If you ask me, in today’s world our calendars are full of special days on which we are meant to remember or support some cause or other, and many of these days are quite pointless and futile. However, there is one day, the 31st of July, that we should definitely all mark on our calendars because the 31st of July is World Game Rangers Day. This is the day, if we haven’t already done so during the year, that we should stop and think about the men and women who genuinely put their lives on the line to defend Africa’s wildlife. It also provides a good prompt to remember those who have died in the service of Africa’s wildlife. World Ranger Day is important as it commemorates, and thanks, these men and woman, whether serving, retired or deceased, who are the real Wildlife Warriors of the world.
Morning parade for rangers, game scouts and workers at Zimbabwe’s Chirisa Safari Area. Not long before this photo was taken, rangers were engaged in a fire-fight with armed poachers who had come to kill rhinos and elephant – this time the poachers lost! However there is no telling how many of these men will lose their lives, or have already lost them, since this photo was taken.
In recent years, the TV viewing public, around the world, has been subjected to a number of shows purporting to show the skills and lifestyle of ‘experts’ on the subject of wildlife. Some of these individuals have even been labelled as Wildlife Warriors because of the way these TV programs and ‘documentaries’ have been pitched. The reality, however, is that many of them are just frauds, little more than actors making stacks of money while playing to poorly informed and gullible audiences. Here is your chance to recognise the real heroes and heroines of the war to save Africa’s wildlife, here is your chance through supporting World Ranger Day.
Further, if you are one of those people who feels strongly about supporting real wildlife programs, who wants to be counted among those who have helped make a difference and who would like to donate some money, either a one-of or any ongoing payment, then you would be hard pressed to find a more deserving wildlife cause than donating to the Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA). I would urge you to put your money into a worthwhile organisation, like the GRAA, rather than one of the many ‘mainstream’ green or animal liberation organisations who simply pocket most of the money they receive and only fight those battles that generate funds for their own business survival, their own personal conservation, if you will.¹
In regards to the GRAA, I particularly like the catch phrase that appears at the top of each page of their website: “May the roar of the African lion be heard by the children of our children’s children forever”. Amen to that, but it won’t happen unless we support true and viable conservation programs and stop wasting time and money on ‘green’ and animal liberation organisations who do very little good, if any good at all.
But rather than read my take on the matter, please read the media release for the association itself. You can either read it on their own website, http://www.gameranger.org/, and I would urge you to visit their site and read about what they do, or you can read it below where I have copied and pasted it.
Media Release – Respecting World Ranger Day on 31st July 2015
Many rangers lose their lives whilst protecting our natural heritage, whether it is due to sickness, fire, animal related death or increasingly to armed skirmishes with poachers. According to the International Ranger Federation (IRF) Roll of Honour, 52 rangers have been reported as having lost their lives in the line of duty in the last 12 months. Sean Willmore, President of the IRF, says that the vast majority have been killed by poachers or armed militia. While the IRF has been monitoring ranger deaths since 2000, “unfortunately the actual number of deaths is estimated to be two to three times higher as not all ranger deaths, particularly in Africa are recorded,” Willmore notes.
Indeed, there is no doubt that there are countless others whose tragic deaths have gone unrecorded. The Game Rangers’ Association of Africa (GRAA) asks the international community to join us in saluting these brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price for conservation by celebrating their lives and indeed their calling on World Ranger Day.
Due to the current epidemic of poaching of rhino, elephant and other iconic African species, rangers are increasingly finding themselves in combat situations – and paying a significant price for this. The effects of this epidemic are not only grievous, but detrimental to rangers’ well-being. Rangers are expected to go beyond their typical role as conservationists to become active players in guerrilla warfare, putting their lives in constant jeopardy. Rising incidents of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder and burnout fatigue are just some of the effects rangers have to endure as a result of this ongoing assault on our natural heritage. The GRAA has recognised this as a priority area of work and is collaborating with experts in the fields of emotional and psychological well-being.
Added to this, the effects on rangers’ families are a reality many outside of this war do not consider. These families often live in fear, not only for the lives of their loved ones, but also for their own. Such stress puts major strain on rangers’ families and their ability to maintain a healthy family environment. This is an additional stress Africa’s rangers have to endure.
“The ability to secure our natural resources is already constrained. The cumulative effects of the current poaching situation on the continent to rangers have the real possibility to lead to an attrition rate which is not sustainable,” says Chris Galliers, Chairman of the GRAA. “Such sustainability is only going to come about through increased ranger support and we feel both private and state organisations have to do more to address this.”
In the current climate, we cannot afford to have rangers not operating at optimal levels. Rangers’ well-being is not a luxury, it is an imperative. It is high time that adequate support is offered to safeguard our rangers who are the only thing standing between poachers and Africa’s iconic species. They are waging a war that is relentless, unforgiving and uncompromising in nature that is taking its toll physically and emotionally. The GRAA is committed to increasing the necessary support systems rangers so desperately need, but that they are not always getting.
On World Ranger Day we therefore call on African governments, conservation management agencies and the private sector employers of rangers to provide emotional support and care for these formidable protectors of our wildlife. The truth in this ugly reality is that without a motivated, invigorated ranger corps, Africa’s conservation efforts will be doomed to fail.
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For any additional information or images do not hesitate to contact the GRAA.
GRAA Chairman: Chris Galliers +27 (0)836875961 chrisgalliers@gameranger.co.za
GRAA CEO: Andrew Campbell +27 (0)823959402 andrew@gameranger.co.za
ABOUT THE GAME RANGERS’ ASSOCIATION OF AFRICA (GRAA)
The Game Rangers Association of Africa (GRAA) was founded in 1970 as a non-racial, non-political organisation. The Game Rangers Association of Africa is a properly constituted association and has been registered as a non-profit organisation. The Game Rangers Association of Africa is a longstanding and well established defined community of practice.
The Game Rangers’ Association of Africa provides support, networks and representation for game rangers across Africa. The Game Rangers Association of Africa believes that game rangers should operate with pride, and with passion for their profession whilst promoting best management practices in ensuring the conservation of our natural heritage.
The Game Rangers Association of Africa believes that the continued future existence of Africa’s wilderness and its wildlife is ultimately and irrevocably linked to the expertise, ethics and motivation of those tasked with the “on the ground” protection and management of this priceless asset. This involves inter alia the conservation of the natural heritage, and the promotion of sustainable utilization of natural resources, ecotourism, community involvement and environmental education. The Ranger in Africa has many real needs, but without real support and relevant training the Ranger will fail, and Africa’s priceless natural and cultural heritage will be lost forever.
Contact: The Game Rangers’ Association of Africa
PO Box 84420 Greenside 2034 South Africa
(e) info@gameranger.co.za (f) +27 86 544 5142 (t) +27 72 123 5384
www.gameranger.org/
Notes:
1. In support of that statement, above, consider the example of Greenpeace who, worldwide, has around $us360 million but only 6% of that money is spent on their ‘operations’, 11% goes to legal costs, 60% goes to wages and the rest goes on advertising or into the bank where money managers play with it on the money market. Imagine what could be done with all of this money if it was in the hands of genuine conservation organisations?
I think that you are right and more people should be made aware of what the game rangers do for wildlife and what a bunch of jokes and losers the celebrity ‘wildlife warriors’ are – they are only really interested in making lots of money and couldn’t really give a damn about conservation.