ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY - SUPPORTING RANGER TRAINING IN SOUTH AFRICA
In the vast tapestry of life on Earth, every species plays a crucial role, contributing its unique thread to the intricate web of biodiversity. Yet, in recent times, this tapestry has been unraveling at an alarming rate, with countless species teetering on the brink of extinction. As we observe Endangered Species Day, it's a reminder of our shared responsibility to protect and conserve the planet's most vulnerable inhabitants.
African Wild Dog : Listed as ENDANGERED on the IUCN red list
To protect and conserve, we rely on the guardians of the wilderness: rangers. Therefore, on this Endangered Species Day, our focus turns to the crucial aspect of ranger training.
Rangers are the unsung heroes of the wilderness, tirelessly patrolling the frontlines of conservation efforts, protecting wildlife from poaching, habitat destruction, and other threats. However, their task is not without challenges. Many rangers operate in remote and hostile environments, facing dangers that extend far beyond the claws and jaws of the creatures they protect.
In collaboration with Wildlife Defense, we will be hosting a 5-day course in Wildlife Crime Scene Investigative Techniques this October at the Wild Tomorrow Conservation Centre.
A team of rangers working tirelessly in the field to protect wildlife and habitat.
Wildlife Defense plans to deliver a 45-hour, hands-on course to anti-poaching unit rangers in South Africa - everything from capturing that evidentiary photo to collecting DNA or lifting that unseen fingerprint!
25 rangers, representing 15 of the most threatened reserves on the front lines of the rhino poaching crisis, will be armed with specialized evidence collection kits and electronics, and taught internationally recognized best practices. Wild Tomorrow and Wildlife Defense plan on covering all costs associated with training, lodging and equipment.
We believe many small steps can create one giant leap! And a donation of any size to go towards the course will make an impact.
ABOUT WILDLIFE DEFENSE
"Protecting the innocent; defending the wild." Wildlife Defense is a non-profit dedicated to the protection of wild species and wild spaces through law enforcement training initiatives, habitat preservation projects, public outreach campaigns, and equipment donations.
Wildlife Defense’s Lead Instructor has 24 years of experience in wildlife and environmental law enforcement and has conducted and supervised thousands of criminal investigations. Having obtained a bachelor’s degree in environmental biology from Long Island University, he currently serves as Investigative Captain for a state environmental police force in the northeastern United States, directing large-scale investigations into illegal wildlife trafficking and environmental crimes. To further support global efforts to save the last of Africa’s endangered species, he has trained with anti-poaching unit rangers, wildlife investigators and prosecutors on the front lines.