The fallen remembered on World Ranger Day
Nine rangers stood to attention at the Paul Kruger Gate last Saturday as the numbers of those that had been lost were read out.
The scene was set for World Ranger Day at the Kruger National Park (KNP), with impalas seemingly welcoming their protectors on this day.
The regional ranger for the Marula Section in the KNP, Steven Whitfield, led a part of the day’s tribute, sharing among others the losses suffered in ranger corps across Africa since last year’s Ranger Day.
“I think it is very fitting that we start the celebration of International Ranger’s Day by recognising and celebrating ranger colleagues that are no longer with us.
“We salute our ranger colleagues from across the world that we did not have the privilege of meeting or knowing, who have passed away.”
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Whitfield said the figures he shared are most certainly not complete, but he shared what was available nevertheless.
The rangers that passed away in the line of duty, per country:
- Angola: 4
- Botswana: 1
- Burkina Faso: 1
- Cameroon: 1
- Congo Brazzaville: 1
- DRC: 22
- Ivory Coast: 4
- Gabon: 1
- Kenya: 6
- Malawi: 1
- Mali: 2
- Namibia: 1
- Niger: 3
- Nigeria: 5
- Senegal: 1
- South Africa: 13
- Tanzania: 3
- Togo: 1
- Uganda: 5
- Zambia: 7
- Zimbabwe: 3.
“We had 29 rangers killed by poachers, 19 killed by animals, and 13 have lost their lives while on duty through other reasons such as vehicle, motorcycle or airplane accidents and drownings. Twenty- five rangers lost their lives due to illness.
“In the KNP, three rangers passed away while still employed, but outside the line of duty. They were field rangers Patrick Lebombo and Tsitsi Mashele, and Cpl Alfred Sithole.
“Two retired rangers also passed away, with 72 years of service between the two of them. I think when you consider that just between two colleagues, Cpl Robert Mashale and Regional Ranger Louis Olivier, there was 72 years of service to this organisation and the rangers corps, it tells you about the character and the personalities of the rangers in the Kruger.
“And then passing away in the line of duty, we remember Field Ranger Checkers Mashego.”
Due to the role they play in combatting poaching and the fact that rangers consider them colleagues, tribute was paid to K9s Rusty and Duke who was lost last year.
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He said thoughts and love went out to the ranger families that had lost their loved ones.
Whitfield described a ranger’s profession as consisting of an everlasting relay being run, with each ranger receiving a baton from their predecessor and carrying it through their career, eventually handing it over to a successor to continue the race.
“The baton being handed over from ranger to ranger has some of the following words written on it: self-discipline, diligence, dedication, determination, passion, compassion, selflessness, caring, courage, adversity, unwavering, unrelenting, tenacious, self-sacrificing, and lastly, maybe the most important characteristics of a ranger are honesty and integrity.
“If as a ranger you are not finding every one of these words as part of who you are, you are going to be unable to carry the baton on behalf of the ranger profession. You will not reach the successor and you will drop the baton before you are able to hand it over.
“No matter how difficult it can be, a true ranger starts every day with a smile, a happy heart and saying thank you for a new day and the privilege of living out a calling and a dream.
“It is true to say that rangers are paid in sunrises and sunsets. To ranger colleagues across the world, Kruger rangers, we salute you and thank you for the year behind us and together with you we look forward to the year that lies ahead.”
