Wildlife Rangers

Thank you for donating to our Protecting Rangers project. It is so important for us to recognise and celebrate the vital work that rangers carry out every day, providing front-line protection for wildlife in some of the harshest environments.

Supporting rangers across Africa and Asia to fight wildlife crime and protect endangered species is at the heart of our work at David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) and has been since our inception 35 years ago.

To further support and empower rangers working on the ground in some of the world’s most harsh environments, DSWF was proud to initiate and team up with Walking with the Wounded (WWTW), The Royal Foundation (TRF) and Game Rangers International (GRI) to launch Operation Footprints late last year. The project is also generously sponsored in part by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust.

The initiative supports former UK servicemen and women to train wildlife rangers at conservation locations and provides veterans with the opportunity to share the skills they acquired during active military service. They gain training qualifications and provide them with hands-on work experience while upskilling the wildlife rangers they are training.

DSWF is proud to have supported the third Operation Footprints training under this initiative and eagerly received live updates from the team in Africa during their time there. Three former British soldiers volunteered their time to help provide training to over 200 wildlife rangers and special elite anti-poaching units supported by DSWF and GRI.

This initiative is designed to enhance the already excellent training provided to rangers on the ground, but also provides training on elements that that may not be taught as standard in their onward professional development.

The current training focuses on several non-combat essentials such as medical training, lifesaving and swimming techniques, drowning mitigation drills and operational communication skills.

Africa is prone to dangerous flash flooding and the terrain sometimes requires the rangers to cross rivers.

“Every ranger I taught basic life support to thought that water was held in the stomach in a drowning victim,” explained Jordan, British Army veteran and currently an Operation Footprints team member. “They had been pressing on people’s stomachs when giving first aid. Dispelling this myth was a simple fix, providing a huge impact and ultimately saving lives.”

Operation Footprints importantly not only provides first-class lifesaving training to the wildlife rangers but also helps bring a new perspective to the veterans participating.

“In terms of personal experience, it has helped me switch to a more positive mental attitude," said Jordan. “This will most certainly allow me to come home appreciating my own skills and abilities, making my life more enjoyable and having a positive effect on those closest to me.”

The project so far has been a huge success and the response from the wildlife ranger teams in Zambia has been nothing but positive. More importantly, however, is the long-term sustainable aim.

“By ‘training the trainer’, these skills will continue to be passed onto new recruits and ensure continuity of training,” said Nick, the third veteran of the team who recently returned from Africa. “It’s incredible to have such a receptive audience and be able to teach rangers basic skills which can have such a large effect on their ability to do their jobs.”

Thanks to your support, we is hugely proud to be able to support this initiative, which not only helps veterans put their valuable military experience and training to good use, but also to help empower and develop the vital skills needed for rangers in Zambia to help prevent poaching and fight wildlife crime on the ground.

Links:

• Find out more about DSWF's work with rangers
• Read the latest news from David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation
• Check out our upcoming events