First line of defence 

Thabazimbi – World Ranger Day is annually celebrated on 31 July to honour and acknowledge the courage and dedication of rangers who risk their lives to protect our wildlife and ecosystems.

The theme for this year is Share information. Platinum Bushvelder met with Marakele National Park rangers to find out more about the everyday life of a ranger. Marakele National Park Moralane section ranger Reckson Mashaba said:

“We often have to work in the pouring rain or scorching sun. But it is part of the job and we take pride in our work as we understand the importance of preserving our environment.

We are the first line of defence against poaching, illegal harvesting and other forms of crime committed in our game reserves and parks.”

The constant threats posed by poachers also take a huge toll on the emotional well-being of our rangers and their families, and therefore World Ranger Day has become an important event to highlight the plight of game rangers who are endangering their lives to conserve and protect our wildlife.

“It is not always easy being a ranger – we are always on high alert. We patrol the mountains and always have to be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour.

Poaching is an ongoing challenge that we face and come rain or shine… we have to protect the park. But I’m proud to be part of a team that is dedicated to protecting this beautiful environment for future generations,”

said Marakele National Park Dithabaneng section ranger, Abel Ramavhale. Rangers play a vital role in the conservation of some of the most vulnerable ecosystems on our planet and we should continue to support them.