activity, he believes these groups enter the reserve in the early hours of the morning to scout the area and set up snares along animal trails.

Later, in the late afternoon, they return to drive animals toward the snares, capturing at least one before butchering it on-site – leaving behind only the entrails.

“The poachers leave either through the same gate or drive through the reserve to the second. They then remove their snares, which means we are no longer finding any,” says West.

Dickason says the call centre number is solely for the Bisley Nature Reserve.

“The services provided are strictly and solely for Bisley. It is not an open line and we do not replace any other services in the area,” he adds.