The fight against rhino poaching in South Africa’s Kruger National Park has been stepped up with the launch of sophisticated aerial surveillance solutions.

South African National Parks (SanParks), in partnership with the Ichikowitz Family Foundation, has unveiled an aerial surveillance aircraft in efforts to intensify the fight against rhino poaching in the park.

The specialist reconnaissance aircraft, a Seeker Seabird, which lifted off on Tuesday at the Skukuza Airport would expose illegal poachers through maximum surveillance optimisation and reconnaissance capabilities, said Ichikowitz Family Foundation chairperson Ivor Ichikowitz.

Ichikowitz is also executive chairperson of defence and aerospace company Paramount Group.

“Advanced visual reconnaissance and surveillance will provide game reserve rangers with robust intelligence in their tireless mission to confront poachers,” he added.

Seeker Seabird, which is equipped with thermal imaging technology FLIR Ball infrared detector, is capable of flying at high altitude and at slow speeds with 270 degrees visibility.

It would not be the last use of technology in the fight – the parties also entered strategic cooperation which would see the foundation provide the park with solutions from Paramount Group.

SanParks was also actively enlisting and broadening its engagement with the private sector to protect and conserve wildlife, said SanParks CEO David Mabunda.

Since the start of this year, 598 rhino have been poached – a jump from the 448 reported last year and the 333 in 2010, the Department of Water and Environmental Affairs said on Tuesday.

The Kruger National Park has recorded the highest loss, with 364 rhino killed during the year, compared with 126 in 2011.

Mabunda believed this figure would reach 400 in the Kruger Park, which was home to 60% of South Africa’s rhinos, and climb to 650 nationwide by the end of the year.

South African Water and Environmental Affairs Minister Edna Molewa and Vietnam Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Dr Cao Duc Phat were expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) next week on cooperation in biodiversity conservation and protection.

The MoU aimed to deal with the illegal trade in rhino horn and promote cooperation between the two countries, as South Africa’s government believed the siege on the country’s rhino was driven by international demand for the rhino horn from countries such as Vietnam.

“We will find the right solutions and fight this war. The strategy is to reach out to a new set of stakeholders that would complement and fundamentally strengthen and provide the necessary intelligence to our existing efforts,” Mabunda said.

Despite the increase in the number of arrests for rhino poaching, which reached 246, up from 232 and 165 in 2011 and 2010 respectively, the country had a long way to go in eliminating the threat to its rhino.

The department revealed that 217 of those arrested were at the level of poacher, 18 were couriers and 11 were receivers.

One individual, Thai national Chumlong Lemtongthai was sentenced to 40 years in jail for illegal trade in rhino horns, illegally obtaining hunting permits that led to the illegal exportation of nearly 26 rhino horns, breaching the Customs and Excise Act and tax fraud, besides others.

“The days of talking about this problem are over – practical solutions such as this aircraft and its surveillance capabilities is the only way to make a real difference,” Ichikowitz concluded.