This Solar Powered Dirt Bike Is Designed to Fight Poaching in Africa

Poaching of endangered animals continues to plague many countries in Africa. And though efforts to stop and prevent these terrible practices are admirable, most are conducted with inadequate resources. At the very core of the fight are offload motorcycles, aka bush bikes, which allow rangers freedom to roam throughout their territory. But the gas-fueled bikes are loud, alerting poaches to their oncoming presence miles away, and affecting wildlife too. It’s unsustainable and inefficient. The new Kalk AP (Anti-Poaching) edition electric motorbike from Swedish manufacturer CAKE is a hopeful answer.

Developed alongside staff at the Southern African Wildlife College and designed to work in association with Goal Zero solar power station kits, the rugged, optimized bush bikes aim to give rangers a leg up on poachers, while also dramatically reducing the costs (and pollution) associated in day to day efforts.

Working with a “buy-one-give-one” model to fund the initiative, CAKE and Goal Zero will each donate their profit margin from edition sales directly to the SAWC. For each Kalk AP sold to the public, a second “twin” bike will be made and delivered to an anti-poaching unit active in one of the 25 national parks where the SAWC manages anti-poaching teams.

The $25,000 asking price not only covers the two bikes (one for the purchaser and one donated twin), but also the cost of donating a Goal Zero solar panel and power station kit that will enable the twin bike to operate in the African bush on self-sufficient, off-grid missions. There are certainly worse ways to spend 25 Gs.

Read more about the Electric Bush Bike Anti-Poaching Initiative here and brush up on street legal Kalk dirt bike here.