The Bateleurs

Background

The Bateleurs, a non-profit flying organization, has over 130 pilots who volunteer their time to carry out conservation missions such as: identifying illegal mining, roads and housing; tracking cheetah, wild dog, leopard and elephant; and counting dugong, the giant sable, or other rare species. The pilots frequently assist conservationists with aerial surveys that save personnel hours or even days on the ground.

In the past ten years, the organisation has coordinated hundreds of missions, throughout ten different countries, in support of environmental issues. The volunteer pilots donate their own aircraft and time to fly these operations, thereby reducing the organisationʼs operational costs by up to 70%. The Bateleurs have flown between 50 and 75 missions per year for over 110 different beneficiary organizations. Tusk’s recent contribution to the Bateleurs has helped to cover their operational expenses, enabling them to expand and continue their much needed support.

The Bateleurs 

By assisting more than 120 beneficiary organisations, including wildlife conservation bodies, government decision-making bodies, non governmental organizations (NGOs) and many others dedicated to conservation, The Bateleurs provides decision-makers, researchers, educators, NGOs and the media with information which assists them to make sound environmental decisions.  There is no charge to any of these organisations for the environmental missions flown for them by The Bateleurs.

The volunteer pilots donate their own aircraft and time to fly these missions, thereby contributing 70% of the organisation's operational costs.  A rigorous process is in place to review and approve (or not) all flight requests, to monitor missions, and to track all The Bateleurs' activities.

Below are two examples of the types of missions that the Bateleurs fly. 

Elephant Count on the borders of Mozambique, South Africa & Zimbabwe
Requested by: Peace Parks Foundation
Purpose of Mission: To identify and track elephant in the area for a proposed Transfrontier Park
Results: Significant elephant herds were found in the area, contributing to the park initiative

Tracking Giant Sable in Angola
Requested by: The Giant Sable Conservation Project at the Catholic University of Angola
Purpose of Mission: To determine whether any Giant Sable, believed to be extinct, were still alive in the Angolan Highlands
Results: A military aircraft carried several microlight pilots and their craft to Capunda, Angola, where a remote camera captured the Giant Sable on film – a remarkable contribution to conservation.

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