Tourism Tattler July 2017

CONSERVATION
A Ranger’s View On
RHINO POACHING
Xolani Nicholas Funda, Chief Ranger of the Kruger National Park, says that Rangers are fighting an
uphill battle against lawless criminals while they themselves must uphold the letter of the law.
Leading counter-poaching operations have always been part and parcel
of a ranger’s responsibilities. There has been a massive surge in rhino
poaching across Africa in recent years as a result of well-organised
poaching syndicates targeting this iconic species for their own economic
gains. Threat levels have thus escalated and Africa’s rangers are
increasingly involved in armed skirmishes on a daily basis.
The Game Ranger’s Association of Africa (GRAA) reports that rangers
working in the Kruger National Park (KNP) refer to it as ‘the beast’. “With
a size of 19 485km² and temperatures that soar to a blistering 50°C,
working in the field is not for the faint-hearted. Rangers work up to
21 days in the bush under these harsh conditions, without the luxuries
many of us take for granted, and away from their families and loved
ones.” With the Kruger alone losing up to three rhinos a day, rangers
are operating on a 24/7 basis, being pushed to their limits by this savage
onslaught that is rhino poaching.
Funda confirms that rangers become familiar with the animals of the
area on their daily patrols, and develop an attachment to these animals.
“When you see a rhino lying peacefully in the bush, you wish sometimes
you could chase it away to a place where no one will find it and it cannot
be harmed,” says Funda. When rangers find a blood bath of a butchered
rhino in their section they lose a part of themselves.
Operating in this environment demands constant vigilance, even
withholding information from fellow staff to prevent any leaks. The
threats do not always come from beyond the fence. Funda begrudgingly
acknowledges, “The value of rhino horn is encouraging people to get
involved in things they never thought they would get involved in.” This
was illustrated in 2016 when respected section ranger Rodney Landela
and vet technician Kenneth Motshotso were caught for rhino poaching.
The GRAA published that Landela had been in the KNP’s service for 15
years and received several Achievement Awards. “It cannot be denied
that there are people who are willing to cross the line between good and
bad, right and wrong; but the field rangers of KNP who arrested their
superiors must be applauded for doing what is right and for dedicating
their lives to protecting our natural heritage,” confirms the GRAA.
24 Tourism Tattler Trade Journal
JULY 2017
Poor people are cheap and rangers are law abiding citizens
Rhino poaching is an issue that goes far beyond the frontiers of
conservation. It is an issue of socio-economic standards of the country
and national security.
When one doesn’t have anything to eat, one is not inclined to prioritise
respecting natural resource conservation. The truth is that until poverty
is resolved in South Africa, particularly in areas surrounding reserves,
syndicates will have a pool of poor people to recruit and poaching will
continue. For the desperate man trying to feed his children, the financial
reward he receives in exchange for rhino horn is an offer he is rarely able
to resist.
Rangers continue to risk their lives protecting defenceless animals, despite
their limited power against the ruthless poacher who is equipped with
state of the art weapons and who has no regard for human or animal
life. Funda disagrees with people who refer to this poaching crisis as a
war. “It will only be a war once it is declared as such by the President.”
War implies the rules of battle are used by both parties. Poachers are
criminals that are not guided by rules. Rangers, however, are governed
by the law and respect South Africa’s constitution, which enshrines the
rights of all people in South Africa and affirms the democratic values of
human dignity, freedom and equality. Should poachers be injured in the
bush, rangers ensure these criminals receive the necessary medical care.
Fighting poaching is, at times, very restrictive.
The Game Rangers Association of Africa works closely with reserves like
the KNP to ensure rangers are continuously receiving specialised training
to better equip and empower themselves to make informed decisions
during conflict situations. Some of these courses include the Protected
Areas Security Operations Planning (PASOP), Advanced Field Ranger
Training and Counter Insurgency Tracker Training (CITT) and the Use of
Force.
A ranger’s heart
The Kruger is divided into 22 sections, with designated section rangers
and field rangers per section. Operating under these conditions takes