Leighton Buzzard man will lead motorbike ride through South Africa to help fight rhino poaching

A tour guide from Leighton Buzzard is planning to ride through South Africa on a 10,000km journey aimed at raising awareness about the plight of the endangered rhino.

Alex Jackson, a motorcycle enthusiast, runs Kaapstad Motorcycle Adventure Tours taking groups of people on motorbike safaris through South Africa.

He first visited the country in 1988 and fell in love with it, Alex first did the Ride for Rhinos in 2013, a solo ride through the wild to publicise the mindless slaughter of the animals and to garner support for their protection against poachers. He also did one three years ago to raise awareness of the poaching problem the country is facing.

Next year, Alex, a former police officer, will be leading a group of motorcyclists on a 10,000km ride around Southern Africa in a bid to raise £50,000 for Anti-Poaching and conservation projects in South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Over 33 days through Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa to raise awareness of the cause, visiting the projects in each country that the money raised will go to support.

The 61-year-old said: "This is something I have have been doing for years, I have been helping the conservation for over 15 years.

"My business is adventure travel so I thought I would put my conversation work and the business together to raise money.

"It has been hit hard by the pandemic, like many businesses, charities and organisations.

"In the past we have done the rides and raised over £20,000 in total.

"A good thing about raising money for the anti-poaching unit is that we can see where the money is being spent.

"We are hoping for eight riders with me leading the tour, two people in a support car and a camera man."

Alex is hoping to raise £50,000 to be split between four projects, the Kruger Park anti-poaching unit, the Gondwana Tree Planting project, the Vic Falls Anti-Poaching Unit and Mother Africa, and Mother Africa - a local project, focusing on expanding anti-poaching efforts and working on the elimination of wildlife-human conflict in the country.

To make a donation, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ride4rhinos.