Smoke bombs drop from a plane, flares shoot up into the sky, gunshots ring out, a high speed car chase roars along a dirt road and a number of people are arrested.
Smoke bombs drop from a plane, flares shoot up into the sky, gunshots ring out, a high speed car chase roars along a dirt road and a number of people are arrested.
This all happened at Addo Elephant National Park last week, but only as part of a simulated poaching exercise on World Ranger Day, Wednesday 31 July.
The Park’s management, staff and honorary rangers came together to celebrate with Addo’s 75-member strong ranger contingent.
These rangers are the ones responsible for Addo having avoided a single case of poaching so far. Speaking at last Wednesday’s event, Regional Ranger John Adendorff commended the rangers on the work they do.
“Over the past 10 years, over 1 000 rangers have lost their lives in the line of duty all over the world. Even though the threats increase daily, we’re here because we have a passion for what we do and we believe in this worthy cause – protecting our environment for our children and the generations to follow,” Adendorff said.
He also commended his colleagues from the other Park departments.
“While we’re in the frontline – doing the actual anti-poaching and law enforcement – those of you behind the scenes who make our work possible are rangers in every sense of the word, too. “You make us the success that we are, and I thank you,” he said.
Observed annually, World Ranger Day commemorates rangers killed or injured in the line of duty, while celebrating and acknowledging the work being done by the men and women in green.
Every day, rangers put their lives in danger to protect the world’s heritage.
With the current onslaught of rhino poaching in South Africa, rangers are the last barrier between a rhino and a poacher. Since the start of this year, a total of 536 rhino have been killed for their horns in SA.
The Kruger National Park remains at the forefront of the onslaught, with a total of 334 rhino being poached in the Kruger in the past seven months.
