SOCIETY ISSUE 01 2022
Photo by Dave Vokes
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OCnews CAPTAINING WORLD CUP FINALISTS Tom Prest (W21) led England to the finals of the U19 Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean in February. It was the first time in 24 years the nation’s team had made it to the last round of this competition. Tom’s side beat South Africa in the quarter final before taking on and overcoming Afghanistan to reach the final, where they eventually lost to
India by four wickets. At the end of last year, Tom signed his first professional contract with Hampshire Cricket. He is pictured competing for the Hampshire Hawks in July’s T20 competition in which Tom was named Player of the Match for the semi-final.
Flying to help track giraffes
FormerRAFandRhodesianAirForce Richard pilot Calder Foundation(GCF)toassistwiththecaptureof15giraf (SH66) has recently been using his aerial skills to help protect Hwange.Aftercapture,theanimalsweretaggedwiths giraffesinHwangeNationalPark,Zimbabwe. solar-powered GPS satellite ear tags, before they were later Heexplains:‘IflyinavoluntarycapacityforaZimbabwean released.Byfollowingthemovementsofthesegiraf trustcalledFlyingforWildlife(FFW)whichoperates researchersfromGCFandZimbabwe’sNationalParks ultra-light aircraft called Savannahs which are ideal for can learn more about their movements and take informed anti-poachingwork.FFW’sobjectiveistosupportmanagement decisions.’ Zimbabwe’sNationalParksandWildlifemanagement The capture team included wildlife vets, a helicopter operationsbyprovidingairborneanti-poachingpilot cover.We and fly agroundsupportteamofZimbabwe’sNatio in all Zimbabwe’s wildlife areas and operate at low speeds ParksandGCFpersonnel.Considerablecoordinati and altitudes looking for illegal activities in the parks and betweengroundandaircrewswasrequiredtofindas generally patrolling the wildlife areas.’ herd and select an individual before Headds:‘FFWwasrecently it was darted from a helicopter and approached by the Giraffe Conservation captured for tagging. ‘When the animal is safely secured on the ground, time is Pilot Richard Calder (right). A giraffe is held of the essence to ensure the animal’s for ear tagging (below) welfare,’ says Richard, ‘as the drug was immediately reversed, and the giraffe is awake during the operation.’ Members of the ground crew secured the giraffe’s neckwhiletheGCFteamfittedtheear tag.‘Thisalltakesaboutfiveminutes when the tagging is completed the giraffe is released and quickly staggers to her feet and trots off wondering what all the fuss was about,’ he adds. RichardflewwiththeRAFbetween1967andOn 1972. leaving the service, he trained as a chartered accountant and became a director at Rio Tinto, before owning and running his own small mines and aviation companies in Zimbabwe, KenyaandZambia.HeremainsincontactwithfellowOC Chris du Cane (M70) and Dave Ralph (SH67).
