The South African Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment, Dr. Dion George, recently attended a course at the Southern African Wildlife College. Through the course, the Minister gained a deeper understanding of the important work of the rangers, the unsung heroes of South Africa, who work in difficult and dangerous conditions. He says about his visit:

“I have an even greater level of respect for our rangers after completing this course. Rangers unselfishly place their lives at risk on a daily basis to protect our country’s vulnerable wildlife from local and international criminal syndicates.”

The intensive two-week course covered the security planning model for protected areas, including field work such as tracking, navigation, interception and shooting exercises. Dr. George and the other course participants received a certificate of completion.