The TreadRight Foundation, created as a joint initiative between The Travel Corporation’s (TTC) family of brands, will support the Wilderness Foundation – Africa this coming Earth Day.
For every booking made on April 22 with any of TTC’s 30 brands around the world, the TreadRight Foundation will donate $1 to the Wilderness Foundation – Africa to help purchase more flight time for their TreadRight Bat Hawk.
A specially designed lightweight sport aircraft purchased by TreadRight for the Wilderness Foundation – Africa as part of the Wildlife Initiative, the TreadRight Bat Hawk is an important tool at the Wilderness Foundation’s disposal when it comes to combating rhino poachers in the field. One of the biggest hurdles facing rhino conservation efforts is the sheer size of the area rhinos inhabit.
Game reserves span hundreds of thousands of kilometres and rhinos have home ranges that can extend hundreds of kilometres. Being able to take to the sky is hugely beneficial in covering this expanse.
While much more cost efficient to operate than a helicopter, there are still expenses associated with operating the TreadRight Bat Hawk, such as fuel and pilot time, as well as basic maintenance and upkeep of the aircraft.
Each dollar donated by TreadRight to the Wilderness Foundation – Africa as part of the Earth Day campaign will go directly towards purchasing additional aerial patrol time for the TreadRight Bat Hawk, meaning more protection for threatened rhinos.
“Wildlife organizations face an uphill battle against a well-funded and ubiquitous adversary. If organizations like the Wilderness Foundation – Africa are going to win the dire fight to save the rhino, and it is a fight we have to win, they require leading technology and tools in order to do so,” said Brett Tollman, CEO, TTC and Founder, TreadRight Foundation. “That is why each of our travel brands across the planet is participating in this important Earth Day campaign helping to purchase more flight time for the TreadRight Bat Hawk. The plight of the rhino is a global ‘all-hands on deck’ problem, so we are getting everyone we can involved.”