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Nonsikelelo Moyo
*MR STEPHEN Mwale is a ranger employed by the Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (ZimParks).

Every morning, he slides into his uniform, packs a small bag and leaves home for a morning parade.

But as he says goodbye to his wife and three-year-old daughter, he is not sure if he will make it back home safe and sound.

Each day in the game park comes with its own challenges – wild animals such as elephants and lions.

There are also illegal hunters who pose the greatest threat in the bush.

On a daily basis, rangers are at risk of being attacked by animals or shot by marauding poachers who roam the various game parks around the country.

In 2014, ZimParks rangers in Binga were involved in a shootout with a gang of heavily armed poachers which resulted in the death of one of the poachers while his three accomplices were seriously injured.

The gang opened fire on rangers when they came face-to-face a night after shooting an elephant and removing its tusk.

In 2016, a suspected syndicate of armed Zambian poachers opened fire on rangers who were patrolling the Zambezi National Park at Matetsi Unit.

The rangers overcame the poachers resulting in the death of two suspected illegal hunters while 10 others fled as the heat intensified.

An AK47 rifle and some foodstuffs were recovered following the shoot-out, a clear sign of how prepared and dangerous poachers are when they enter the bush.

Wild animals also have their own share of attack on rangers.

In December last year, a ranger was gored by a buffalo while on patrol at Chirisa Game Park in Gokwe while a police officer on an anti-poaching patrol was also gored by a lone buffalo which charged at him at Hwange National Park during the same month.

These incidents exclude encounters between poachers and other anti-poaching teams contracted by private organisations dotted around the country.

Rangers are certainly an essential part of the country’s conservation programme.

Recently, 106 newly recruited rangers graduated at Hwange Main Camp after undergoing a three-month basic anti-poaching techniques training course.

The courses covered during the training include law enforcement, intelligence gathering, tracking, map reading, radio communication, first aid, bush craft and weaponry.

Range and wildlife management, game and water management, animal disease management, human wildlife conflict management and game capture and translocation complete the list of courses.

At the same graduation ceremony, another group of rangers who are not new in the field graduated after undergoing two training phases on which they did a three month basic dog handling course at Manyame Air Base in Harare, and a six months dog trackers course at Hwange Main Camp.

The dog handling courses are conducted by the Air Force of Zimbabwe.

Officiating during the graduation, Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Oppah Muchinguri-Kashiri said rangers play a huge role in protecting wildlife.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri bemoaned lack of resources for anti-poaching campaigns.

“Rangers are the foot and frontline soldiers in protecting our wildlife resource which is continuously under threat from illegal harvesting by subsistence and commercial poachers. As such, their task is a daunting one and life threatening. It requires their full commitment and sacrifice,” she said.

Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri said ZimParks strives to ensure that the rangers are well equipped.

“It’s our duty as ZimParks management and board to ensure that our foot soldiers are adequately resourced and that their needs are catered for,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.

She said rangers will not hesitate to shoot and kill those found wanting when it comes to wildlife crime.

“The numbers in terms of poaching have really gone down compared to the last three years; it tells you a story — that whatever interventions we’ve introduced are bearing fruit. We now want to increase the number of rangers because we were short in terms of our coverage. As a result of the porous border areas we have to monitor, poachers are coming from outside the country but collaborating with our people,” said Minister Muchinguri-Kashiri.

The graduates were deployed to various parks in the country to execute duties in accordance to their training.

Speaking at the same occasion, Chief Nekatambe of Hwange District commended rangers for their role in protecting wildlife.

He, however, bemoaned unequal opportunities in training of rangers.

“Matabeleland North Province is home to the Hwange National Park but only a few people from this region are trained to be rangers. It’s a sad situation that we have a rangers training facility yet very few of our youths are trained here,” said Chief Nekatambe.

Matabeleland North Minister of State for Provincial Affairs Ambassador Cain Mathema encouraged ZimParks to work hard.

“Parks is the most important organisation in the country especially in the tourism sector as they continually protect our heritage and nature. They play a leading role in the nation’s economy. The organisation has to rise and be the biggest in the country so it can contribute to the tourism sector.

“I encourage the organisation to adopt technology and make use of drones. It will make the rangers’ job a lot easier,” said Ambassador Mathema.

In recognition of rangers’ efforts in protecting wildlife heritage, World Ranger Day is commemorated annually on July 31.

In 2015, ZimParks received equipment worth $2 million to help fight poaching.

The first batch of the anti-poaching equipment comprising trucks and off-road vehicles was officially handed over to ZimParks at Hwange Main Camp.

The equipment included eight Foton trucks, 10 Foton off-road vehicles, three dumper trucks, four Foton Motor graders, seven Foton pick-ups, eight Foton tractors and their spare parts.

Among the equipment were also 30 solar chargers, sleeping bags, climbing shoes, flashlights, raincoats, telescopes, handheld GPS locators and other materials for use by rangers while on the field.

The donation was a product of the country’s Look East Policy which saw China and Zimbabwe signing an investment deal worth $4 million to cover different sectors of the economy.

Government has also shown commitment to the cause and invested in drones for surveillance in the country’s game parks. —  @nonsy_m.

*Not his real name