Rangers – frontline of wildlife conservation
FOR Puleni Phillimon, a Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Authority anti-poaching ranger at Mana Pools National Park on the southern banks of the Zambezi River north of the country, football, particularly the English Premier League (EPL) provides a pleasant and healthy escape from the otherwise bitter and harsh realities of his tough and risky job.
Rangers here work under the most extreme and dangerous environments.
Here in Mana Pools park there is a long line of tragic incidents in which rangers have lost their lives defending the country’s wildlife heritage.
Phillimon and other anti-poaching rangers do one of the toughest jobs in the country.
Very often they work under challenging working conditions, and are isolated from their families and community.
In the past, lack of entertainment, poor equipment and inadequate training, low pay and limited support for rations would take their toll on rangers working in very remote parts of the country with no access to telecommunication services, radio and television.
The physical and mental fatigue would force many to quit or lead miserable lives.
“I am an Arsenal football club fan and I have no stress of missing out on major EPL tournaments. My team lost recently but I hope it will win soon,” Phillimon said.
“For us rangers, entertainment means a lot. Food rations are also critical for us. It’s these small, but critical things that help us to do our work without stress. I am so grateful to the support we are getting from Zimparks and our partner – the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF).
“They are taking care of us rangers – the people that make a difference for wildlife conservation.”
Support from the AWF has made a huge difference for the anti-poaching rangers that often face life - threatening situations in the line of duty.
Since 2018, AWF has supported Zimparks conservation areas in the Mid Zambezi Valley with infrastructural developments, provisions, digitalisation of radio communication equipment, fuel, field and camping equipment, patrol rations, vehicles and boats for anti-poaching patrols worth more than US$10 million.
This support has made it possible to facilitate specialised training and capacity building programmes for rangers.
All this has boosted morale for rangers who are on the frontlines of efforts to combat poaching, reduce illegal wildlife trade and trafficking of wildlife products in the landscape.
“We are so grateful for the support that we have received from AWF. In addition to critical infrastructure, they have gone further to build entertainment facilities with some 75 - inch TV screens.
“Our sports loving rangers watch their favourite EPL matches and this reduces stress and other mental health problems,” said Felix Chimeramombe, a ZimParks regional manager for the Mid Zambezi Valley.
“Entertainment boosts the morale of our anti-poaching rangers who work under very tough conditions in the remote parts of the country. Having adequate rations, equipment and entertainment means a lot for our rangers.”
AWF is currently implementing projects funded by the European Union under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (CITES MIKE), the Dorothy N Batten Foundation and other grants to reduce poaching and trafficking which are major causes of key wildlife species decline.
Country director of AWF in Zimbabwe Dr Olivia Mufute said these efforts are critical in biodiversity and habitat maintenance and restoration, rural community resilience and wildlife species conservation.
“Rangers are the real people who make a difference for wildlife conservation. Without dedicated and fearless rangers, all our conservation work would come to nothing,” she said.
“We have to support our rangers and keep them motivated always. As AWF, we remain committed to working closely with Zimparks to support rangers fully and keep their morale high.”
With support from the CITES MIKE grant, AWF donated three vehicles to Zimparks in 2021, one vehicle in 2022.
In Chewore North and Chewore South safari areas, AWF is supporting the installation of digital radio equipment to improve communication across the landscape and to strengthen law enforcement operations systems in the Mid Zambezi Valley.
“The installation of the digital radio system equipment in the Mid Zambezi valley will improve communication between rangers at the office and those doing patrols in wildlands,” said Simon Muchatibaya, AWF Mid Zambezi Valley programs manager.
“Currently, there is limited communication with rangers when they are deployed on patrols.
“AWF is assisting with the installation of a radio system that ensures good connectivity and communication links between stations and rangers on patrol.”
AWF has also assisted in the construction of a vehicle workshop at Marongora Zimparks Field Station.
Zimparks was supported with a brand-new Toyota Hilux GD6 vehicle, one pelican boat, one sport fisher patrol boat, a new entertainment centre, an operations room and one office block at ZARSAU D Camp along the Zambezi river.
“This is the new state of the art workshop that has been constructed through assistance from AWF — from being a satellite workshop, it has become our central workshop for the mid Zambezi region servicing our vehicles from all the 11 stations,” Chimeramombe said.
“As Zimparks, we are now saving quite a substantial amount of money for the servicing of our vehicles. In the past, we used to take our vehicles to private garages in Harare and pay for the services, but right now, we are doing everything related to vehicle service here on site without travelling long distances.”
Zimparks no longer receives funding from treasury and its resources are thinly spread, making it difficult to fulfil its mandate to conserve the country’s plant and wildlife resources.
Support from AWF is making a huge difference for Zimparks.
Without this support Zimparks faces an uphill battle to fight organized criminal networks involved in rhino horn and ivory trade where vast amounts of money exchange hands — leading to well — funded and strong poaching syndicates.
“Rangers work under extremely difficult conditions but they don’t get credit for it,” said Phillimon. “Rangers should be paid fairly, trained properly, equipped correctly, and supported fully. That’s all we want.”
Chimeramombe said the areas Zimparks cover are so vast and there is need for more equipment and helicopters to defend nature apart from doing much more to protect the psychological well-being of the rangers who put their lives on the line.
He said resources are still inadequate and there is need for more support for rangers to defend nature more effectively.
There is so much work that still needs to be done to enhance the welfare and operations of rangers.
However, as Zimparks grapples with bigger issues, there is always something that manages to pull the spirits of the entire team of rangers — football.
“The satisfaction and excitement that I get from watching Arsenal play with exceptional skill drowns all my sorrows and worries about the risky nature of my job,” said Phillimon.
Football entertainment brings out the vibrant side of a ranger’s life in clear contrast to its more prominent image as a tough, risky and under — recognised profession.
“We enjoy a lot when we sit here glued to our television sets in the middle of this vast Chewore South forest,” said Steveson Mudzingwa, senior area manager at Chewore Safari (South).
“Our entertainment centre gets jampacked whenever there is a big EPL match. We all enjoy getting a glimpse of football and news that is trending in Zimbabwe and elsewhere. “This was not possible in the past. But entertainment alone, particularly the EPL
— gives us some extra boost with the hype that comes with football.”