The Wildlife Ranger Challenge 2021
Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve - Peace Parks Foundation is raising money for Tusk Trust
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About the Wildlife Ranger Challenge:
Covid-19 has created a temporary safer world for Africa’s wildlife. But the floodgates are opening as the economic impacts of Covid drive more poaching. With tourism gone, the rangers who care for wildlife lack the resources to do their jobs. Nyika National Park’s ranger teams are joining thousands of others across the continent taking part in the Wildlife Ranger Challenge, a series of physical and mental challenges, culminating in a 21km virtual race on Saturday 18th September.
You can join them! Show your support and sign up to run or walk with the community game scout team from wherever you are in the world: WildlifeRangerChallenge.org/registration. Now is the time to go the extra mile to support our rangers!
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Your contribution will help support 60 rangers and an estimated 240 livelihoods in and around the Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve in Malawi. Every dollar we raise via JustGiving will earn an additional 25% match!
Your donation also helps to unlock vital funds for other ranger teams across Africa; the Scheinberg Relief Fund will donate the equivalent of 75% of the amount raised to the Ranger Fund!
The role of rangers:
Peace Parks Foundation has supported the development of the Malawi-Zambia Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA) since 2003. The Foundation is the implementing agent for the KfW funding for the Malawi-Zambia TFCA and oversees the TFCA Management Unit that is responsible for the planning and implementation of related projects.
Peace Parks works closely with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Malawi in developing Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve through infrastructure development, rewilding and anti-poaching. The rangers in Vwaza are very involved in anti-poaching endeavours. Rangers remove dozens of snares and much fishing gear monthly from the reserve and often arrest bushmeat poachers. Human Wildlife Conflict is also a major issue with elephants raiding agriculture fields in the cropping season. Rangers have to spend a lot of time chasing the elephants from the fields back to the reserve at night.
The most challenging component of anti-poaching in Vwaza is scarcity of water during the dry season, impassability of the marshes during the rainy season, and tsetse flies. Access to the reserve is limited during the rainy season as most of the roads are flooded and rivers impassable. Patrol base camps in the reserve are usually fixed where water is placed in drums making it difficult for teams to shift the patrol base camps from one place to another. Patrollers also face the challenge of tsetse flies that transmit sleeping sickness.
A law enforcement strategy has been developed and is being implemented through the purchase of equipment which can be used in marshes such as boats and off-road polaris vehicles and facilitating capacity-building of rangers. The implementation of the strategy will significantly strengthen the park’s anti-poaching efforts.
Ongoing effects of the pandemic:
The ongoing Corona Virus pandemic continues to affect anti-poaching efforts in the reserve . The park is still devoid of tourists which has reduced ground presence of tourism activities. The result is that law enforcement efforts had to be increased in terms of coverage so that poachers remain deterred.
How support in 2021 could help:
The support in 2021 could help in enhancing law enforcement in areas of investigation and intelligence. Intelligence driven law enforcement is much more effective than ad hoc patrols. Thus, the support would be put towards strengthening the informant system and the rewarding of informants for information that leads to successful arrests. Further, it will contribute towards the costs of travel to court and case handling, e.g. fuel, meals and accommodation. Support will also be used towards incentives for field rangers to boost morale and encourage performance amongst rangers, as well as purchasing tsetse fly repellent.
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Tusk Trust Limited is a charity registered in England and Wales, No: 1186533, and a company registered in England and Wales, No: 11948023.
In the US, “The Friends of Tusk Fund” donor advised fund is administered by CAF America (Tax ID 68-0480736)
Donors who pay tax in the UK can enhance their donation through Gift Aid, meaning that for every £10 raised, Tusk can recover an additional £2.50 for the cause from the UK Government.
US supporters wishing to make a tax deductible donation please click here.