Ranger Leader

What made you want become a ranger?

To be honest, before I applied and trained, I had never thought of becoming a ranger. I could not imagine being away from home for so long. Now, I love wildlife and the adventurous nature of a ranger's work.

Describe a typical day in your life?

I wake up, shower and get dressed. I then check our field equipment such as radios and smartphones for data capture. We do our morning foot patrol which lasts for about 4 hours depending on the situation. Once we are done, the team goes back to the camp to rest or prepare for any media or training activities. We then start preparing for the night patrol: checking the radios, charging the phones, spotlights, checking the vehicles and all our communication channels we have. We finish our night patrol around midnight and return to camp.

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I love seeing wildlife and especially observing the animals in their comfort zone. I enjoy knowing that I am their eyes and ears and I keep them safe.

What is your biggest success to date?

Last year our northern team was recognised by the IUCN as a Highly Commended ranger team. We also saved a kudu antelope from a freshly set snare that was closing tightly around its neck. We were just about on time to save its life.

What is the biggest challenge you face in your work?

The biggest challenge is the unpredictable nature of our work. No day is the same, and every time we prepare for a patrol, we do not know what we may encounter.

What would you like the world to know about rangers?

I would like the world to know that if women are given a chance to step into more ranger roles, we can do so much more for wildlife and our communities as well. If both men and women rangers unite, our spirit will be unbreakable.

Vongani Masingi

Ranger in Anti-Poaching Unit, Black Mambas, South Africa

What would you like to see change for African rangers?

I would like African rangers to do more to positively influence the way their communities perceive wildlife and nature. I hope we can repair the view of wildlife that has been damaged by human-wildlife conflict to show the huge role that wildlife plays in keeping our planet alive for all of us.

As a participant in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, how would you say it has impacted you and your team?

It has lifted our spirits, increased our drive and greatly improved our team work. The Challenge should continue. I bet other African rangers agree with me!

Main image

Vongani Masingi

Credit: Rivoni Mkansi

Bottom

A section of The Black Mambas- an all-female antipoaching unit

Credit: Julia Gunther